Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Storms/Nocturnes - VIA
by John Kelman, All About Jazz.com
Virtuosity can, when it's the raison d'�tre, be an impediment; when it's a foundation, in service of the music, it can be liberating. Storms/Nocturnes was initially the brainchild of Tim Garland but, after first convening as a subset of the sextet on the closing track to the British saxophonist/composer's Made By Walking (Stretch, 2000), ultimately evolved into a more egalitarian working trio. Both Storms/Nocturnes (Sirocco, 2001) and... read more
Keigo Hirakawa - Pixel
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Pixel, Tokyo-born, Ohio-bred pianist Keigo Hirakawa's third album as leader or co-leader of his own ensemble, has the sleek, laid-back feel of a well-engineered jam session as Hirakawa leads the way through seven of his generally engaging compositions (and one by guitarist Brandon Scott Coleman) with reliable backing from his supporting cast.
Besides Coleman, the trustworthy team includes woodwind specialist Rafael Statin, bassist Robert... read more
Piet Verbist - Zygomatik
by Dustin Mallory, Cadence
Referring to either the muscle of facial expression or the paired cheekbone, this Zygomatik seeks to express a full range of emotional nuance. Verbist, the creative force behind this recording, displays his compositional abilities as well as his strength as a performer. His virtuosic technique on ?The Pale Blue Dot? (which also alludes to the swinging feel of John Coltrane?s ?Equinox,?) is contrasted by the simple, yet heavy, groove of tunes... read more
David Friesen - Structures
by Raul da Gama, JazzdaGama
One of the most significant musical advantages of the Hemage bass that is played by David Friesen is that its inner architecture enables him to extract an enormous palette of colours that appear to meld those of a contrabass and an electric bass guitar. The result is a seemingly dramatic increase in registers - he can reach higher registers and challenging lows while the bass still produces a faux-acoustic sound. This might also be a function... read more
Les DeMerle - The Jazz Spirit of Christmas
by Carol Swanson, christmasreview.com
So solid, so sweet! The Jazz Spirit of Christmas is classic jazz, through and through! This generous album (well over an hour of music!) will satisfy your every jazz need this holiday season.
The dynamic Les DeMerle (drums, vocals) is the moving force behind this project; his wife Bonnie Eisele (vocals, percussion) has been his sizzlin' musical partner for 17 years. The other three ensemble members are Ken Poplowski (tenor sax & clarinet),... read more
Jack Mouse - Range of Motion
by Mark S Tucker, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
I'm kinda glad Jack Mouse named this CD as he did, as I find more than a little Paul Motian in his playing. Motian's Conception Vessel was one of a handful of LPs that early turned me on to the inimitable ECM label, and what now attracts me to Paul's method is what I found in Jack's: a strong tendency to lay an entire environment beneath the rest of the band. Motian's a little artier while Mouse is swingin'er, but the two accomplish the... read more
Toby Koenigsberg - Sense
by Inka Bajandas, The Daily Emerald
University faculty don't just write textbooks. Some of them are producing their own CDs.
The Toby Koenigsberg Trio, featuring three University Jazz Studies Department faculty members, will celebrate the release of its new album tonight at the Luna jazz club. Toby Koenigsberg on the piano, Tyler Abbott on the bass and Jason Palmer on drums will play several songs from their new CD, as well as pieces by New York City-based jazz composer Andr�... read more
Geof Bradfield - Our Roots
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Chicago saxophonist Geof Bradfield long has been drawn to the music of Lead Belly, and a while ago he got to do something about it. Invited by impresario Chris Anderson to pick a favorite album and perform its music at the Fulton Street Collective, Bradfield chose saxophonist Clifford Jordan's homage to Lead Belly, "These Are My Roots." But Bradfield felt free to reimagine the work according to his own tastes, the venture inspiring him to... read more
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