Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Roxy Coss - Restless Idealism
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4-STARS Upcoming saxophonist Roxy Coss opens her splendid Origin Records debut, Restless Idealism with a traditional approach on her original tune, "Don't Cross the Coss." It's a happy and assertive sound, and when she takes her first solo, her and robust tone bring Coleman Hawkins comes to mind. Coss and her band, churning along on a well-lubricated drive train of a terrific rhythm section, know how to open show - feet are tapping... read more
David Friesen Circle 3 Trio - Triple Exposure
by Ric Bang, Jazz Scan
I sometimes wonder what it must have been like, to be present at a concert given by one of the true masters. Well, I've never been lucky enough to catch bassist David Friesen in person, but - thanks to the magic of albums - I can listen to him any time I so desire. Anyone similarly lucky is blessed.
Friesen, now 74 years old, got his start with the ukulele at age 10; he graduated to the guitar six years later. At that point he was 19, during... read more
Chuck Deardorf - Perception
by Dave Rogers, WTJU
Bassist Chuck Deardorf decided to focus on songs and artists who had influenced him earlier in his career. "Grain Waves" was a song he had composed with Matthew Wilson who plays drums on most of this set. Others include Kenny Barron, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Swallow, Steve Winwood and two by Thelonious Monk. In addition to Deardorf, the main players are Dawn Clement (piano, Wurlitzer, electric piano, synthesizer) and Hans Teuber... read more
Nanami Haruta - The Vibe
by Thomas Conrad, New York City Jazz Record
Hot new trombonists don't hit town nearly as often as bad-asses on trumpet or saxophone. That's why Nanami Haruta is news. The Vibe, her debut as a leader, reveals that she has it all: crisp articulation, pure intonation, fresh ideas and quick-on-quick reflexes. She also sounds enthusiastic and supremely confident (her level of chops instills poise). These days serious jazz talent can come from anywhere on the planet. Haruta is from Sapporo,... read more
Dawn Clement - Delight
by David R. Adler, JazzTimes
The Year in Trios, 2025
Seattle's Dawn Clement is tremendously effective in a dual role on Delight, with Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Her pianism is fierce on swing tempos, unfailingly — on "Monk's Dream" and Williams's midtempo B-flat blues "Tokudo" in particular. But she sings as well, on the Elvis Costello number "Someone Took the Words Away" (from North, 2003) and on two originals, her voice revealing a tonal... read more
David Friesen - This Light Has No Darkness, Volume 1
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4-STARS In 2020, David Friesen, an American jazz artist with Ukrainian roots, released his masterpiece, Testimony (Origin Records). The set was an orchestral, spiritual soundscape featuring Friesen's jazz quartet and the National Academic Symphonic Band of Ukraine. Recorded in Kyiv, in December of 2018—about three years before Russia invaded Ukraine—the music was a majestic testament to Friesen's faith, embracing tranquility... read more
Benjamin Boone | Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz
by Michael Jackson, Downbeat
4-STARS Like a whiskey aged in charred casks, not a gin - which Pulitzer-winning poet laureate Philip Levine at first taste thought was hair tonic - this collection of world-weary words framed by quick-witted saxophonist/composer Benjamin Boone should be taken neat and steep sampled. Levine grew up in Detroit, and as a teenager during the '50s worked in car manufacturing plants. His general cynicism about the workplace is at odds with... read more
Joonsam - A Door
by Izzy Yellin, Downbeat Magazine
Perfect for a rainy day inside, bandleader and bassist Joonsam's debut album, A Door, is an eclectic offering that documents the musician's past experiences in New York City. A classically trained bassist from Seoul, South Korea, Joonsam has lived in the city for nine years, having played various settings there. On his latest effort, he absorbs and expands upon the intricacies of each.
There's a strong emphasis on orchestration - each of the... read more
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