Josh Nelson, Jazz Pianist /Composer/ Teacher is teeming with superb musical talents. I seem to run into him everywhere, at concerts performing with his own band, on many amazing new CDs that he participated on and at concerts where he is performing as part of another band. Born and raised in Southern California, Josh has just released his newest CD, "The Sky Remains" that contains 10 story-driven compositions he has written based on past,... read more
Beautiful You is a surprising work of modern free jazz from Portland's John Gross on the tenor sax and LA transplant Billy Mintz on drums. The sound is a little sparse for the majority of the album, due largely to the fact that there are only two instruments involved, but also to the style of composition embraced here, with heavy use of empty space and quiet accompaniment. The album opens with the energetic Shmear, giving Mintz plenty of room to... read more
After a powerful drum solo opens, The Future Was Yesterday, the debut album for Chicago/Paris sax player Brad Wheeler, the sax kicks in and one immediately is taken by the sound of a developed John Coltrane. As the album progresses, Wheeler takes more of his own direction and relies less on sheer emulation of the 'Trane. However, he keeps a very tight grasp on where the songs should lead and how they progress. As he goes through his solos, one... read more
Saxophonist John Wojciechowski moved to the area from his native Detroit in 2002, following his wife, who landed an advertising job. He eventually settled in Bartlett and began a full-time gig as a high school music teacher. Since then he's made the 30-minute commute into the city countless times, slowly and steadily integrating himself into the straight-ahead jazz community by working with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and settling into steady... read more
Here's one the moldy figs won't be able to handle. A jazzbo guitarist gets together with an electronic dj and rounds out his sound with some first call downtown cats. You call almost hear listeners kvetching the way they did when Eric Dolphy first started being out there. Not really jazz, not really King Crimson or Kraftwerk, it's a trip into the next wave that has to be taken on its own terms. Feeling closer to Bernie Krause without the... read more
You get a sense of where this music's going to go right away, and how tight these musicians are as a trio. The opener, "A Deeper Blue," is a medium-slow crawler that can expose any rough edges to a band's cohesion. The trio moves ever so gently off the soulful, bluesy head with the slightest restraint - riding on drummer Greg Rockingham's light, rolling snare- as they hesitate before diving in. Call it a measure of tightness, a lucky musical... read more
Pianist Bill Anschell has carved out a fairly high profile for himself as an accompanist and arranger, most recently on vocalist Jeff Baker's vibrant Monologue (OA2 Records, 2005), and previously with his stint touring and recording as musical director for Nnenna Freelon from 1992-96. With More to the Ear Than Meets the Eye, Anschell steps out as leader on a set that showcases his penchant for forthright lyrical beauty and spontaneous... read more
Four jazzbos became good friends in Kansas City in the 70s before they drifted away on the sands of time. But it didn't make their friendship drift away as 2019 brought them back together to kick it out as a crew one more time. Deceptively deeper than hotel lobby music, these cats know what to do to power a piano quartet to great heights by breaking a minimum of sweat. Simply a tasty workout that's on the money throughout and always hitting... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect