"What happens in the zone, stays in the zone."
The career of Hal Galper has earned the pianist acclaim as both a performer and educator. Perhaps most importantly, it has drawn attention to his contributions to the music as a true innovator. While other pianists of his era gained more recognition, Galper sought out a career path where acclaim would be genuine among his peers and his audience, and not measured by the value of his... read more
It's probably inevitable that any review of any of John Moulder's recordings will mention that he is a Catholic priest. Not only is this an interesting dichotomy for most of us to reconcile?a century ago, people in Moulder's profession were calling jazz the devil's music?but it's also an indication that, just maybe, in exchange for his service the Almighty Father rewarded him with a record as fantastic as Bifr�st, one of the best jazz records of... read more
I'm a Bill Evans type of listener. For me, a musician's touch says more than a fantastic cavalcade of impressive, overly complicated notes, impossibly juxtaposed against a harried orchestra of one. If you can make me feel down to my bones, you've got me.
Seattle's beloved jazz pianist Bill Anschell is cool, because he can do both: move and impress, touch and flash, tone and stack — often on a forgettable, throwaway standard everybody... read more
Vocalist Greta Matassa and bassist Clipper Anderson set out to make a Christmas CD that would stand out from the pack and they succeeded with And to All a Good Night. Bypassing most of the tradition's expected favorites, they drew little-known or forgotten songs from films, pop, and jazz, infusing them with thoughtful arrangements. Matassa begins with a warm setting of "A Christmas Love Song" (music by Johnny Mandel, lyrics by Marilyn and... read more
5-STARS David Friesen is one of the few who have really given the electric double bass its own "acoustic" voice and handwriting. Anyone who knows the intimacy of his solo concerts, for which Friesen is a pioneer, hardly misses it when he is in the trio with his music with his trio partners Joe Manis (ts, ss) and the drummers Charlie Doggett (CD 1) and Reuben Bradley CD 2 ) Splits. With David Friesen, improvisation and composition merge... read more
New York based composer, arranger and trombonist/alto flugelhornist, Scott Reeves formed his impressive orchestra in 2008, and while Portraits and Places marks its recorded debut, Reeves spent a number of years before that sharpening his composing and arranging skills at the highly regarded BMI Jazz Composers Workshop where he received guidance and mentoring from Manny Albam, Mike Abene, Jim McNeely and Mike Holober. The result is influenced... read more
John McLean's last album, Easy Go, was a personal favorite. So I awaited his latest, Better Angels, with baited breath. While this is a vastly different album than its predecessor, it has its own charms that make it an equally engaging and interesting album.
McLean has chosen some fantastic sidemen for this project, all of whom bring something fantastic to the table. For fans of homegrown jazz, none of these players needs an introduction. Jim... read more
An intriguing third release from vibraphonist Ben Thomas, Triskaidekphobia is rather exploratory, bouncing from tone to tone, but performing all with an inventive vibe-clarinet format, more to the combos of Bobby Hutcherson and Eric Dolphy than those of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton perhaps (more forward-oriented at any rate), but really not even within that vein. Here, the band takes on straightforward bop, post-bop, Brazilian idioms, and a... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect