Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Giacomo Gates - Centerpiece
by Richard Mayer, Espresso Jazz
With the release of this third CD, Giacomo Gates has made it obvious that he has a focused and consistent concept of who he is and what he does. There is no other male vocalist on the scene today whose commitment to the genre of vocalese is so steadfast, both in honoring its past and in helping to defining its future. I have had the privilege of talking music with Gates on a couple of occasions, and his command and knowledge of the history is... read more
John Moulder - Metamorphosis
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
As approximately fifty of the sixty-eight minutes on Chicago-based guitarist John Moulder's new CD, Metamorphosis, are devoted to the seven-part "Metamorphosis Suite," that seems an appropriate point at which to start any appraisal of its contents and purpose. First and foremost, it is clear that considerable thought was given to mapping the structure of the suite, and that Moulder's quartet came well-prepared to accept and conform to his frame... read more
Meridian Odyssey - Earthshine
by Michael Rietmulder, Seattle Times
20 BEST SEATTLE ALBUMS OF 2022
17. Meridian Odyssey, "Earthshine"
Stretched out to a sextet with the addition of trumpeter Noah Halpern, Seattle trad jazz's favorite young bucks returned with their sophomore album on respected local label Origin Records. Halpern and saxophonist Santosh Sharma are often out front, whether charging in unison or pushing listeners in alternate lyrical... read more
Clarence Penn - Monk: The Lost Files
by William F. Beran, Amazon
5 STARS Monk Reimagined There are lots of albums out there of Monk's music interpreted by other musicians, but there is none like this one. Clarence Penn brings his own sense of rhythm to Monk's lines and the music comes out like something totally new and fresh. A reminder, if we needed one, of just how great and timeless the music of Monk is. Plus a nice liner note by Clarence of how he thought he lost the entire... read more
Paul Tynan - quARTet
by Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
Antigonish-based trumpeter Paul Tynan's latest album wastes no time in getting down to hard-swinging business.
After a few pickup bars, Tynan's composition More Than Just A Single Road treats listeners to authoritative post-bop that recalls the early '80s music of Wynton Marsalis thanks to some of its harmonic and structural details. Tynan's lead-off solo highlights his own muscular yet lyrical approach to improvising, while pianist Dan... read more
Michael Dease - City Life: Music of Gregg Hill
by David R. Adler, JazzTimes
The Year in Trios, 2025
This is the eminent trombonist's third effort devoted to the music of Michigan composer Gregg Hill (who coproduced the set). It's a double album but the first half fits our mandate, with just trombone, bass (Linda May Han Oh) and drums (Jeff "Tain" Watts). Virtuosity, blues feeling, swing rhythm sharpened to a dagger's edge — need I say more? Don't listen to me, listen to... read more
Upper Left Trio - Sell Your Soul Side
by Amy Swanson, WERS Radio, Boston
This is the second album from Portland-based jazz musicians Upper Left Trio. The band claim "electricity and audience with an open mind" as basic requirements on their website (simply, www.upperlefttrio.com). The upbeat and eclectic Sell Your Soul Side is produced by Origin Records, and indeed rewards the ready-for-anything listener, without being inaccessible to the jazz neophyte.
The Oregonian touted the trio's first release, Cycling as a... read more
Bobby Broom - Song And Dance
by Glenn Astarita, ejazznews
Guitarist Bobby Broom is one of the few jazz artists who can spin a pop standard into a deeply personalized musical statement. The artist's broad musical vernacular serves as a rock-solid foundation, enhanced by his enviable technical faculties. Nonetheless, Broom's longtime gig at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston, Illinois looms as just one anecdote within a rather distinguished career, hearkening back to his days in New York.
Broom's... read more
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