Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Phil Kelly & The SW Santa Ana Winds - My Museum
by Jack Bowers, Cadence, March 2007
While the wind type and direction have changed on "My Museum", almost everything else, thankfully, remains unimpaired on Phil Kelly's second album in a span of three years. in 2003, Kelly and the NW Prevailing Winds recorded Convergence Zone, a prelude to this admirable new release by the SW Santa Ana Winds. Wheras the NW Winds blew from in and around Kelly's home base in Seattle, Washington, the SW Winds have sprung forth, with a few... read more
Meridian Odyssey - Second Wave
by Abe Beeson, KNKX, New Cool
If you've been following the Seattle jazz scene, no doubt you know a few of the musicians calling themselves Meridian Odyssey. They've played as sidemen with many of the city's top players and spent hours working together in each others' bands. Despite and because of the pandemic, the quintet of friends found room to collaborate in socially distanced Alaska, resulting in a great new album.
For Second Wave, Xavier Lecouturier, the band's... read more
Michael Waldrop - Origin Suite
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Michael Waldrop leads from behind the drumset and vibes as he produces a muscular big band album of fresh material. The charts are all well crafted and quite varied. The major piece is the 3-part title track, with some frantic grooves and unique guitar sounds emanating from Jimi Tunnell's strings. The team creates a caravan with Brad Dutz's tablas on the grooving "Through the Mist" while the brass is upbeat on "Ivana." Some Coltranesque tenor... read more
Aaron Lington - Secondary Impressions
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Baritone saxist Aaron Lington creates some wondrous moods on a collection of mostly duet sonatas with pianist Victoria Lington on this collection of modern compositions. Lington's tone and range are highly impressive, sounding almost like a string section on a solo performance of "Wings" that reaches highs and lows with the ease of a trapeze artist. The collection of duets are dominated by two modern pieces, the Concerto for Baritone Orchestra... read more
Richard Cole - A Glance Back
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
The debut solo album from Richard Cole, a Seattle sax player with some pretty good chops. The tone is relatively high here, making use of squeaks and squeals as possible, and holding to a modern jazz ideal in general. The solos sometimes draw themselves out in a slow arc before moving on, but they showcase some very nice sensitivity in exploring the range. The jazz scene in Seattle picked up quite a bit after the release of this album, and this... read more
Mike Pope - The Parts You Keep
by MICHAEL STÜRM, Jazz Podium (Germany)
Mike Pope is a musician no one in Europe has on their radar. This engaging music, based on a shared musical language, is highly dynamic and full of beautiful sounds when it comes to bassists in jazz. The American is one of many instrumentalists who primarily work as sidemen. When these musicians record an album themselves, it often holds its own against the big names. Even if Pope occasionally betrays the routine of a virtuoso studio musician,... read more
John Stowell / Dave Glenn & The Hawčaptak Quartet - Violin Memory
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
In which we find simply beautiful music becoming a genre all it's own, even if this is the only album in this particular canon. The Pacific northwest's master guitarist meets up with a string quartet and adds color from a trombone making the sum total whew! One of those rare pure listening dates that doesn't have to hit you hard to knock you out, this inspired collection of miniatures blows the ears wide... read more
Scenes - ...But Not Heard
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
Students of jazz are always told to listen to everyone, borrow what inspires them, but give it back eventually. Because their most important assignment is to find a voice of their own. Many flattering things can be said of Portland guitarist John Stowell. And one of them is that he is very much his own man in a highly creative musical sense. He even holds the guitar like nobody else! On this CD, Stowell is reunited with his Seattle playing mates... read more
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