Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Florian Hoefner - Luminosity
by Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat
Florian Hoefner is a cerebral and harmonically daring pianist whose style crystallizes around jazz and blues fundamentals, but whose adventurous spirit finds him reaching toward new sonic territory. Luminosity, his starkly picturesque new album, makes profound statements from quiet moments.
Tranquility and calmness are the operative moods here, with most of Hoefner's solos exhibiting a hushed, soft-spoken quality. On "The Narrow,"... read more
Amit Friedman - Sunrise
by Editorial staff, Third Ear - Israel
BEST OF 2012
It was worth waiting for saxophonist Amit Friedman's debut album. The straightforward joie de vivre in his music carries you away, and puts a smile on even the most cynical face. The Israeli sound is familiar and close to home, inviting you in only to discover some surprising facets of the Israeli jazzman. Amit juggles sophistication and coolness and gives you a feeling of a family celebration, with the help of the... read more
Kelly Brand Nextet - The Door
by Charles Vecoli, Jazzreview
The Door is the latest effort from pianist, composer Kelly Brand and her Nextet. Once you put this disc on, you won't want to take it off. This is a disc that is full of listening pleasure. The composition is excellent, the arrangements are thick with melody and tempo, and the execution is superb. The listener is engaged from the first note until the sound of the creaking door at the end of the disc. The Door is a testament to Brand's talent for... read more
Michael Waldrop Big Band - Time Within Itself
by Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation Nation
Something you don't always hear in "big band" recordings these days is right here on this superb eight-song album... "swagger" & "proof of life"! Michael's drums "lead" this elegant excursion into the funkiest of big bands you've ever heard, especially on songs like the straight-ahead jazz on the 7:34 "Munich Musings"... this tune is definitely in the "must listen" category. The swirling vocal work on "Tunnell Vision" will thrill those who... read more
Nick Finzer - The Chase
by Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation
For some reason, I'd never associated trombone jazz with album titles like "The Chase"... but Nick & his (many) musical cohorts surely pull it off on great tunes like the stunning opener, "Life Happens"... in fact, this tune has some of the highest energy licks I've heard (yet) in 2016. The title track, "The Chase", uses plenty of cut & run changes to enhance the sense of movement & (possibly) danger! When it comes to compositions like this,... read more
George Colligan & Theoretical Planets - Risky Notion
by Don Lerman, Cadence
George Colligan has performed with many prominent jazz figures as well his own group, has recorded prolifically both as a sideman (over 100 albums) and as a leader (25 albums), is a noted composer, and is currently on the jazz faculty at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Better known for his work on piano, Colligan plays drums on (1), serving as both an anchor and musical precipitator for saxophonists Joe Manis and Nicole Glover and... read more
Jessica Williams - Songs of Earth
by John Frederick Moore, Jazziz
There's long been a spiritual component to Jessica Williams' work, but rarely has it been as explicit as it is on this set of solo piano pieces. Taken from live performances in Seattle over a three-year period,the seven selections are largely spontaneous improvisations, and that raw creativity is what makes this disc so satisfying, both musically and emotionally.
At first blush, these pieces seem to fall into the category of brooding,... read more
Hal Galper / Jeff Johnson / John Bishop - Furious Rubato
by Ken Dryden, All About Jazz.com
Hal Galper's aptly named Furious Rubato, finds the pianist opening the listener's ears by stretching the tempo of the tunes and frequently seeming to be playing independently of his rhythm section without ever losing sight of the harmony within each song, approaching free jazz but never abandoning post-bop. He's accompanied by bassist Jeff Johnson (who has worked with Galper regularly in the past) and drummer John Bishop, both of whom excel in... read more
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