Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Benny Powell - Nextep
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz.com
If Benny Powell doesn't sound familiar, he should be. He's recorded memorable work with Count Basie (a classic solo on "April in Paris") and on pianist Randy Weston's African Sunrise (Polygram Records, 1992). He's also been heard in countless recordings with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Joe Henderson, Sarah Vaughn and as part of Merv Griffin's TV show band. Certainly, Benny Powell is a versatile veteran jazz man.
On Nextep, Powell assembles... read more
speak - Speak
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
The quintet Speak build their music strongly around the motives of collective improvisation, a hallmark of traditional jazz. They do this, however, with the stated intent of challenging traditional jazz ideas. The resulting music is an odd beast. With a love for distortion effects and massive noises, the album opens with a brief Brubeck-like intro (courtesy of pianist Aaron Otheim), then quickly builds into a crashing set of instruments, and... read more
Matt Jorgensen +451 - The Road Begins Here
by Michael Allison, Earshot Jazz
Drummer Matt Jorgensen's 451 band has had several incarnations with varying personnel over the past few years. What they have all shared is spirited and intelligent interpretations of well-chosen material. "The Road Begins Here" exemplifies Jorgensen's spirit as a leader on record with the most cohesive group to date. This is due in large part to great collective and individual statements by his sidemen.
The elegant and inventive Fender... read more
Dan Dean - 251
by Doug Simpson, Audiophile Audition
Electric bassist Dan Dean might not be well known by general jazz fans but he has extensive credits as a sideman for Ernie Watts, Diane Schuur and others; has contributed to television and film music; and is a music educator and an author of instruction books. Other artists, however, regard him with respect and four accomplished keyboardists are involved in Dean's latest outing, 251, a series of bass/keyboard duets.
The album title alludes to... read more
Steve Korn - Here and Now
by Jason West, Earshot Jazz
It's possible that the jazz fans of the next 1000 years will revisit the Seattle sound at the turn of this century. If so, John Bishop's independent label, Origin Records, will enjoy a number of reissues. Representing a small circle of local players, Origin’s catalog sports over a dozen releases, the most recent being one of the best: Steve Korn’s "Here and Now."
For his initial recording as a leader Korn plays with two of his... read more
Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters - Imaginary Sketches
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
Seattle's Origin Records has become known as a label specializing in original music. Sometimes the concept falls flat, but frequently it works quite well. Almost all the tunes here are by members of the quartet. What it ultimately seems to come down to is that McCullough is a scintillating player and an authoritative presence on trumpet and flugelhorn. His colleagues - Bram Weijters, piano; Chuck Deardorf, bass; and John Bishop, drums - provide... read more
Chris Walden Big Band & The St. John's Choir - Kurt Marti Suite
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz.com
It's hard to wrap one's arms around this CD by composer/arranger Chris Walden. On the one hand, Walden has coupled his intrepid ensemble of talented southern California sidemen with the 100-member St. John's Choir from Hamburg, Germany (his hometown), to set to music works by the renowned Swiss poet/lyricist Kurt Marti. On the other, the playing time is only 36:55?less than half a disc's worth?and that includes a five-minutes-plus "bonus" track,... read more
Don Lanphere with New Stories - Home At Last
by Peter Monaghan, Earshot Magazine, January 2002
Time to take stock again of new Northwest jazz releases.
First, one that you will probably already have if you know that it's out, and that you may well buy without my encouragement once you learn that it is: Don Lanphere and New Stories' "Home At Last" (Origin). The master saxophonist, a sure-fire pleaser, seasoned over 50 years of topflight playing, performing and recording, is heard here with the Grammy-nominated New Stories trio of... read more
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