Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
John Stowell & Dan Dean - Rain Painting
by Florian Biss, Jazz N More (Switzerland)
When guitarist John Stowell discovered that Dan Dean, who had taken on the audio mastering of one of his recordings, was also an experimental vocalist and bassist, he asked him to work together with a very open outcome. Over a year ago, new soundtracks were recorded and mixed together in Dean's studio. Once Stowell recorded the themes of his compositions on the guitar, Dean put his layered "Vocalese" or a bass line above it, and so on. In... read more
Michael Dease - MSU Jazz Trombones: Spartan Strong
by George Harris, Jazz Weekly
You've got to love the moxie of trombonist Michael Dease, who thinks he can take on with his trombone and rhythm teams of Xavier Davis & Ethan Frank on piano, Jared Beckstead-Craan & Reuben Stump on bass and drummers Keith Hall, Brian Allen & Randy Gelispie, the MSU Jazz Trombone team consisting of 17, count 'em, 17 trombones and six (!) bass trombones. What could go wrong?
NOTHING! This album is a total delight, with every potential... read more
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Mike Gates, UK Vibe
5 STARS
Occasionally, an album comes along that sings to me in such a way that it just leaves me mesmerised, spellbound by its spiritual beauty. Addis Ken (New Day) by Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project belongs firmly in this category. It feels like it's somehow channelling the history of an ancient civilisation through its creativity, energy, and musical storytelling.
Berihun, an Ethiopian-born, Israel-based... read more
Jeff Johnson - Suitcase
by Ken Dryden, All Music
Bassist Jeff Johnson has gotten recognition for his intuitive playing in Hal Galper's trio. His fifth CD as a leader is a free-spirited affair, where a lot of the music sounds improvised on the spot or with minimal sketches at best. Johnson is heard on both acoustic and Fender basses, and his group includes pianist Steve Moore, drummer Eric Eagle, and multi-reed player Hans Teuber. The opener, "Shake It Off," is a brief free jazz group... read more
Bill Anschell | Brent Jensen - We Couldn't Agree More
by John Barron, All About Jazz
We Couldn't Agree More is a great example of what happens when two like-minded musicians gather for an impromptu session, playing through a list of well-worn standards. Pianist Bill Anschell and soprano saxophonist Brent Jensen deliver a relaxed, humorously inventive duo recording that happily swings from beginning to end.
Recorded in Boise, Idaho, during a break from a tour of the state (Jensen is an Assistant Professor of Music at... read more
Marcos Varela - San Ygnacio
by Bob Protzman, Downbeat Magazine
***1/2
If you were a young bassist-composer releasing your album debut as a leader, you'd want Ron Carter writing your liner notes.
Such was the case for Marcos Varela, whose San Ygnacio unites eight of the finest musicians in New York for an admirable 11-track program. Varela is keenly aware of the significance and influence of Carter, but the young bassist should certainly be commended for the smart choices he makes on this... read more
Jim Gailloreto Jazz String Quintet - The Pythiad
by Editor, Chicago Jazz Magazine
Saxophonist and composer Jim Gailloreto is known for his inventive genre fusions. The nine-piece suite The Pythiad is no exception. Inspired by lesser-known heroes of Greek mythology, it features vocalist Cheryl Wilson's charismatic singing and Coleman Gailloreto's intriguing poetry. The lyrics are a mix of couplets and free verse, and are a superb match for the sparse and haunting music.
For instance, the tense and angular "Deucalion and... read more
Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters - Imaginary Sketches
by Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm
Trumpet. Piano. Bass. Drums. That's how I'm gonna start this Tiny Review. Four instruments; four simple words, and the short silent pause in between each unhurried word. In a world of modern jazz, where the sounds are as disparate as the instrumentation, here, on Imaginary Sketches, we have a simple straight-forward jazz album with modern jazz artists expressing the jazz tradition in their own voice.
This is a sublime affair, a beauty in... read more
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