Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Human Spirit - Dialogue
by Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
Seattle, Washington-based trumpeter/composer/blogger Jason Parker highly recommended that I listen to "Dialogue" (Origin Records), the new CD from the trio of trumpeter Thomas Marriott, Mark Taylor (alto saxophone) and drummer Matt Jorgensen. It's actually the ensemble's 2nd CD which was released in 2010 in Marriott's name as "Human Spirit." That's now the name of the group.
The 8 tracks here were recorded in October of 2011 at... read more
Ben Thomas Tango Project - The Hat with the Grin and the Chuckle
by Rudolf Radnai, avxforum.hu (Budapest)
Ben Thomas' Tango Project album has a particularly interesting and unusual sound, the title of which evokes the memory of a famous chef, and despite the bandoneon sound, the music has little to do with Argentine tango, but rather the imprints of Thomas's personality, layered polyrhythms, with inventive melodies and surprising... read more
Rodney Whitaker - Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Carmel de Soto, Jazz Music Archives
4-STARS Rodney Whitaker is a sought-after bassist extraordinaire and a pre-eminent jazz educator. On his latest project, "Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill" (Origin Records, 2025), Whitaker and his vibrant working band breathe life into Hill's idiosyncratic compositions, crafting an album brimming with fiery interplay, deep swing, and a forward-thinking sense of adventure.
From the outset, the title track, "Mosaic," draws listeners in... read more
Corey Christiansen - Outlaw Tractor
by Larry Hollis, Cadence Magazine
Those who enjoyed Corey Christiansen's previous outing (Roll With It) will not be disappointed with Outlaw Tractor since it retains the same case and quartet format. The all-originals tune list doesn't veer off course either with a balanced baker's half-dozen of selections that provide just enough substance for the principal soloists (Christiansen, Halliday, and Bianchi) to dig into and get their hands dirty. While the leader and hornman... read more
George Colligan - The Endless Mysteries
by Brent Black, Critical Jazz
George Colligan serves up an interesting if not slightly eclectic offering to offer a breath of fresh air to the all too predictable jazz trio format.
George Colligan is a lunch pail pianist, he works incredibly hard. A diligent performer, teacher and over all student of music himself, Colligan has had the good fortune to develop a long association with iconic drummer Jack DeJohnette as well as an incredibly poor choice in one... read more
John Stowell | Michael Zilber - Live Beauty
by Chris Lunn, Ancient Victorys
Stowell's inventive, warm approach to the guitar with a delicate touch meets Zilber, whit his big saxophone sound and edgy intensity. They have found a musical vocabulary across the past decade in duo, trio and quartet formats. This is their second quartet undertaking and was recorded live at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, California. They are joined by the large warm sometimes rumbling bass work of John Shifflett and the... read more
Xose Miguélez - Contradictio
by Pepe Cunha, Abrete de Orellas (Spain)
Following the magnificent "Ontology" (2019) is linked to it through the piece that was titled and that here is reinvented in two versions: in quartet and duet with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, co-producer of the album. Porén, if not a previous work or saxophonist composed from traditional melodies and oozed more from studio work, "Contradictio" aims more at live performance of a quartet that is completed with a Portuguese rhythmic base: Carlos... read more
John Stowell | Michael Zilber - Live Beauty
by Tree Palmedo, Jazz Society of Oregon
This live meeting of two West-Coast powerhouses succeeds precisely because it's not the kind of combustible collision that many all-star collaborations can become. You can probably thank guitarist John Stowell for that: he's got chops for days, but actively avoids setting fires. Instead, he sits back and plays only the right things. The answer also lies in the instrumentation. With no piano (and particularly with Stowell in the guitar chair),... read more
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