Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
George Colligan - The Endless Mysteries
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
What do you do when you're Jack DeJohnette's piano man and you feel like improvising but ECM tells you the roster is currently full? You call Larry Grenadier and tell him to bring over his bass, then call John Bishop at Origin and say "have I got a deal for you." This set of originals feels more lived in than improv-ed and a smoking time is had by all. Hot stuff from a crew that doesn't need to be told what to... read more
Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble - The Atwood Suites
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
4-STARS The mingling of jazz music and poetry is not a new concept. It has always been an amiable, yet at times, uncomfortable fit. From a verse standpoint, it is in many ways liberating. While most vocalized lyrics and spoken word forms rely on rhyme to speak to cadence and rhythm, free verse poetry liberates the narrative from the confinements of structure, and much like an improvising instrumentalist, takes spoken language into a... read more
Joonsam - A Door
by Dave Rogers, WTJU
Korean bassist Joonsam began his musical quest inspired by Jaco Pastorius and later by acoustic players Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Christian McBride. After earning a Masters at NYU, he eventually formed the current group for live gigs and recording: Aaron Parks (piano), Nate Wood (drums), and Ralph Alessi (trumpet) with additional contributions on this recording by Ben Monder (guitar), Yeahwon Shin (vocal), Yvonnick Prene (harmonica) and Chung... read more
Michael Waldrop - Origin Suite
by David Cohen, Jazzenzo (Netherlands)
Composer, percussionist and vibraphonist Michael Waldrop defines music as follows: "a serious ordering of sound that strives to send messages to the listener, which can not be communicated by spoken or written language". From someone who has formed such clear thoughts about nature and the task of music one is inclined to expect a lot of good things.
The 'Origin Suite' amply satisfies these expectations. Waldrop guides the listener through a... read more
José Luiz Martins - Odyssey Mixtape
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making a Scene
Brazilian pianist, composer and arranger, José Luiz Martins has a way of blending his cultural roots with American fusion jazz, hip hop beats, European classical music and funk. It blossoms into a fresh, beautiful, musical flower. Martins' "Odyssey Mixtape" features a few special guests including guitarist John Lee who solos brilliantly on the opening tune, "Incerteza." Incerteza translates to 'uncertainty,' but I hear nothing uncertain or... read more
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris-Move
5 STARS
Dawn Clement, composer, pianist, and vocalist, returns with an album that's both warmly respectful and quietly bold: a tribute to Blossom Dearie, that one-of-a-kind composer, pianist, and singer who charmed bebop with her gentle wit and put her stamp on vocal jazz until her passing in 2009.
Lately, everyone seems obsessed with digging up old records, remixing the past, and chasing some kind of musical nostalgia. Clement... read more
John Stowell / Dave Glenn & The Hawčaptak Quartet - Violin Memory
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
In which we find simply beautiful music becoming a genre all it's own, even if this is the only album in this particular canon. The Pacific northwest's master guitarist meets up with a string quartet and adds color from a trombone making the sum total whew! One of those rare pure listening dates that doesn't have to hit you hard to knock you out, this inspired collection of miniatures blows the ears wide... read more
Ron Di Salvio - Essence of Green, A Tribute to Kind Of Blue
by John Henry, Audiophile Audition
****
A most interesting concept is behind this CD. Pianist/composer Di Salvio - who studied with Lennie Tristano - sought to do an album along the lines of the historic Miles Davis/Bill Evans Kind of Blue. That landmark 1959 recording has been reissued in countless forms, had two books written about its making, and its complete score is now available - including all the various soloists' improvisations. All ten tracks are Di Salvio... read more
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