Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
David Friesen - Day of Rest
by Dan Bilawsky, JazzTimes
Bassist David Friesen often goes to his secondary instrument—the piano—to add new dimensions in color and texture to his recordings. But completely putting aside his main axe to focus on musing from the bench, as he does on this outing, is a step beyond the norm. Patiently working his fingers around a welcoming Ravenscroft grand, Friesen creates a series of attractive and unostentatious miniatures embodying quietude. Taken together, these... read more
Anthony Branker & Other Ways of Knowing - Manifestations of a Diasporic Groove & Spirit
by Olivia Peevas, Jazz Blues European Union
There's a visceral moment in music when sound stops being just sound — when it dissolves the boundary between performer and listener, body and memory, history and pulse.
It is here, in that fertile space between rhythm and remembrance, that Anthony Branker's new album, Manifestations of a Diasporic Groove & Spirit, stakes its claim.
More than a collection of compositions, it arrives as a tapestry of stories, a suite of sonic meditations... read more
Milan Verbist Trio - Time Change
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
5 STARS Milan Verbist: A Debut from Belgium's Crossroads of Culture.
Milan Verbist, pianist and composer, arrives from the small but culturally layered kingdom of Belgium with a debut album that feels less like a beginning and more like the confident statement of an artist whose voice has been maturing for years. Belgium, after all, is not one culture but three: a Francophone community, a small German-speaking enclave, and the... read more
Bruce Barth Trio - Dedication
by Ken Dryden, The New York City Jazz Record
Californian Bruce Barth has been part of the New York jazz scene since 1988. His trio for his 17th album has two frequent collaborators, bassist Vicente Archer and the late drummer Montez Coleman, who died at just 48 of congestive heart failure in January. The chemistry is apparent, every track having the feeling of a first take.
Barth is an excellent composer. His brilliant, memorable melodies leave a lasting impression and he excels at... read more
Jim Knapp Orchestra - It's Not Business, It's Personal
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
4 1/2-STARS The Jim Knapp Orchestra's CD It's Not Business, It's Personal, recorded in February 2009, was set to be released on November 19, 2021—six days after Knapp died at age eighty-two in Kirkland, Washington. Apart from his role as bandleader, Knapp was a trumpeter, composer, arranger and longtime faculty member at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. Described by Grammy-winning composer/pianist Jim McNeely as "a brilliant... read more
Rich Thompson - Generations
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
This is actually a standard piano trio with dummer Thompson in a leadership role. Of the nine tunes included, seven are original compositions by trio members. A few comments on the two standards might be in order. ?I Hear a Rhapsody? is explored from every angle by pianist Chris Ziemba. He finally states the melody line the ?last time around,? making this an intensely creative and rewarding version of the classic tune. The other familiar melody... read more
Jim Norton Collective - Time Remembered: Compositions of Bill Evans
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
The late Bill Evans was so celebrated a pianist that even some partisans may overlook the fact that he was also a splendid composer with a number of oft-revisited jazz themes to his credit. Saxophonist / arranger Jim Norton hasn't forgotten, and has entrusted Time Remembered, his debut album as leader of the Jim Norton Collective, to music written and sometimes performed by Evans (with one exception, to be explained in due course).
These... read more
Ira Sullivan & Stu Katz - A Family Affair - Live at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase
by Lloyd Sachs, JazzTimes
Ira Sullivan hasn't lived in Chicago since 1963, when he moved back to Florida to bask in the warmer climes, teach and perform with/mentor young players in the Miami area. But he is still regarded as a hometown hero in the Windy City, where he emerged as one of bebop's strongest voices alongside such peers as Johnny Griffin and Wilbur Campbell. When he comes back to town to play Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase - or, as he did last year, the Chicago... read more
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