Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Nick Finzer - The Chase
by Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation
For some reason, I'd never associated trombone jazz with album titles like "The Chase"... but Nick & his (many) musical cohorts surely pull it off on great tunes like the stunning opener, "Life Happens"... in fact, this tune has some of the highest energy licks I've heard (yet) in 2016. The title track, "The Chase", uses plenty of cut & run changes to enhance the sense of movement & (possibly) danger! When it comes to compositions like this,... read more
Geof Bradfield - African Flowers
by Areif Sless-Kitain, Downbeat
The green room beneath the Petrillo Music Shell in Chicago's Grant Park isn't the toniest backstage. In fact, the brightly lit cellar looks better equipped to accommodate a fleet of football players than the cast of Chicago Jazz Festival artists. Saxophonist Geof Bradfield is beaming, nonetheless, and with good reason - fresh off stage from a well-received set with Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls, filling a coveted slot on the headlining state between... read more
Ray LeVier - Ray's Way
by Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes, May 2009
Lots of young musicians go out and get some established people to play on their debut recordings as leaders. Ray LeVier got strong ones: Joe Locke on vibes, either John Abercrombie or Mike Stern on guitar, Dave Binney on alto saxophone and Francois Moutin on bass. But very few debut albums create such tight, committed, synergistic ensembles. This band should go on tour. The only question would be which guitarist to bring. Abercrombie, who... 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this time of year, it's easy to understand why some might want to escape the incessant bombardment of the overdone and out-of-date.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
Emi Meyer - Monochrome
by Misa Murohashi, North American Post
Tokyo-based singer/songwriter Emi Meyer released her first U.S. album Monochrome in September with Origin Records, a Seattle-based jazz and classical music record label. For her debut U.S. recording, Emi combines music from a set recorded in Paris with Belgian pianist Eric Legnini's French quartet, and new originals recorded in Seattle and featuring guitarist Dan Balmer and pianist Dawn Clement. Born to a Japanese mother and American father, Emi... read more
Don Lanphere and Pete Christlieb - Get Happy
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Don Lanphere, a veteran tenor great from the bop era, and Pete Christlieb, the hard-driving tenor from Los Angeles, make for a very complementary and mutually inspiring team. Lanphere, who recorded with Fats Navarro and had an up-and-down career, returned to full-time activity in the early 1980s and has been heard in prime form ever since; not only is he heard here on tenor, but also on soprano and a bit of alto. Christlieb, who was formerly... read more
Les DeMerle - Gypsy Rendezvous, Vol. 1
by David Franklin, Cadence
Drummer Les DeMerle's long career has included playingwith Harry James for a dozen years, fronting his own Fusiongroup for a time, and more recently leading various straight-ahead VOL. 1 ensembles. Gypsy Pacific, comprising violin, two guitars, and bass, is a unique Jazz band based in Maui, Hawaii. DeMerle happened tohear the quartet in a club there and one thing led to another. Many of the tracks do suggest the famous duo of violinist Stephane... read more
Clipper Anderson - The Road Home
by Tom Ineck, Berman Music Foundation
It is evident from the first lines of the opening track, Bill Evans' "Twelve Tone Tune Two," that this is the bassist's record. Despite the considerable talents and sensitive interplay of pianist Darin Clendenin and drummer Mark Ivester, Anderson's prodigious playing skill and booming, woody tone have an immediate impact on the listener.
The leader also impresses as the composer of six of the 11 tracks, including the lovely and lyrical... read more
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