Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
John Stowell - Solitary Tales
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Recorded during a solo concert in the sound engineer's (and guitar maker's) home, Solitary Tales lets guitarist John Stowell slowly explore a range of musical ideas. The pace never gets to be too much, with Stowell rarely stepping up the tempo up beyond the leisurely. The star is always Stowell's intricate touch, pulling nuances of sound from the guitar carefully along the way. There isn't as much melody here as there is ambient background... read more
Nanami Haruta - The Vibe
by Ferell Aubre, The Jazz Word
With her debut album, The Vibe, trombonist Nanami Haruta confidently steps onto the jazz scene, marking herself as an exhilarating player on the jazz scene. Released February 28, 2025, on Origin Records, the album circles Haruta's exceptional talent. Mentor and producer Michael Dease presence on trombone and baritone saxophone imbues the project with energy.
The album opens invitingly with Renee Rosnes' "Girlie's World," arranged by Chris... 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
Alon Farber Hagiga - Dreams I Dream
by Kira Grunenberg, DownBeat
It's not all that unusual to sustain a jazz group for 20 or more years; longevity and legacy are practically hallmarks of the genre's history. Still, that doesn't mean it's easy to do. However, bandleader and Hagiga founding member Alon Farber has remained up to the challenge, and with Dreams I Dream, the composer and saxophonist has put together a record worthy of celebration, the Hebrew meaning behind his ensemble's name.
The dream-based... read more
Hal Galper - O's Time
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
It's hard to be innovative in the piano trio format. The last big change happened in the late fifties and early sixties, with pianist Bill Evans' groundbreaking trio featuring bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. The democratization of input and interplay changed the trio game, and countless groups have worked on refining that Evans approach ever since. A more recent development has been bombast and the inclusion of rock and popular... read more
Dana Hall - Into the Light
by Charles Latimer, http://idigjazz.blogspot.com/
Dana, you've logged many man-hours as a sideman, working for jazz greats such as the late tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, vocalist Maria Schneider, and pianist Kenny Barron. With the soon to be released, "Into the Light", your debut album, you'll show a wider audience what you're made of. Your resume' is too enormous too talk about so I'll just comment on "Into the Light", which will be on my favorite album of 2009 list.
Do you value jazz... read more
John Moulder - Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Chicago's own guitarist rounds up a crew of his jazzbo pals that have played with everyone everywhere that matters and leads them through the kind of set Paul Horn (if he played guitar) would have led them through 40 years ago if he were of the same like minded mysticism as Moulder. Influenced by those who were influenced by the far East and the search for enlightenment, it's not space case stuff, it's just on that corner where jazz meets... read more
New York Voices - Reminiscing in Tempo
by Allen Morrison, DownBeat
The title track of New York Voices' new album, Reminiscing In Tempo (Origin), was one of Duke Ellington's first long-form compositions in the 1930s. (Mel Tormé added the poignant lyrics in 1962.) It's an apt tune for a group now celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Founded at Ithaca College, New York Voices remains one of the world's foremost vocal jazz groups. The original quintet became a quartet with its current lineup in 1994: tenor... read more
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