Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Brittany Anjou - Enamigo Reciprokataj
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
There's a fascinating disjunction shaping the work of pianist Brittany Anjou. In one bend of being, her endeavors reflect extreme faith in the concept of catholicity. As a student of Esperanto—the "universal language" devised by Dr. Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof in the late 19th century—and a musician warmly embracing an ecumenical approach, open lines and the ability to connect clearly play as prime factors in her art. But in an opposing arc... read more
Bobby Broom - Song And Dance
by Thomas R. Erdmann, Jazzreview.com
Guitarist Bobby Broom has had a career in jazz envious of many. He's played with Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, Dr. John, Charles "Mighty Burner" Earland, and Sonny Rollins, to name but a few. Born in Harlem and currently living in Evanston, Illinois, Broom began playing the guitar in junior high school and credits his first guitar teacher with trying to point him in a jazz direction. He credits George Benson's Bad album for helping drive... read more
Benjamin Boone | Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz
by Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
As someone who has been a fan of poet Philip Levine (1928-2015) for over three decades, when the album "The Poetry of Jazz" (Origin Records) arrived in the mail in early March of this year, I was thrilled. This collaboration with alto saxophonist and composer Benjamin Boone began in 2010 when Boone met the poet on the campus of Fresno State University in California. Levine was a "jazz poet" throughout his career, his collections peppered with... read more
Chris Walden Big Band - Home Of My Heart
by EJ Iannelli, All About Jazz
Recorded several years ago, in late 2002, Home of My Heart sounds as if it could have been -- were it not for its handful of latter-day charts by eighties pop supernova Christopher Cross and film composer John Williams -- recorded several decades earlier. The prevailing sound is classic big band, delighting in the force of its multitudes while consistently spotlighting its individual soloists.
Walden, who first made a name for himself in... read more
May Okita - Art of Life
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Gentle toned vocalist May Okita creates gentle sonatas with the spartan support of guitarist Larry Koonse and pianist Josh Nelson on this delicate collection of standards. Her sandied tone is attractively intimate with Nelson on a alluring "Let's Face the Music and Dance" while Nelson provides streamlike ripples for a contemplative "Both Sides Now." A troubadour'd take of "Detour Ahead" has Okita in a breathy form as she floats over Koonses... read more
Rob Lockart - Parallel Lives
by Ric Bang, The Davis Enterprise, April 3, 2008
Rob Lockart is Texas born and educated at teh Eastman School Of Music; he completed studies at teh Banf School. He has lived and worked in New Orleans, New York and Los Angeles, where he now resides and teaches.
His musical experience includes jobs with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Doc Severinson's Big Band and performances with numerous smaller groups headed by well-known artists such as Clark Terry, Joe La Barbara and Mel Lewis. Lockart... read more
Greta Matassa - The Smiling Hour
by Paul Freeman, San Jose Mercury News (Interview)
Seattle-based jazz vocalist Greta Matassa's father was a visual artist, a painter. And a serious jazz buff.
"My dad and I used to stay up until three in the morning, talking about the parallels between jazz music and abstract art," Matassa tells The Daily News. "They are very similar in the spontaneity of the way they're put together. You start with a structure in a piece of music. Or a subject matter in art. And then the act itself of... read more
Trio Linguae - Kevin Woods / John Stowell / Miles Black - Signals
by Frank Kohl, Cadence
A very pleasant surprise and joyful treat to hear this trio without bass and drums. Three of the most able-bodied, spontaneous communicators in Jazz converse through six originals and five covers. "Signals" begins with Kevin Wood's beautifully written "Few Regrets". A rubato opening with John Stowell's pristine nylon string melody statement leads to a strong chord progression intro. Kevin Woods takes over the melody and then takes the first... read more
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