Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Scott Reeves Quintet - The Alchemist
by Elio Bussolino, Rockerilla (Italy)
The "alchemist" in question is Miles Davis and it was not necessary for the trombone and alto flugelhorn virtuoso Scott Reeves to let this "revelation" escape to imagine it ...
Surprising album, this one by the Chicago musician and bandleader who soon joined the activity of performer to that of teacher at some of the most renowned North American art academies, in all New York City Colleges and Juilliard Schools. This is because fate would... read more
Clark Sommers - Ba(SH)
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
The spirit of Thelonious Monk abounds on bassist Clark Sommers' Ba(SH). Monk's music is magnetically drawn to odd formats like this saxophone trio, sporting Geof Bradfield on reeds and Dana Hall on drums. There is no tether in this music; all participant are free in the most free sense. The recital hold together well, with Bradfield's intricate nod to Monk's "Rhythm-n-Ing" providing an example of the long arm of Monk. There are elements of... read more
Laurie Antonioli - Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light
by Raul da Gama, Jazz da Gama
Attempting to play the repertoire of Thelonious Monk or Herbie Nichols is notoriously difficult. Here is the conundrum: Unless the music is recreated, while staying true to the original; made wholly new, there is a tendency to copy style and content. And then the attempt falls flat with mediocrity. There is that small matter of the stylistic idiosyncrasy of the artists in question. The angular, chopped rhythms of Mr. Monk and the maddeningly... read more
Bobby Broom - My Shining Hour
by Brent Black, Critical Jazz
My Shining Hour is far more than one more artist taking the easy way out by banging out a selection of tunes from the Great American Songbook. Bobby Broom doesn't play covers, he reinvents and meticulously manipulates melodies to find a new way of looking at some time tested classics. To call some of these selections "eclectic" would be the equivalent of beating the proverbial harmonic dead horse. To call some of these selections... read more
Jim Knapp Orchestra - Secular Breathing
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
The cleverly titled Secular Breathing is the third recording by composer/arranger Jim Knapp's Seattle-area orchestra and arguably the best to date, thanks to Knapp's handsome and provocative charts, the presence of guest trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and the return of former JKO drummer Jon Wikan, who now lives in New York City. Knapp's richly textured arrangements lend muscle to the ensemble, making it seem larger and more robust than its actual... read more
Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by Joe Bendel, The Epoch Times
Like an ambitious ice-skating jump, interpreting the music of Thelonious Monk carries a high degree of difficulty for jazz artists, but those who nail it, are guaranteed to make a lasting impression. Yet, Bobby Broom makes it sound easy as pie on Bobby Broom Plays for Monk, his refreshingly laidback new CD tribute to the legendary composer-pianist.
Though he was only twelve years old when Monk retired from music in 1973, Broom could claim an... read more
Scenes - Rinnova
by Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
The trio Scenes, consisting of guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop, had been working together for nearly a decade by the time of their second recording session. Johnson and Bishop are very familiar from working with one another in pianist Hal Galper's trio as well, while Stowell is a refreshing change from guitarists who hog the spotlight with busy solos, opting instead to make ample use of space. Johnson... read more
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra - The Endless Search
by Michael Steinman, Cadence
[The Endless Search] might seem like a parallel production [to James Moody's Moody 4b]. Like Moody, Jimmy Heath is a Gillespie alumnus, one year Moody's junior and still in excellent playing shape. This CD pairs him with the beautiful-sounding Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, co-led by drummer Clarence Acox and reedman Michael Brockman. On it, they offer the title piece, a three-part Heath suite (named for what he feels... read more
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