Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Marc Seales - American Songs, Volume 2: Blues...and Jazz
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Why do you know the opening track on this set by the long time mainstay of Seattle jazz? Because it's a music file in Windows XP making it one of the most listened to pieces of jazz this side of Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown themes. With more meat on it's bones than Eno's ta da wave, he knowingly rolls out a set of mostly originals with a little reliance on Miles and Trane for a piano... read more
Hal Galper - Live at the Berlin Philharmonic, 1977
by Paul Simpson, The Answer is in the Beat (WCBN)
Alright, so here's a previously unreleased live set performed by a bunch of artists I should probably be more familiar with. This concert was recorded after Galper had just finished a tour with Cannonball Adderley, and he's joined by Randy and Mike Brecker, Wayne Dockery, and Bob Moses. All six songs are around 10-25 minutes each, and all five musicians simply go off. Opener "Now Hear This" is just nonstop energy for 14 minutes. "Speak with a... read more
Jeff Johnson - My Heart
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Bassist Jeff Johnson teams up with John Gross/ts, Art Resnick/p and Billy Mintz/dr for a collection of lyrical originals. He links well with Mintz, blending in with the brushes on the soft "My Heart" while adding textures around "Watercolors" and subtly soloing on a reflective "Companions". Resnick is in a Bill Evans mood on "Watercolors", while giving a rich intro to the supple "Leviathan" with Gross in a warm ember mood for the richly swinging... read more
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene
An excellent trumpeter with an attractive sound, a wide range, and a real feel for advanced hard bop, Jared Hall is heard in top form throughout Hometown. His fourth album as a leader and third for the Origin label, this set teams him with tenor-saxophonist Troy Roberts (whose inventive and fiery solos sometimes come close to stealing the show), pianist Ben Markley, bassist Michael Glynn, and drummer Kyle Swan.
The seven selections include... read more
Yumiko Endo Schlaffer - Rhapsodie
by Alison Young, Harp Column
Like the luscious glamour of her CD cover, Japanese harpist Yumiko Endo Schlaffer plays with a luxurious richness as soft as the velvet she lightly places herself on. Rhapsodie is sheer grace and elegance.
I am convinced a great deal of planning went into this CD. It?s not just one beautiful number after another with several French pieces that leaves us breathless and relaxed?Yumiko takes us far afield. One of my favorites is from her native... read more
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Marty "Memphis" Delia, The Jazz Music Blog (Australia)
On City Abstract, contemporary jazz vibraphonist Dan McCarthy pays homage to the masters Carla Bley and Gary Burton by reinventing their compositions and adding a modern feel and production without taking anything away from the originals. His masterful strokes are playful and stylistic and his passion for the vibes is very prominent. Add to this the well chosen and skillful combination of backing musicians guitarist Ted Quinlan, bassist Pat... read more
Marlene Rosenberg - MLK Convergence
by Matt Silver, WRTI, Philadelphia
Jazz Album of the Week: Bassist Marlene Rosenberg's MLK Convergence Captures Spirit of Protests
Inspired by the protest music of the '60s that helped dismantle the codified racism of that era, bassist Marlene Rosenberg's latest album, MLK Convergence, released almost exactly a year ago, presents a new catalogue of socially conscious compositions with the exigency of our current moment in mind, taking aim at the vestiges of... read more
speak - Speak
by Laura Bellini, BBC
Seattle-based quintet Speak is an asymmetric outfit, the only previously well-known member being trumpeter Cuong Vu (who has collaborated with Pat Metheny). The rest of the ensemble is comprised of Vu's students, met at the University of Washington.
Speak, strong with the boldness that comes of youth, are unapologetic from the start. Opener Amalgam in the Middle is a stylistic manifesto, displaying straight away their signature recipe of... read more
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