Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Ark Ovrutski - Intersection
by Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Network
The quality of playing on Intersection not only by its leader as bassist, Ark Ovrutski, but all of the musicians is altogether exceptional. Ark Ovrutski takes nothing for granted in music. Nor should we in listening to him. If you know how your ancestral family of bassists 'goes', or how any other musician 'goes' then this almost certainly isn't for you. Not that Ovrutski does anything wildly idiosyncratic, let alone provocatively... read more
Bobby Broom - My Shining Hour
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
It seems as though guitarist Bobby Broom has found a home on Seattle's Origin label, but somehow I must have missed this 2014 release. It is still available and worth telling you about. Broom takes off in very straight-ahead fashion with his trio mates, Dennis Carroll (bass) and Makaya McCraven (drums) on a menu of nine much admired standards. Broom is equally impressive whether playing single-note passages or rich, rewarding chords. His... read more
Charlie Ballantine - East by Midwest
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Guitarist Charlie Ballantine forms a bopping trio with Quinn Sternberg/b and Dan Weiss/dr on a mix of originals and clever covers. What's most attractive about Ballantine is the use of his unique tone; it's got a thick, rural sound, hinting at Bill Frisell in it's palpability, but with a bit of energy in the John Scofield world. He gets folksy and traditional tones on "Storyteller", while bouncing with delight on the bopping read of Thelonious... read more
George Colligan - The Endless Mysteries
by Martin Z. Kasdan Jr., Louisville Music News
Pianist George Colligan's trio mates are probably more recognized than he, but they are not just on board for star value; Jack DeJohnette and Larry Grenadier add to the leader's sometimes challenging work. Colligan's liner notes refer to having played in DeJohnette's band, and the musical empathy is apparent from the beginning; if he hadn't mentioned only one prior playing experience with Grenadier, one wouldn't have known it from... read more
Marlene Rosenberg - MLK Convergence
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
4-STARS There's MLK, and then there's MLK. In this particular context we're talking about a three-letter acronym referencing the musical union of bassist Marlene Rosenberg, drummer Lewis Nash, and pianist Kenny Barron. And in broader terms those initials obviously point to the late Martin Luther King, Jr. With MLK Convergence the sounds of the former meet up with the outlook and philosophies of the latter, shedding light on societal woes... read more
Laurie Antonioli - Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light
by Raul da Gama, Jazz da Gama
Attempting to play the repertoire of Thelonious Monk or Herbie Nichols is notoriously difficult. Here is the conundrum: Unless the music is recreated, while staying true to the original; made wholly new, there is a tendency to copy style and content. And then the attempt falls flat with mediocrity. There is that small matter of the stylistic idiosyncrasy of the artists in question. The angular, chopped rhythms of Mr. Monk and the maddeningly... read more
Marlene Rosenberg - MLK Convergence
by Arturo Pepe, Tracce di Jazz (Italy)
The renowned bassist (and composer) Marlene Rosenberg (already appreciated with the likes of Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Teddy Edwards, Harold Mabern, Bobby Watson) has assembled for this recording a formidable trio of innate elegance, with a giant of the piano ( Kenny Barron ) and a series of compositions that, in the most classic of ways, turn from the moving ballad (" Rain ", by Barron, in duo piano / double bass) and originals in 3/4 ("Circle... read more
Jessica Williams - Freedom Trane
by Tom Ineck, Berman Music
Ever since the death of John Coltrane more than 40 years ago, jazz musicians of every ilk have attempted to get at the core of his sound, the key to its immutable power and transcendent spirit. Aside from Coltrane bandmate McCoy Tyner, perhaps Jessica Williams on Freedom Trane comes as close to the source as a piano player is likely to get.
Four of the eight tunes come from the Coltrane songbook, but the other half were written by... read more
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