Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Tom McCarter, KZSU - Stanford
Vibraphonist McCarthy returns to his native Toronto after fifteen years in New York & creates an ode to the city. He works his way through originals & a few choice covers with a balanced approach that speaks both to strength and poise, & the romance embedded in the act of repatriation adds a touch of nostalgic allure to the music. He also pays tribute to two of his main... read more
Rodney Whitaker - Outrospection: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Scooting out of the classroom for a hot second with several of the professors under him, Whitaker gives a full album to the works of up and comer Gregg Hill who already feels like a jazz old soul. The music is rooted in civil rights jazz, which certainly has a place in these times, and is delivered in proper fashion by the pros on board. A real ear opener that's good for the... read more
Jessica Williams - With Love
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
The most vulnerable of recordings, the solo piano, is well represented here under the hands of Jessica Williams. She creates about an hour's worth of a mellow, reflective and ruminating mood on graceful readings of standards such as "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "For All We Know." Her touch on "My Foolish Heart" has an inquisitiveness about it, and while "But Beautiful" exudes grace, she still dazzles with technique, but as an accent... read more
Dan Dean - Fanfare for the Common Man
by Ron Schepper, Textura
Having distinguished himself in a career spanning decades as a bassist, composer, producer, and recording engineer, Dan Dean turned his attention four years ago to the creation of classical pieces using purely vocal means. The artistic success of Songs Without Words encouraged him to fashion a successor, which brings us to the glorious Fanfare for the Common Man. It couldn't be any more of a solo project: using overdubbing to assemble his voice... read more
Marlene Rosenberg - Bassprint
by John Corbett, Downbeat
"****" 4-STARS
A stalwart member of the Chicago scene, Marlene Rosenberg has made infrequent trips to the studio as a leader. Bassprint is her first CD in a decade, but it's well worth waiting for, and perhaps it shows the value of patience and persistence. Rosenberg is assured at the helm, nothing to prove, no chip on her shoulder.
Aside from two tasty tunes by Kenny Barron, all the music is original, showing the... read more
Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by Marc Myers, JazzWax
I usually don't care much for 82534 Thelonious Monk tributes, but Bobby Broom Plays for Monk is an exception. Rather than try to mimic Monk's falling upstairs playing technique, Broom applies his smooth guitar to the barbed compositions without compromising Monk's genius. The results are fresh and surprisingly warm.... read more
Tim Jensen - A Mind For The Scenery
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Red flags flare up when a disc comes in with the tag "eclectic" lurking in the press material. The New Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word as "selecting or made up of what seems best of varied sources." But the word sometimes serves as a shorthand for�in the world of music assessment�unfocused or lacking continuity of vision. Fortunately, multiple reedman Tim Jensen's A Mind for the Scenery holds to the true definition.
The Portland,... read more
The Spin Quartet - In Circles
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
A crew of hitters familiar to fans of the Origin label or contemporary jazz in general, they band together for their first as a band and their well wrought forward thinking tunes will have you on board in no time. Certainly sounding like it's the right time and place for them to step out on their owns, this free-ish jazz is a gasser. High octane, high energy throughout and a sure fire... read more
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