Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Matt Otto - Red
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Saxophonist Matt Otto is Los Angeles-based these days, but for his fifth CD, Red, he got together with some musical running mates from his time in New York: guitarist Greg Toughy, drummer Qasim Naqvi, and bassist Danton Boller. Considering its standard jazz lineup of tenor sax and a rhythm section, the band has crafted quite an original sound.
The set of eight Otto orignals sustains a hauntingly restrained mood from start to finish, churning... read more
Rodney Whitaker - Outrospection: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In The Beat, WCBN
Rodney Whitaker, a Detroit-born musician and Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, arranges several compositions by Lansing's Gregg Hill, with musicians from MSU's jazz faculty. The record was made under COVID lockdown with all the musicians socially distanced in different booths, but it still sounds cohesive. Whitaker's daughter Rockelle, who has a deep, sultry voice in the tradition of all the... read more
Dave Slonaker Big Band - Shifty Paradigms
by Jonathan Widran, The JW Vibe
The opening line of Grammy nominated composer/arranger Dave Slonaker's liner notes for Shifty Paradigms, his melodically and harmonically imaginative, rhythmically intense and stylistically diverse third album, says it all about his lifelong devotion to the realm: "Since my middle school days, the sound of big band has intrigued me."
One of Hollywood's most in demand arrangers and orchestrators for more than 30 years, his diversity is rooted... read more
Lucas Pino - No Net Nonet
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Tenor saxist Lucas Pino hails from the Brubeck Institute, The New School and received his Masters Degree from Julliard, so he knows his way around a tune. Here, he puts together a nine-piece band for eleven cleverly arranged tunes that mix Mingusy grooves and harmonies and swings like a bopper in the process.
Pino himself has an old soul of a sound on his horn, warm and rich as on "Orange" and with luster along with Colin Stranahan's ride... read more
Shawn Purcell - 180
by Cedric Hendrix, CirdecSongs
Guitarist Shawn Purcell found himself captivated by the six-string sound of the legendary Pat Martino. He's also loves the Hammond organ and the sound it makes within the context of the jazz trio. And so, we arrive at 180, a record that's solid and smooth enough to be mistaken for a granite countertop. Purcell's guitar tone is slightly muted and occasionally just a bit overdriven, which helps it cut through the groovy but gentle din created by... read more
John Stowell | Michael Zilber - Live Beauty
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
A live date recorded at the end of a two week tour, the crew on board here developed the mental telepathy that it takes to make an improv date feel like it's been well scripted to sound like the notes have been well laid out but the players are given the freedom to play around them. Not a hooting an hollering set, it's about low key fire and intensity. This is sitting down jazz played by real pros that know how to hold you in rapt... read more
Anthony Branker and Word Play - The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
This session lead by composer and music director Anthony Branker can be approached one of two ways. Musically, it boasts of a horn section of David Binney/as, Ralph Bowen/ts-ss-fl and Conrad Herwig/tb that is second to none, with Bowers delivering a riveting tenor solo on "Our Dreams." The rhythm section of Renato Thoms/perc, Donald Edwards/dr, Kenny Davis/b and Jim Ridl/key is swinging yet flexible over things like post bop cookers like... read more
Anthony Branker - Beauty Within
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Anthony Branker doesn't even play an instrument here; he's the composer and director of these nine pieces performed by Ralph Bowen/ts-ss, Pete McCann/g, Fabian Almazan/p, Linda Oh/b and Rudy Royston/dr. The liberating part of this concept is that no musician is beholden to being the major voice; they serve the music completely.
The pieces themselves are quite sophisticated in concept, and varying in textures as well. You get some simple piano... read more
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