4-STARS There's an irony to how the music on Bill Anschell's Improbable Solutions comes together. The album demonstrates patience and careful rumination more than instant gratification. Moreover, knowing that these nine pieces were selected from more than 20 emphasizes how Improbable Solutions is about taking one's time, and it's in that spirit that the record is best enjoyed.
"Ambulator" makes this point well. The core piano trio... read more
The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra pours its heart and soul into these recent concert performances of Duke Ellington's sacred music, premiered by the Ellington orchestra in 1965, '68 and '73. It's a natural fit, as the SRJO was "born" in 1989 with a presentation of Ellington's sacred music as an ecumenical winter solstice event. Some members of the band stayed together, presented a second concert of Ellington's music three years later at the... read more
A group created in order to study and exhibit the sound of the natural trumpet (the trumpet prior to the addition of valves), the Seattle Trumpet Consort put together a collection of works created after the Baroque period that showcases the trumpet in its original form, using instruments modeled after museum pieces. Combining with them is a timpani modeled after another museum piece and a pair of flutists using Baroque versions of their... read more
Guitarist Bobby Broom could have easily taken a different musical direction when he released the popular contemporary/funk jazz album, Clean Sweep (GRP) in 1981. But with his early influences, guitarists Wes Montgomery, early George Benson and mentor/saxophonist Sonny Rollins, he has developed his own unique style on recordings such as Song and Dance (Origin, 2007). This voice is heard in a live setting on The Way I Play , an uncut, as it went... read more
4-STARS Leaving a legacy in this life is a subject that holds different meanings for people. For some, it involves building a structure of permanence that will stand up to the test of time after one's entrance into eternity. For others, it is more fleeting, something that can be shaped and reshaped, and if desired, completely torn down. For some it is a function of building a monument to oneself. For others, like Central Michigan... read more
Seattle-based jazz vocalist Greta Matassa's father was a visual artist, a painter. And a serious jazz buff.
"My dad and I used to stay up until three in the morning, talking about the parallels between jazz music and abstract art," Matassa tells The Daily News. "They are very similar in the spontaneity of the way they're put together. You start with a structure in a piece of music. Or a subject matter in art. And then the act itself of... read more
4-STARS In many ways the title Seen on the Scene encapsulates trumpeter Jared Hall's story leading up to the studio session in 2018 which resulted in this, his sophomore release. The native of Spokane, Washington, arrived in Seattle in 2017 after completing studies with mercurial trumpet ace Brian Lynch and, almost immediately, scored a residency at Tula's, the city's legendary jazz spot. Sporting new compositions and a new recording on... read more
You might remember Lorin Cohen as the bassist with the Hip-hop/Jazz group Vertikal You may certainly recall his sojourn with pianist Monty Alexander or with vibraphonist Joe Locke (who appears on this album). Now, however, Cohen has released his debut album in the role of leader, composing and arranging every track on the album "Home." And it is certainly where his heart is.
The musical influences of his life are in full array here. From the... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect