Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Western Jazz Collective - Dark Journey: The Music of Andrew Rathbun
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
The Western Jazz Collective is a seven-member co-op group that actually hails from America's Midwest—more specifically, Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo—where the ensemble's crew serve as members of the faculty. The designation "Western" thus refers to the university rather than the septet's geographic location.
Be that as it may, what infuses and animates the Collective's debut album, Dark Journey, is the music, all of... read more
Sarah Partridge - Bright Lights and Promises: Redefining Janis Ian
by Simon Redley, Music Republic Magazine
4-STARS Janis Ian. Folk legend. Singer. Songwriter. A star for five decades. A songwriter's songwriter. It takes a brave soul to set out to "redefine" her songs at all, but in another genre and style altogether requires a giant leap of faith.
US jazz artist Sarah Partridge is that person who dreamed up this project; to reinterpret some of Janis' well known and lesser known songs in her own style. She has Janis appear on the record... read more
Geof Bradfield - African Flowers
by Mark Corroto, All About Jazz
Saxophonist Geof Bradfield's experiences traveling and performing in Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in 2008 were the inspiration for African Flowers. Bradfield was a member of pianist Ryan Cohan's quartet, and the band took part in a US State Department/Jazz at Lincoln Center tour. This extended work for sextet features excellent writing and strong musicianship from Cohan, guitarist Jeff Parker, trumpeter Victor Garcia, bassist Clark... read more
Scott Reeves - Portraits and Places
by Susan Francis, BlogCritics
Displaying the glitter of big band music and the fast-paced rhythms of swing, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra has the ingredients for creating party bashes done with class and pizzazz on their recording, Portraits and Places. The big sound emanating from the fleet of horns is intensifying, making the music jump out of its listening apparatus. The music engulfs listeners in its pulsating raptures and glistening textures, making for music that... read more
Kobie Watkins - Involved
by John Barron, All About Jazz
Perhaps the title to drummer Kobie Watkins' debut, Involved, makes reference to the Chicago native's involvement with some of the highest profile jazz artists around. A regular in the bands of saxophonist Sonny Rollins, guitarist Bobby Broom, and vocalist Kurt Elling, Watkins has proven himself a stand-out accompanist, possessing a confident blend of fire and sensitivity. With a slew of fellow Chicagoans, including Broom, trumpeter Pharez... read more
Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News
Bobby Broom, "Plays for Monk" (Origin). Broom is Sonny Rollins' guitarist. Considering that Rollins was one of the greatest performers ever to play on Monk classics ("Brilliant Corners" and "Friday the 13th," to name two), he had as direct a pipeline to Monk's compositional genius as any guitarist these days is likely to have. The result on this trio disc of Monk tunes is close to spectacular. Not only does it bid fair to be Broom's best record,... read more
Mimi Fox - This Bird Still Flies
by Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News
BEST OF 2019 Vallejo guitarist Mimi Fox extends her reputation as one of jazz's finest solo practitioners with an eclectic set unified by her unabashedly open-hearted sensibility as she transmutes folk tunes, jazz standards, original compositions and popular songs into revelatory personal... read more
Joonsam - A Door
by Izzy Yellin, Downbeat Magazine
Perfect for a rainy day inside, bandleader and bassist Joonsam's debut album, A Door, is an eclectic offering that documents the musician's past experiences in New York City. A classically trained bassist from Seoul, South Korea, Joonsam has lived in the city for nine years, having played various settings there. On his latest effort, he absorbs and expands upon the intricacies of each.
There's a strong emphasis on orchestration - each of the... read more
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