Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra - The Endless Search
by Don Mather, MusicWeb International UK
Jimmy Heath is one of the great tenor saxophone players in jazz and he is also a very skilled arranger and composer. He has played in many of the most famous groups in jazz as a sideman and soloist and also served many, including Dizzy Gillespie, as composer/arranger. From his soloing on this record alone it is easy to see why he has such an enviable reputation. His improvisations are exquisite and worth the price of the album on their own. The... read more
Matt Jorgensen +451 - Hope
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
The fourth album from Matt Jorgensen's 451 group continues the line of somewhat traditional modern jazz (if that can be considered a proper name for the style) with a definite forward-thinking aspect built in. The album introduces itself with a groove-laden (and aptly named) "Slinky," powered in part by Phil Sparks' powerful bass, before moving into an interesting cover of a Coldplay song. The first part of the "Hope" series (a trio of title... read more
Tom Collier - Alone in the Studio
by Tom Morgan, Percussive Notes
Tom Collier has always been interested in recording music. This is obvious when one reads the liner notes to this excellent CD. As the name implies, Alone in the Studio is all Tom Collier playing vibes, marimba, piano, drums, and synthesized bass. He takes all of is past experience in the studio and creates performances of 11 tunes full of variety and musical interest.
The first two tunes, "Little Green Things" and "Lines," are... read more
Sean Michael Giddings - Red Willow
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Keyboardist Sean Michael Giddings cites pianist Vince Guaraldi, the composer of the Charles Schultz Peanuts cartoon soundtracks (among other things), as one of his influences. Guaraldi is joined in that "sphere of influence" club by the usual suspects—Brad Mehldau, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett—who all play a part in Giddings' sound. But Guaraldi's spirit—the accessible lyricism, the bright, memorable melodies, the sense of fun—seems to loom... read more
Mamutrio - Primal Existence
by Tom Greenland, The New York City Jazz Record
Mamutrio was founded when 19-year-old drummer Jesse Dockx convinced his teachers, alto saxophonist Lieven Cambré and bassist Piet Verbist, to collaborate with him. Primal Existence is an hour-long exposé on how to make a traditional approach sound contemporary. Part of the group's success lies in its demarcated sound registers: Verbist holding down the bottom, Cambré in the upper-middle, Dockx' cymbals on top, his snare and toms filling in... read more
Scenes - Variable Clouds: Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Timeless post bop is delivered by the quartet of Rick Mandyk/ts, John Stowell/g, Jeff Johnson/b and John Bishop/dr on this swinging live set at the Town Hall in Seattle Washington. The entire band sounds like they're both inspired and rejuvenated by the end of the COVID lockdown, with everyone sounding celebratory in delivery.
Mandyk's tenor smokes like a Cohiba, breathy on the mellow "Tilbury Hill", fluffy over Bishop's deft brushes for... read more
Corey Christiansen - Factory Girl
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Guitarist Corey Christiansen began his stint at Origin Records in 2008 with a top notch organ jazz outing, Roll With It. He followed that with an equally engaging disc featuring the same players, Outlaw Tractor on the label in 2010. On these two dates, Christensen and his superb band worked the soul jazz groove typical of the B3 organ genre, featuring a breezy dynamic with superb displays of technique all around, and lots of... read more
Scenes - ...But Not Heard
by Chris Lunn, Ancient Victorys
This is Scenes' fifth recording by major NW jazz musicians and includes the owner of Origin's highly successful recording company, John Bishop, on drums. All the songs were penned by the musicians, starting off with the "C Minor Waltz" that has the author, Hans Teuber, on lyrical sax working above the Stowell warm guitar dance lines and the major voice of Jeff Johnson, one of the most lyrical bass players you will ever hear. Just listen to... read more
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