Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Shawn Purcell - Oblivity
by Editor, The Jazz Page
On Oblivity, guitarist-composer Shawn Purcell presents a picture of maturity and refined ambition, creating an album that balances intricate writing with expressive freedom. He is joined by tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, pianist Chris Ziemba (who also contributes Fender Rhodes colors), bassist Jeff Reed, drummer Steve Fidyk, and trombonist Ben Patterson, with wordless vocals from Darden Purcell adding occasional emotional and textural weight.... read more
Joachim Mencel - Brooklyn Eye
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Polish pianist and composer Joachim Mencel finally realized his dream of life with 'Brooklyn Eye': a recording in the heart of New York with notables from the jazz scene from there, more specifically Scott Colley, Rudy Royston and Steve Cardenas.
Not that Mencel is a novice. He has been composing for film, orchestra and ballet for years and has also performed on stage or in the studio with Richard Galliano, Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman, Terry... read more
Matt Vashlishan - No Such Thing
by John Kelman, All About Jazz
With more and more young players releasing their debuts, it's no small challenge to filter one's way to the top of the growing pile of CDs released each month. Saxophonist Matt Vashlishan couldn't have chosen a better route than on No Such Thing. Recruiting three-fourths of saxophonist Dave Liebman's stellar group?not just one of jazz's hardest working quartets, but one of its most exciting as well?including Liebman, ever-versatile guitarist Vic... read more
Sam Yahel - Truth And Beauty
by Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
On his fourth and best album, Truth and Beauty (Origin), organist Sam Yahel continues to operate outside the heavy blues and gospel style associated with Hammond B-3 maestros like Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff, and Baby Face Willette. He's more like Larry Young, eschewing greasy, crowd-pleasing chord swells for dynamic, pianistic single-note lines. For the record he enlisted drummer Brian Blade, whose splintery accents add an extra level of... read more
Benny Powell - Nextep
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
Benny Powell can hand you a resume with the likes of Basie, Jones-Lewis, Heath, and Benny Carter to name a few. This time out, however, it's Benny's own band with TK Blue on reeds, Sayuri Goto, piano, Essiet Essiet, bass, Billy Hart, drums. The group begins with a New Orleans-like street march called "Free to Be Me." It seems to set the pace for the remaining nine originals by various band members. For the most part, there's a nice, laid-back,... read more
Tom Collier - Mallet Fantastique
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
Mallet percussionist Tom Collier finally educates listeners on the difference between the vibraphone and marimba: it is the sound. These mallet-driven instruments make a great alternative to the piano, both in solo and ensemble settings. They are rich instruments, the vibraphone with its resonant presence and the marimba with its organic woodiness. Mallet Fantastique houses six extended compositions for mallets that Collier recorded between 2004... read more
Jonas Tauber with William Thomas, Doug Haning - Prime Numbers
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
From classically trained but forward-thinking bassist Jonas Tauber comes this album of free jazz recorded live at the Jazz de Opus club in Portland. Accompanying him are drummer William Thomas and pianist Doug Haning. Here, the trio performs a good deal of spontaneous improvisation, delving deeply into the free jazz ideals on the fly. The only thing tying the trio down is a mysterious clinging to a centering around prime numbers as the basis for... read more
Anthony Branker & Word Play - Dialogic
by David Franklin, Cadence
Anthony Branker teaches music composition at Princeton and leads a couple of Jazz groups on the side. Dialogic is the second release by his quartet, Word Play. He himself no longer performs, but he composes the group's material and serves as its musical director.
His compositions are more than mere tunes, but they are tuneful and they serve ably as vehicles for the consummate improvisations of his fine cadre of musicians, all of whom boast... read more
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