Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jim Norton Collective - Time Remembered: Compositions of Bill Evans
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence
It's always intriguing when a musician's compositions are played by a group where the composer's instrument is nowhere to be heard. So it is here with a CD of Bill Evans works, both obscure and familiar, played by a large band with nary a piano around. This treatment helps you realize how strong Evans' writing was in the first place.
Jim Norton's approach comes close to the old Third Stream discipline. Classical voicings are combined with... read more
Jeff Johnson - My Heart
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Lost Recordings.... A "live" recording dating back to December 4, 1991 when tenor saxophonist John Gross, pianist Art Resnick, drummer Billy Mintz and bassist Jeff Johnson got to work together at Falcon Studios in Portland, Oregon.
On the program all compositions by Johnson ranging from razor-sharp bop with solos by the four musicians ('Linden Station') to ballads with jagged corners ('Leviathan'), mid-tempo swing... read more
Geof Bradfield - melba!
by Kirk Silsbee, DownBeat Magaziene
If for no ther reason than he's giving orchids to the neglected legacy of the late trombonist/composer Melba Liston (who died in 1999 at the age of 74), the Chicago-based saxophonist Geof Bradfield deserves our attention. It just so happens that in this release he's composed a good little suite of peices that touch on Liston's considerable artistic journey, and turned his fine septet loose on it. Bradfield's pieces are sturdy, and most would... read more
Marc Seales - A Time, A Place, A Journey
by Marius Nordal, All About Jazz
University of Washington professor Marc Seales has been an active part of the Northwest mainstream jazz scene for over thirty years. He has appeared on dozens of recordings and has worked with many players including Benny Carter, Joe Henderson, Eric Alexander, Don Lanphere, Mark Murphy and Slide Hampton.
In addition to leading his own group "New Stories" and pursuing his teaching duties at the University, Seales has been pretty much the... read more
Matt Jorgensen +451 - Quiet Silence
by Gordon Todd, Earshot Jazz, August 2001
Drummer Matt Jorgensen need not worry about the pitfall of the sophomore slump with his second release as a leader, Quiet Silence. It contains some of the freshest and most honest playing on any jazz CD this year. Jorgensen and his band, 451, play complex, progressive music but make it sound as natural as breathing.
Unlike some bands led from the drum kit, Jorgensen and 451 showcase the music, not the percussionist. While an imaginative and... read more
Benjamin Boone - The Poets Are Gathering
by Benjamin Kirk, Fresno State University Arts & Humanities
"That's my son collapsed there," poet Patricia Smith bluntly speaks in the album's opening line. "My son crumpled there," a rhetorical finger points past the distracting noise of the pundits and protests to the human crux of the issue. Smith's voice sharpens the accusation as Benjamin Boone's saxophone unravels the emotion behind the mother's words.
"My son dangling there. My son caged there...My daughter splayed there...My son hanging... read more
Dmitri Matheny - Cascadia
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny takes the company of Charles McNeal (tenor, soprano sax), Bill Anschell (piano), Phil Sparks (bass) and Mark Ivester (drums) for this timeless and exciting jazz affair.
The title track opens the listen with warm keys and soothing brass, as a very warm spirit enters the graceful climate, and "On A Misty Night" follows with playful bass and bright flugelhorn making for a crisp and dynamic album... read more
Mike Denny - Looking In
by Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
A nice solo album from guitarist Mike Denny. Very light, warm jazz emerges from his fingers with a series of classic ballads from the songbook. Partially due to the choice of ballads, the tone remains particularly calm throughout the proceedings, with some flights of imagination, but only subdued flights. The subtlety of Denny's playing is a key to the sound. There are arpeggios taken and phrasings given that are unusual for a guitarist in... read more
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