Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz Halo (Belgium)
The American label Origin is mainly specialized in jazz based on tradition. With 'Provinces' they radically deviate from that course. You could say a kind of "close encounters of the unknown kind". The man who is responsible for this alone: multi-instrumentalist Christopher Icasiano.
The continuously drumming drums create an uncomfortable feeling from the start. With somewhat haunting Hans Zimmer soundscapes and relentlessly dark bass... read more
Jessica Williams - Billy's Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Jessica Williams is at the forefront of jazz in the nontraditional setting: leaving the nightclubs in favor of concert halls. Billy Taylor was one of the first to go in that direction well before her, however. Here, she pays tribute to the fine pianist with a series of original compositions. The sound is incredible, recorded in a home studio but cleverly given a proper concert sheen. This is jazz on the way to third stream. The playing is... read more
Thomas Marriott - Trumpet Ship
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4-STARS Spontaneity rules. Seattle-based trumpeter Thomas Marriott had a day off from touring with his quartet, so he decided to go into the studio and record an album: Trumpet Ship. His twelfth outing for Origin Records—all of them reaching for the stars, all of them getting there—this quartet album lines up after his stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeous Romance Language (Origin Records, 2018). A tough act to follow. Marriott and his... read more
Rodney Whitaker - Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The extraordinary bassist Rodney Whitaker is in some fine company here, where 10 songs unfold via this 4th collaboration between Whitaker and Gregg Hill.
The rich and dynamic title track opens with Rick Roe's well timed keys and Terell Stafford's bright trumpet that suits Whitaker's bouncy bass lines, and "Unknown Ballad" follows with Dana Hall's agile drumming and Rockelle Whitaker's soulful pipes adding much to the graceful... read more
Dmitri Matheny - Cascadia
by Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist
Here's the challenge when you're a jazz flugelhorn player: avoiding sounding like a TV commercial soundtrack from 1979. It's not your fault; it's just that the flugelhorn has such a sweet, soft tone that it was the favorite vehicle for easy-listening music during that heavily easy-listening decade. So what does Dmitri Matheny do? He takes the dangerous path: he embraces the softness of his instrument, but puts it to work delivering sharp,... read more
Jessica Williams - With Love
by Brent Black, Critical Jazz
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and that is Jessica Williams!
Jessica Williams is a critically acclaimed pianist that has the reputation and the ability to go deep. Thanks to the misfortune of two rather serious health battles which she has documented and spoken of in great detail, Williams has embraced the lost art of melody with a string of sublime recordings on the consistently excellent Origin label. With Love is... read more
Ben Patterson - Push the Limits
by Editor, Phil's Picks
The year that was 2020 was a pivotal period for trombonist and jazz artist Ben Patterson. That is because he saw so much change in his own career throughout the year. After more than two decades as a member of the United States Air Force Band's Airmen of Note (as well as its lead trombonist and musical director), Patterson stepped down from the positions and left the organization. Then in March, the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down.... read more
Thomas Marriott - Human Spirit
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Trumpeter Thomas Marriott has always been one of the brightest stars in the Origin Records stables, and his Human Spirit album wanders through extremities of both speed and composition before it's through. This is a rare album that showcases all of the players at their highest levels, in both solo formats and intertwined. Marriott and saxophonist Mark Taylor (who appears in many combination with Marriott) mingle their lines regularly, playing... read more
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