Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Clark Sommers - Ba(SH)
by Michael Jackson, Downbeat Magazine
****(4-stars)
The Chicago triumvirate conflates the initials of its members--reedist Geof Bradfield, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall--adding an extra lower case vowel (and parentheses) for onomatopoeic effect. The name represents the trio's chamber aesthetic "sh" and sporadic aggressiveness: "bash." Though it might also suggest the bashfulness of Sommers, who became the effectual leader after writing for the trio and... read more
Dan Cray - Outside In
by Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail
Outside In is the title of the sixth album by the pianist/composer Dan Cray, his second recorded in quartet. Regarding the lineup, and in comparison to Cray's previous work, Meridies, the saxophonist Noah Preminger was replaced by Dayna Stephens, while the drummer Mark Ferber and his longtime bassist Clark Sommers keep laying down the foundation.
Favoring a laid-back posture and a liberating spiritual freedom, the recording... read more
Jessica Williams - Songs of Earth
by Bob Doerschuk, Downbeat, December 2012
It takes guts to walk out onstage with nothing but a piano, your imagination and trust that you can bring the two together in fruitful combination. On Songs Of Earth, Jessica Williams takes up this challenge, which was recorded live over several nights at the Triple Door in Seattle. The album overall cases a mood of somewhat sad reflection. Minor keys predominate. Certain technical devices crop up again and again--tremolo octaves in... read more
May Okita - Art of Life
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Recorded shortly before she left LA to return to Japan, what can you say about a jazz vocal trio where the other two cats are Josh Nelson and Larry Koonse and you were taught your moves by Tierney Sutton? The set card is mostly familiar tunes done up in a new way giving this a freshness that removes it as far as possible from the cocktail realm. It might be sitting down listening but it certainly gets your pulse racing---even in it's laid back... read more
Matt Jorgensen +451 - Quiet Silence
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
In his sophomore album, Quiet Silence, drummer Matt Jorgensen shows off an incredible hand at both composing and arranging, as he moves effortlessly through piece after piece mixing the old and the new with his band 451, a collection of busy Seattle players. In what's perhaps been the most notable shift on the album, Marc Seales' usual piano is replaced by a nice Fender Rhodes, which works out surprisingly well under his fingers, as can be noted... read more
Various Artists - The Cool Season: An Origin Records Holiday Collection, Vol. 2
by David Dupont, Cadence
The Cool Season: Origins Records Holiday Collection, Vol. 2 sounds like a label sampler, but is rather the work of one quartet. Volume 1 (12/03) was a fine effort with distinctive arrangements of some lesser-known carols paired with swinging versions of holiday standards. The one drawback of that session was the way the two were mixed, creating some incongruous juxtapositions. This session avoids that problem.
With bassist Jeff Johnson and... read more
Ben Paterson - For Once In My Life
by Bill Milkowski, Downbeat
4-STARS! Philly-born pianist Ben Paterson picked up organ after a move to Chicago, where he became inspired by Windy City B-3 wizard Chris Foreman. Along with quintessential organ trio guitarist Peter Bernstein and Chicago drummer George Fludas, Paterson stays strictly in the pocket on this decidedly old-school offering, which harkens back to classic 1960s Blue Note sessions.
Everything feels right on Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant,"... read more
New Stories - Speakin Out
by Butch Berman, Berman Music
Add another new chapter to New Stories expanding catalog with their current Origin release Speakin' Out with Ernie Watts - and you'll be assured of a guaranteed best seller.
This Seattle-based trio, consisting of pianist Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller, and drummer John Bishop, just keeps getting better and better at refining the art. They combine the atmospheric, but laid-back West Coast feel on "A Night in Manhattan," utilize strong... read more
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