Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Matt Jorgensen +451 - Hope
by Peter Monaghan, Earshot Jazz
This marvelous quartet has just been named the 2003 Acoustic Jazz Group of the year in the Ear-shot Jazz Golden Ear Awards, and it's clear on this disc why they were accorded that popular vote. Jorgensen's 451 is as polished a band as any that we've heard in Seattle in quite some time. It exhibits that poised tension between discipline and abandonment that makes for great live gigs. The musicianship of its mem-bers is outstanding. And it... read more
Corey Christiansen - La Proxima
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz Halo (Belgium)
On his latest CD 'La Proxima' the American guitarist Corey Christiansen links a modern sharp sound to Cuban polyrhythmics.
By delving into various grooves and rhythms, he inevitably ended up with African roots and traditions. Hence towards Cuba is another logical step. Christiansen himself admits that he had not pretended to make an Afro-Cuban record. He just gets his inspiration from it and then does his thing with it.
He flirts openly... read more
Brent Jensen - Trios
by Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition
Sweet & Sour - A Challenging Combination
Brent Jensen's 2002 Origin release, "The Sound of a Dry Martini" was my introduction to Jensen. It was a tribute to the late Paul Desmond. It was highly enjoyable, often uncannily getting Desmond's dry, light, feathery tone down to a "T". Being unfamiliar with Jensen, I could not tell whether he was intentionally intending to mimic Desmond - a true feat as Desmond's tone is fairly unique; much like no... read more
Gary Hobbs - Of My Times
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Of My Times has intriguing arrangements by drummer Gary Hobbs that keep the music quite unpredictable. Some selections utilize electronics while others are more straight-ahead. Among the highlights are "Fever" which has an effective vocal by Britta Hobbs and uses an atmospheric bass clarinet, "Hades Ladies," which is reminiscent of early fusion and has Marc Seales playing Fender Rhodes electric piano, and a fairly straightforward "Besame Mucho"... read more
Anthony Branker - Beauty Within
by Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility
Anthony Branker is rising to the top of American jazz composers and it is easy to hear why on his seventh album for Origin Records titled Beauty Within. He is a leader of three ensembles, Word Play, Ascent and on this record teaming with Imagine.
Beauty Within is a stunning post-bop jazz album that showcases the exceptional talent of his band. The musical director leads a very talented group of players including Ralph Bowen (tenor and soprano... read more
Cuong Vu - Leaps of Faith
by Doug Ramsey, Rifftides
Like Smith's, Vu's is a pianoless quartet, but the instrumentation is rather different: his trumpet, two electric basses and drums. He begins with three standards, "Body and Soul," "All The Things You Are" and "My Funny Valentine," assuring listeners that he is about more than 21st century space music. It's a clever strategy. Vu, bassists Stomu Takeishi and Luke Bergman and drummer Ted Poor bring plenty of adventurism to the classic ballads, but... read more
Shawn Purcell - Oblivity
by Az Samad, Az Samad Lessons
The growth of a creative jazz guitarist is not only in how one improvises or performs, but in the music that they release, traditionally via albums. The change that we hear in an icon such as Pat Metheny from Bright Size Life (1976) to MoonDial (2024) documents his spirit of exploration and his aesthetics over a long career.
Social media in particular has made many musicians chase views and virality instead of building a clear creative... read more
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Editor, Skope Magazine
European jazz icon Maja Jaku steps confidently onto the American jazz stage with her fifth studio album, "Blessed and Bewitched." Recorded in Brooklyn and released on Origin Records, this album is a carefully curated statement; balancing a range of emotional themes across originals and standards.
Intimate and assured in its delivery, Blessed and Bewitched It is not a radical reinvention of the jazz vocal tradition, but rather a deeply felt... read more
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