Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Dave Slonaker Big Band - Intrada
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
Don't be put off by the name. Intrada, composer / arranger Dave Slonaker points out, is "a musical form often composed as a prelude, overture or fanfare," one whose upbeat phrases give rise to an exhilarating curtain-raiser on Slonaker's initial big-band recording. Rest assured this is a world-class ensemble and there's no doubt whose steady hand is at the helm: Slonaker wrote every number save the standard "It's Only a Paper Moon" and... read more
Chris Walden Big Band - No Bounds
by Andrew Gilbert, San Diego Union-Tribune
At the age of 29, Chris Walden came to Hollywood to write music for the movies, but he's gained almost as much attention with his talent-packed big band, winning fans like film composer John Williams and jazz pianist John Grusin.
The German-born trumpeter and composer moved to California in the mid-1990s, looking to find work on big-budget Hollywood productions after establishing himself as one of the top young writers on Germany's... read more
Dee Daniels - Jazzinit
by John Stevenson, JazzReview.com
Every now and then, the art and craft of jazz gets a kick up its rear end. Put more politely, it is updated from time to time.
A small number of jazz instrumentalists and vocalists do this by planting melodic flags on altogether higher harmonic peaks. With Bebop, for example, Charlie Parker and John Birks Gillespie upended swing's sway with dizzying feats of individual improvisation; Ella Fitzgerald single-handedly transformed the role of the... read more
Triocity - I Believe In You
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
4-STARS Here's a formula we've all seen before: take three musicians and let them loose on a program of standards and Great American Songbook chestnuts. It sounds all too simple and pedestrian, right? Guess again. When you're talking about the combined creative forces of multi-reedist Charles Pillow, bassist Jeff Campbell, and drummer Rich Thompson, the potential of said endeavor changes drastically. The whole is most certainly greater... read more
Dan Dean - Songs Without Words
by Chris Lunn, Ancient Victorys
This is an unusual and special project. Dan Dean is known for his own groups, recording and mixing, and his collaborations with Tom Collier. I first encountered his works with a couple of different groups at the Other Side of the Tracks in the mid 70s along with his work with Collier, with whom he has been musical buddies even in their teenage years. His bass work and sound is found in many recording groups and engineers, because of Dean's... read more
Various Artists - The Cool Season: An Origin Records Holiday Collection, Vol. 2
by John Barron, All About Jazz
With no shortage of holiday music blasting through shopping malls and restaurants this time of year, it's easy to understand why some might want to escape the incessant bombardment of the overdone and out-of-date. If one looks hard enough, however, hope for Christmas music burnout can be found. One place to look is Origin Records' The Cool Season: An Origin Holiday Collection, Vol. 2. With fresh and swinging vitality, trumpeter Thomas Marriott,... read more
Hadley Caliman - Straight Ahead
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
The most appealing thing about Hadley Caliman, save for his very eloquent name, is his equally eloquent and understated tenor saxophone playing. Firmly in a post-Coltrane context, Caliman plays a virile and muscular tenor saxophone whose tone compels because of its carefully crafted rough edges. Straight Ahead follows up his 2008 Origin release Gratitude.
Caliman joins a ratified group of Left Coast jazz musicians who interrupted their... read more
Benny Powell - Nextep
by Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition
Steppin' out with Benny Powell.
Seventy-eight-year-old trombone master Benny Powell has had an extensive career, playing in the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Count Basie. He played in the Basie band for many years, and was prominently featured in Randy Weston's African Rhythms group. Criminally under-recorded as a leader, Powell has only had three recording sessions as a group leader. His first two albums were for minor labels in... read more
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