Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Alon Farber Hagiga - Dreams I Dream
by Kira Grunenberg, DownBeat
It's not all that unusual to sustain a jazz group for 20 or more years; longevity and legacy are practically hallmarks of the genre's history. Still, that doesn't mean it's easy to do. However, bandleader and Hagiga founding member Alon Farber has remained up to the challenge, and with Dreams I Dream, the composer and saxophonist has put together a record worthy of celebration, the Hebrew meaning behind his ensemble's name.
The dream-based... read more
Trio East - Best Bets
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Trumpet, bass and drum trios are not all that common. The trumpeter must have strong endurance and enough imagination to keep the set interesting, even when the bassist and drummer are operating as equals. Recording as Trio East on Best Bets, Clay Jenkins shows that he is very much up to the role, coming up with consistently creative ideas without any hesitation. Bassist Jeff Campbell and drummer Rich Thompson are both very active (particularly... read more
Gregg Keplinger and Rick Mandyck - Tribute
by James D. Armstrong, Jr., JazzNow
Tribute is an astonishingly beautiful duo session by Rick Mandyck and Gregg Keplinger, replete with musical gestures which derive their inspiration in part from the musical forms pioneered by John Coltrane. While this music at times may evoke comparisons with the extended musical dialogues between Coltrane and percussionist Elvin Jones, the form and content here is in fact original, and anything but predictable. With repeated listening, the... read more
John Moulder - Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
In a holiday season when musical treacle is practically unavoidable on the airwaves and in shopping malls, it's comforting to know there's an alternative.
For though Chicago guitarist John Moulder's newest recording, Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit, wasn't conceived as holiday fare, it addresses spirituality in far deeper ways than we're accustomed to hearing at this time of year.
So, no, you won't hear the great Chicago... read more
John Stowell | Michael Zilber - Live Beauty
by Martin Z. Kasdan Jr., Louisville Music News
Guitarist John Stowell was a regular visitor to Louisville during the Bellarmine Jazz Guitar Festivals (RIP). Best known for his quietly elegant work, he is, in his own words, "playing with more energy" here with his friend, saxophonist Michael Zilber. They're joined by bassist John Shifflett and drummer Jason Lewis for just over an hour's worth of music, five originals from band members, plus "My Funny Valentine" and John Scofield's... read more
Jared Hall - Seen on the Scene
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Rich toned trumpeter Jared Hall mixes his own tunes with that of bop master composer Tadd Dameron with his team of Vincent Herring/as, John Hansen/p, Michael Glynn/b and Matt Jorgensen/dr. It's a good call to delve into the underrated Dameron songbook, with two takes of "If You Could See Me Now" featuring sublime conversations between Hall and Hansen. A Latinized "Mating Call" has Herring searing over the pulsations, and a read of the cinema... read more
Richard Sussman - Live at Sweet Rhythm
by David Franklin, Cadence Magazine
Thirty-one years ago, pianist-composer Richard Sussman released an LP that became something of an underground Post-Bop classic. To celebrate Free Fall's CD release in 2003 Sussman reconstituted most of the original group (saxist Larry Schneider didn't make it) for a two-night gig at New York's Sweet Rhythm.
Although between the 1979 recording and the 2003 one, trumpeter Peter Harrell, tenorist Bergonzi bassist Richmond, and drummer Williams... read more
Jeff Johnson - The Art of Falling
by Jon Davis, Expose
Bassist Jeff Johnson is one of the regulars in the Origin Records stable, and these two releases see him as leader, first of a trio with drummer Billy Mintz and reedman Hans Teuber, then with a quartet, adding pianist Randy Porter. Most of the selections on both are Johnson originals, with a few covers (Wayne Shorter, Henry Mancini, even Glenn Miller) thrown in. Johnson seems to favor a relatively free setting, using the composed tunes as... read more
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