Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Dave Slonaker Big Band - Shifty Paradigms
by John Ephland, DownBeat
This is big-band jazz, L.A.-style. Orchestrator, arranger and composer Dave Slonaker has now held this Grammy-nominated aggregate together for over 15 years. And it shows. Shifty Paradigms is his third for the label and a fun listen.
"Dash Can" and "Bye Bye Blues" kick things off with forward-charging charts and solos and include standard big band section work, some swing and not a little backbeat. "Blue Windows" cools things off with a... read more
Florian Hoefner - Coldwater Stories
by Fountas Troussas, Diskoryxeion (Greece)
A German pianist with a good career, for which we reviewed last year's "Luminosity" (also on Origin), Florian Hoefner has a new album, solo this time, inspired by Newfoundland, Canada, in the Atlantic (a bit less than Greece!) and who obviously visited it while staying amazed by its natural beauty. The result is included in "Coldwater Stories" [Origin, 2017], a ten-piece CD , all written by Hoefner - and not only synthesized, but also framed by... read more
Sam Yahel - Truth And Beauty
by Birney K. Brown, Audiophile Auditiion
Organ trios have never been my thing. I think my entire jazz collection includes only one by Jimmy Smith and a Larry Young disc. But many people love this stuff. I strongly suggest that enthusiasts of this genre quickly check out this release. The three band members have substantial experience playing with each other and it really shows. Both tenorman Redman and drummer Blade are magnificent at conceptualizing and implementing Yahel's... read more
Joe Locke / Geoffrey Keezer Group - Live In Seattle
by Harvey Siders, Jazz Times, November 2006
Constantly flirting with atonality but never surrendering to it, this quartet made a lasting impression at the 2005 Ballard Jazz Festival, where the hip folks at Origin made a live, studio-quality recording. So much is happening at any given moment that careful, repeat listening is required to separate the various strands that combine to create the sheets of sound (or as Locke prefers, "cascade").
Co-leaders vibist Locke and pianist Keezer... read more
John Bishop with Jeff Johnson, Rick Mandyck, John Stowell - Scenes
by Fred Crafts, Eugene Register-Guard, November 30, 2001
Major stages and large audiences are the usual setting for guitarist John Stowell, drummer John Bishop, bassist Jeff Johnson and tenor saxophonist Rick Mandyck. But for their Eugene appearance on Dec. 7, they will be squeezed up against the front window of the downtown Eugene shop Provenance, giving what may be one of their most intimate performances ever. Call this an act of brotherly love. Bishop's sister, Christy Bishop, an avid jazz... read more
New Stories - Hope is in the Air
by Larry Nai, Cadence
The New Stories trio - pianist Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller, and drummer John Bishop - flies both alone and special-guest-augmented on this bracingly fine tribute to pianist Elmo Hope. One of the most tragically fascinating figures of the Bop family, Hope's highly percussive, nervous keyboard style is less imitated than intimated here by Seales, who shows an obvious kinship with the 14 compelling Hope compositions performed. His exciting... read more
Joachim Mencel - Brooklyn Eye
by Editors, JazzPress (Poland)
Record of the Week The idea to record an album in the USA with musicians recognized there is not something particularly original in the jazz world. However, few have enough courage and determination to make their dreams come true, and even fewer musicians manage to create a musically interesting album. Joachim Mencel, who not only invited excellent musicians to work with him, which in some cases is only dependent on having a sufficiently... read more
Ira Sullivan & Stu Katz - A Family Affair - Live at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
At the Otter Crest Jazz Weekend, I once had the amazing experience of witnessing Sullivan alternate between brassy things and reedy things. The only other guy I can think of who plays trumpet and saxophones really well is Seattle's Jay Thomas. Many remember Sullivan from a lengthy partnership with trumpeter Red Rodney. But live at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase in his native Chicago, Sullivan rekindles a boyhood friendship with vibist Stu Katz. To... read more
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