Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Metropolitan Jazz Octet - The Bowie Project
by C. Michael Bailey, Wild Mercury Rhythm
Like a melodic fragment, a foretelling leitmotif teasing with more to come, Chicago vocalist Paul Marinaro's recent Not Quite Yet (Myrtle Records, 2022) included two David Bowie compositions: "5:15 The Angels Have Gone" and "No Plan." Inclusion here pushed Marinaro's second studio recording over the top of a creative peak for the singer in preparation for an even greater one. Released a little too close for comfort with respect to the release... read more
Marcos Varela - San Ygnacio
by John D'Auria, Bass Player
The latest album by young New York-based doubler Varela shows he can swing with the best of them, as exhibited on the opening track, "I Should Care." Varela's solo at the halfway point bursts with harmony, as he speeds his way up and down the fingerboard with precision. While the album as a whole is a melting pot of styles and vibes, it all merges together perfectly, thanks to Varela's vibrant upright... read more
Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra - Without a Trace
by Nigel Waddington, London Jazz News
New York Big Band leader and composer Scott Reeves is someone whose music I wish I'd discovered sooner. His new release, Without A Trace, contains originals and standards, colourfully orchestrated and recorded with an intimate, club-like ambience.
These pieces really are "composed", and what a difference it makes. They are led by the line, so there is always a feeling of forward travel. No fewer than 12 soloists offer their artistry,... read more
Clipper Anderson - The Road Home
by Jon Ross, Downbeat Magazine
4-stars****
A travel theme runs through the tunes on "The Road Home," most of which progress at a fast pace, anchored by Clipper Anderson's light, bouncy improvisations. This Northwest-based bassist's stellar debut as a solo artist covers a lot of ground, from Bill Evans' heady, complex "Twelve-Tone Tune Two" to the Portugese original "Esperancoso Destino" and soaring ballads like the title track, which was inspred by a stretch of... read more
John Moulder - Bifrost
by David Rickert, All About Jazz
It's probably inevitable that any review of any of John Moulder's recordings will mention that he is a Catholic priest. Not only is this an interesting dichotomy for most of us to reconcile?a century ago, people in Moulder's profession were calling jazz the devil's music?but it's also an indication that, just maybe, in exchange for his service the Almighty Father rewarded him with a record as fantastic as Bifr�st, one of the best jazz records of... read more
Xose Miguélez - Ontology
by Félix Amador, Jazz, Ese Ruido (Spain)
Risk is the title of the chapter that the Jazz series of Ken Burns dedicates to bebop and, although bebop has ceased to be a novelty, jazz continues to advance and good musicians continue to appear capable of risking, giving everything to find that (eternal) new path that is the risky essence of jazz. In the disc of saxophonist Xose Miguélez there is only one theme that could be classified as bebop, but his taste for risk is appreciated in the... read more
Matt Otto with Ensemble Iberica - Iberica
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Ringer of the Week Tenor saxist and composer Matt Otto puts together a thoroughly original, accessible and exciting session that mixes jazz with Andalusian sounds on this clever session. The unorthodox team includes the "Ensemble Iberica" (Beau Bledsoe/g-oud, Jordan Shipley/g-cav, Michael McClintock/eg-tres) along with Brad Cox/Rhodes, Karl McComas-Reich/b-cel and Mike Stover/steelg. Together, Otto blows a smoky tenor along with rich... read more
Giacomo Gates - Centerpiece
by Don Williamson, JazzReview.com
Giacomo Gates left a life of construction work in Alaska, and the art form of vocalese is all the healthier because of it. Possessing one of the more interesting resumes among jazz people, Gates was always interested in music, but he found adventure and a change of climate in Alaska. Even there, he continued to sing as an avocation. Eventually, Sarah Vaughan, appearing in Fairbanks, encouraged Gates to return to the East Coast if he were to... read more
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