Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jack Mouse - Range of Motion
by John Barron, The Jazz Word
The title of this release aptly describes the various grooves cultivated by veteran Chicago drummer Jack Mouse. At times caught up in delightful swing, as on "The Breezeling," and at other times deliberately funky, as on "Hip Check," Mouse propels his bandmates forward with a fresh combination of energy and finesse. Guitarist John McLean, who at times conjures up a John Scofield vibe, trumpeter Art Davis and saxophonist Scott Robinson... read more
Pharez Whitted - For the People
by Ken Dryden, All Music
Chicago native Pharez Whitted may not have garnered the attention of New York-based trumpeters, but he has built an impressive career over several decades. For the People features his working band (saxophonist Eddie Bayard, guitarist Bobby Broom, pianist Ron Perrillo, bassist Dennis Carroll, and drummer Greg Artry), playing his compositions. "Watusi Boogaloo" is a perfect opener, as Whitted develops a hip groove and features the entire band.... read more
Randy Halberstadt - Open Heart
by Lucienne Aggarwal, Earshot Jazz
Randy Halberstadt, the well-regarded Seattle pianist, composer, bandleader, and longtime faculty member at Cornish College of the Arts, brings us his fifth album as a leader, titled Open Heart. While the cover art effects the typical Seattle winter scene—bareleafed trees and a gloomy atmosphere— this album is anything but grey.
The music unravels pleasurably like a spiraling kite in playful winds. Most of the pieces are original... read more
Dan Dean - Songs Without Words
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Wanna know what heaven is going to sound like? Grab a hold of this album and you'll at least have a hint.
Dan Dean supplies layers of his voice as well as an occasional bass and whistle to this wonderfully arranged collection of "classic" classics. His wordless vocals create an ethereal mood that floats with sublime joy on Bach's "Air on a G String" while he makes you feel like you're in a dream on "The Sheep May Safely Graze." Dean creates a... read more
Mimi Fox - This Bird Still Flies
by Bruce Lindsay, Jazz Journal (London)
Mimi Fox has been playing guitar for over four decades and released her first album in the 1980s, but This Bird Still Flies is her first all-acoustic recording - mostly on a Taylor acoustic, with Day Tripper featuring a baritone guitar. Mixing self-penned tunes with jazz standards and a couple of Lennon/McCartney numbers, the album gives Fox a chance to show off her versatility on the acoustic instruments.
Fox holds the attention... read more
Tom Collier - Mallet Jazz
by Harvey Siders, Jazz Times
Imagine a front line of vibes and marimba-truly mallets in wonderland. On Mallet Jazz (Origin), Tom Collier, percussion-studies director at the University of Washington, and tireless L.A. session man Emil Richards switch between both instruments, backed by bassist Dan Dean and, variously, pianists Mike Lang and Don Grusin and drummers Joe Porcaro and John Bishop. Brubeck alumnus clarinetist Bill Smith makes a guest appearance.
All the tunes... read more
Ben Paterson - For Once In My Life
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
For his fourth recording, organist Ben Paterson returns to the North West Coast Origin label with For Once in My Life. He employs a standard organ-guitar-drums combo for eleven standards and originals that allows the crack trio he shares with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer George Fludas to fully explore the more modern sonic aspects of this popular jazz- blues-funk format. Blending the musical traditions of his native Philadelphia... read more
John Moulder - Bifrost
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Top 10 Innovative Jazz Releases of 2009
For the past 20 years or so, excellent guitarists have been plentiful in Chicago, and Moulder ranks high among them. On "Bifrost," he offers some of the most profound work of his career, alternating vastly scaled tone poems with exquisitely delicate, spiritual pieces. His work only deepens with... read more
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