Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by FRIEDRICH KUNZMANN, All About Jazz
Canadian vibesman Dan McCarthy has come a long way since the release of his already very accomplished debut album Interwords (self produced) in 2006. Since moving to Brooklyn, New York in 2004, McCarthy has been able to collaborate with some of the city's finest improvisors, such as Steve Swallow or Ben Monder who are also the musicians joining him on his first of two albums in 2019, both released on the Seattle-based label Origin Records. The... read more
Thomas Marriott - Urban Folklore
by Ric Bang, Jazz Scan
Origin Records and trumpeter Thomas Marriott are among this blog's "old friends"; both were featured in some of my earliest reviews. If you scan through the site's listing you'll find 7 CDs where they're featured together. Origin was among the first of the "new breed" jazz labels founded in the very late 20th century, and Marriott was - and still is - a frequent leader or sideman on the company's albums.
Marriott is a West Coast artist,... read more
Paul Marinaro - Mood Ellington
by Jim Hynes, Making A Scene
My first reaction to this excellent double disc from Chicago-based vocalist Paul Marinaro was simply the pure joy of having 25 of Duke Ellington and/or Billy Strayhorn's tunes in one collection. Yet, delving into the album more deeply, it was the inventive arrangements and Marinaro's confident, unhurried phrasing and natural affinity for the material that was most impressive. This massive project ranks easily as one of the top male vocal albums... read more
Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach - Varuna
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
4 1/2 STARS There is a tuneful Constellation in the West and her name is Laurie Antonioli. Returning to her native Bay Area in 2006 after an expatriate period in Europe, where she served as professor of voice at Austria's Kug University, she formed her "American Dreams" band recording, most recently, the critically well-received albums, American Dreams (Intrinsic Music, 2010) and what is considered her breakout, the excellent... read more
Affinity Trio - Hindsight
by Scott Yanow, Album Liner Notes
Hindsight is the recording debut of Affinity Trio, an exciting straight-ahead jazz trio comprised of trumpeter Eric Jacobson, pianist Pamela York, and bassist Clay Schaub. "There is an intimacy that our group achieves by playing without drums," says the pianist. "Although we also love playing with drummers, we enjoy the space that we have in the trio. Eric and Clay both have a strong rhythmic sense so, even though we're a drum-less group,... read more
speak - Speak
by Jon Solomon, All About Jazz
Forward-thinking trumpeter Cuong Vu has performed with the likes of Pat Metheny, Laurie Anderson and David Bowie. He's toured the world and released four albums under his own name. After a stint in New York, Vu moved back to the Northwest, where he is now assistant professor of jazz studies at the University of Washington.
It's there at UW that he coached an ensemble that included members of Speak. After mentoring the students -- saxophonist... read more
Brent Jensen with The Acoustic Jazz Quartet - The Sound of A Dry Martini
by Chris Spector, midwest record
Sax man Jensen does more than make a tribute to Paul Desmond, he gets inside the music that was inside Desmond's head and connects it all for the listener once again without this being an homage that doesn't break any new ground. Walking the fine line between tribute and exploration, he let's the music speak for itself with the quiet fire that was loaded into it all along. Hitting all the high spots in the canon without overly relying on tent... read more
Bobby Broom - Upper West Side Story
by Jon Ross, Downbeat Magazine
**** 4-Stars
Starting with the very first notes of "D's Blues"--a languid but powerful riff atop busy drums and droning bass--Bobby Broom bleeds simple, unadulterated blues from his guitar. He keeps it up, with a quiet intensity, for the rest of Upper West Side Story.
His use of clean, pure guitar sound gives his chords a bit of jangle, which provides an added depth to his comping and his chordal solos. He's not an... read more
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