Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Bobby Broom - Upper West Side Story
by Neil Tesser, Chicago Examiner
On his new album "Upper West Side Story" (Origin), guitarist Bobby Broom focuses entirely on his own hard-to-categorize compositions. That?s not a new trick in jazz. But it?s something Broom avoided for decades.
"I purposely waited to make a record of all originals," states Broom, who leads his trio (bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Makaya McCraven) in a CD-release celebration this weekend at the Jazz Showcase. "But, you know, I've... read more
Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach - Varuna
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Intimate interaction takes place between vocalist Laurie Antonioli and pianist Richie Beirach during this (mostly) duet session. Bassist Pepe Berns shows up for a sensitive read of "Gentle Rain" and a three part "Resolution Suite" but for the most part you get voice and ivories searching various dynamics and rhythms. Sometimes Antonioli whispers and speaks low when she speaks love, whle on "Summer Night" the two swing it confidently. A read of... read more
Bill Anschell - Shifting Standards
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Veteran pianist Bill Anschell joins together with Jeff Johnson/b and D'Vonne Lewis/dr for some original readings of jazz standards. A slower than expected "A Night In Tunsia" has Anschell probing deeply while he plays hide and seek with Johnson on "Cheek to Cheek." Lewis' cymbal dances on a bluesy and chiming "Jitterbug Waltz" while the team paints a impressionistic spaciousness on "Soul Eyes." Anschell has a gorgeous touch throughout, working... read more
Upper Left Trio - Sell Your Soul Side
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
The sophomore release from Portland's Upper Left Trio provides more of what the debut album, Cycling, gave listeners: a well-planned piano trio outing. On Sell Your Soul Side, there are the same hints of the classic masters inherent in the compositions � not quite enough Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett to make a reference perfectly obvious, but enough to enrich the music greatly. In the hands of pianist Clay Giberson, there's plenty of original... read more
Q.E.D. - yet what is any ocean...
by Adam Greenberg, All Music
A collaboration between vibraphonist Ben Thomas (already an established artist with Origin Records), pianist Alex Chadsey, and trombonist Chris Stover, Q.E.D. is seemingly an effort at exploratory composition. The trio takes turns presenting compositions throughout Yet What Is Any Ocean..., showcasing different elements of the bandmembers' performance abilities as well as different elements of their musical inspirations. Thomas' "Put the Ball in... read more
Pharez Whitted - For the People
by Jon Ross, Downbeat Magazine
"Watusi Boogaloo," the first track on Chicago-based trumpeter Pharez Whitted's fourth album, starts things off with a funky, in-the-pocket groove; the exceptional guitarist Bobby Broom sets up a one-note, rhythmic vamp before Whitted and saxophonist Eddie Bayard ascend and descend, navigating a medium-tempo, spiraling figure. It's a laidback melody, deliberately navigated with ease, giving the tune a light, casual nature grounded in a... read more
Rich Thompson - Less Is More
by Grady Harp, amazon.com
It is not often that the lead man in a group is a drummer but that is most assuredly the case with drummer Rich Thompson who is the driving force behind this propulsive quartet recording that features a choice selection of tunes and exceptional soloists.
This is one of those albums that has it all - the transitional sound
for the 'old-timers' who have loved jazz forever as well as for the
avant garde who groove on new... read more
John Wojciechowski - Focus
by Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
Saxophonist John Wojciechowski moved to the area from his native Detroit in 2002, following his wife, who landed an advertising job. He eventually settled in Bartlett and began a full-time gig as a high school music teacher. Since then he's made the 30-minute commute into the city countless times, slowly and steadily integrating himself into the straight-ahead jazz community by working with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and settling into steady... read more
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