Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by Bob Weinberg, Miami Jazz and Blues Examiner
On the heels of a similar Peter Bernstein project, Sonny Rollins sideman Bobby Broom takes an imaginative stroll through the Thelonious Monk songbook with his trio of bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins. Of course, there's the novelty of hearing a guitar trio play Monk (the pianist never recorded with guitar, although apparently bootlegs exist of a 1940s jam with Charlie Christian at Minton's), but beyond that, Broom is an extremely... read more
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The Milwaukee outfit consisting of Eric Jacobson, Pamela York and Clay Schaub, as Affinity Trio they deliver 6 covers and 3 originals of swingin' jazz fun.
The upbeat mood of "Onward" starts with Jacobson's rich trumpet alongside Schaub's bouncy bass and York's fluid keys, and 'On The Sunny Side Of The Street" follows with a soulful version of the classic that's quite warm.
In the middle, the swift "Bittersweet", by Sam Jones, allows... read more
Jim Knapp Orchestra - It's Not Business, It's Personal
by Michael van Gee, Jazz 'N' More (Switzerland)
4-STARS This newly released CD by Seattle-based trumpeter, composer, bandleader and arranger Jim Knapp, who died in November 2021 at the age of 82, was recorded in 2009. Composer and arranger Maria Schneider praises: "Jim Knapp's music is full of intensity, emotions and creative textures and should be better known. It is among the best that is currently being written." Unfortunately, Knapp is only known to insiders, although he was... read more
Hood Smoke - Laid Up In Ordinary
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Am I hearing young Hawk Wolinski and Chaka Khan echoing in these grooves? A smoking Chicago crew that knows their groove history a well as their local history deliver Grandson of Rufus on this funky for the times set that's driven by their well honed chops. Fun stuff that'll be sure to tell you something good.... read more
Mike Pope - The Parts You Keep
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
You have to admire a bandleader who enhances an album by dedicating one of his compositions to an Uber driver and inviting his 85-year-old mother to play piano on the last two numbers. That is exactly what bassist Mike Pope does on The Parts You Keep, and they are two of the recording's more pleasing episodes. Pope also adds a four-member string section on the standard "That Old Feeling" and his quirky composition "Past Is Prologue" (both of... read more
Michael Waldrop - Native Son
by Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
About the album from the label's point of view: "Well known throughout Europe for decades, the virtuoso Serbian pianist Vasil Hadžimanov only became known to drummer Michael Waldrop while performing in a Belgrade club that Waldrop dropped into during one of his yearly visits with in-laws. Later, stuck in his Pacific Northwest home during the pandemic, Waldrop thought to include Vasil in a remote recording session of his tune "Belgrade," which... read more
Dana Hall - Into the Light
by Kevin Whitehead, NPR Music Reviews
Dana Hall doesn't often hog the spotlight on his debut album, Into the Light. He doesn't need to; he plays more stuff behind other musicians than some drummers do in a solo. Hall stays busy back there, exhorting and swinging the band, playing contrary rhythms, shifting his patterns and punctuating everybody else's solos.
Here, Herbie Hancock's "I Have a Dream" is played more or less in the style of the Miles Davis quintet with Tony Williams... read more
Piet Verbist - Flamenco Jazz Summit: El Mar Empieza Aqui
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The double bass extraordinaire Piet Verbist is joined by some excellent company for these 8 Flamenco jazz tunes that aren't short on melody and energy.
"Al-Andablues" opens with thick plucking from Verbist, as Carmelo Muriel's bansuriney and Juan Sainz's lively drumming cultivate plenty of rhythm, and "Nuevo Alterado" welcomes Carlos Cortés' frisky percussion amid Tom Van Dyck's soaring sax prowess.
At the halfway point, "A Child Is... read more
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