Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Nnenna Freelon - Time Traveler
by Brenda Nelson-Strauss, Black Grooves
Like many over the past couple of years, jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon has been confronting grief. The singer's beloved husband and partner of 40 years, Philip Freelon, passed after a long battle with ALS, shortly before the pandemic caused millions of untimely deaths and left bereaved families across the globe in mourning. Freelon's new album, Time Traveler, was created through this lens of suffering, grief and loss. Recorded both before and... read more
Milan Verbist Trio - Time Change
by Patrick Auwelaert, Jazz & Mo (Belgium)
When you've played with musicians such as Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, and Jakob Bro, it's no surprise that you're welcomed with open arms by an American record label. I'm talking about Antwerp pianist-composer Milan Verbist (26), who recently made his debut with Time Change, a work on which he is accompanied by the rhythm duo Toon Rumen and Jens Meijer. After playing many concerts together, the trio decided in March 2025 to record an album with... read more
Lincoln Goines - The Art of the Bass Choir
by Kevin Johnson, No Treble
Lincoln Goines is a consummate bassist and renowned educator who has been a mainstay of the New York City scene for decades. Originally from Oakland, the bassist quickly found his groove in the Big Apple in the '70s, where he got to work with Idris Muhammad, Dave Valentin, Paquito D'Rivera, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Mintzer, and many more. Between his steady performances, recording, and teaching at Berklee College of Music, Goines has always kept... read more
Eva Cortes - Crossing Borders
by Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Network
Editor's Pick · Featured Album Although the release of Crossing Borders by Eva Cortés comes just two years after In Bloom appeared on Truth Revolution Records, it feels like a much longer time since her sultry voice has been heard on record. Thankfully the wait is over and listeners can bask in the beguiling music of Eva Cortés once again. The smoky-voiced singer is in fine form throughout this disc, singing in Spanish and... read more
Michael Waldrop Big Band - Time Within Itself
by Bob Reny, International Association of Jazz Record Collectors
Dr. Michael Waldrop works by day as a is a Professor of Percussion at Eastern Washington University, but after hours and on weekends he leads this exciting big band, propelling it with contributions on drums and vibraphone. Apart from his career in academe, Waldrop has logged over 23 years playing drums in both jazz and classical settings, experience that surfaces throughout this recording. This is primarily a studio band but its members all... read more
Bill Anschell - Figments
by Ric Bang, Jazz Scan
Although I've reviewed numerous albums by ? or featuring ? pianist Bill Anschell, each always involves a bit of fear. Aside from being an outstanding musician, Anschell is an excellent writer and humorist; I know that whatever I say, he would have said better (and funnier). That said, here goes...
Anschell is a Seattle, Washington, native who left after high school. He attended Oberlin College in Ohio for two years, and earned his music... read more
Joel Miller - Swim
by Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
There's so much to like about Swim, the just-released disc from Montreal saxophonist/composer Joel Miller, that it's hard to know where to begin. The disc features Miller, who at 41 is well into a rich and diverse career, in that most traditional of formats, the tenor saxophonist's quartet. Over 11 tracks, all but one of which are potent, likeable Miller originals, the music's inspired, uplifting and energetic. Frequently, it's... read more
Ryan Cohan - Originations
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
4 1/2 STARS There is a risk in creating art that reflects in essence, one's own personal journey. What that journey reveals within the context of one life may not carry the same value to a collective audience. In the case of Chicago based composer/pianist Ryan Cohan, his explorative delve into his own bi-cultural roots as presented on his new release, Originations (Origin, 2020), would not resonate with listeners if the music itself was... read more
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