If you play the soprano saxophone, at some point, you'll have to confront the legacies of John Coltrane and Sidney Bechet. In 2017, soprano virtuoso Dave Liebman saluted the former on Compassion: The Music of John Coltrane, which paired him with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. This year, he teams up with guitarist John Stowell to pay homage to the latter on Petite Fleur: The Music of Sidney Bechet (Origin). A New Orleans... read more
It has been almost ten years since NNENNA FREELON issued a recording under her own name. If you followed her on Columbia or Concord Records, you will certainly welcome TIME TRAVELER [Origin Records 82822]. Recorded between 2018 and 2020, Freelon gets strong support from a pool of 13 musicians, most notable Keith Ganz [gtr] and some tasty touches with organist Brandon McCune. Except for the title track, the rest of the program are standards, and... read more
Warm and bold sounding tenor saxist Jared Sims leads a post bop team of Steve Fell/g, Keala Kaumeheiwa/b and Luther Gray/dr through seven modern toned originals. His rich sound flows easily over Fell's guitar on the graceful title tune, with the two getting bluesy during 'No Name Days". Fell wafts through the lyrical "Angst" and is lyrical for the fun ripples of "Waiting". A poem dedicated to the goddess "Gaia" gives a pantheistic milieu to... read more
Another Phil Kelly Masterpiece
Phil Kelly's new Origin CD, My Museum, is a nice follow-up to last year's Grammy nominated Convergence Zone. It has the same crisp arrangements, crystalline acoustics, and hard driving brass. Phil brings swinging arragements to standards such as Jeanine, Body & Soul, and Duke Ellington's Daydream. Kelly's own compositions, Bluelonious, Pleading Dim Cap, Juan Beatov Stomp, Zip Code 2005, and the haunting title... read more
This Elmo Hope revival project exudes class. It includes cameos by seven guest musicians (most notably producer/trumpeter Don Sickler and alto saxophonist Bobby Porcelli), but is defined by New Stories: pianist Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller and drummer John Bishop, who have constituted the best piano trio in Seattle, Wash., for 17 years.
Elmo Hope composed quirky, beautiful, unforgettable music, now all but lost in the shadows of history.... read more
The esteemed pianist Hal Galper brings us a remastered reissue of his late '70s masterpiece, Ivory Forest, and this updated version enhances John Scofield's guitar, Wayne Dockery's bass and Adam Nussbaum's drums, too.
The title track opens the listen with a light mood of agile keys, dreamy guitar and well timed drums in the very meticulous and adventurous climate, and "Continuity" follows with a sublime intimacy that showcases Galper's... read more
One of the more prolific exponents of the Northwest jazz sound, pianist Bill Anschell has figured in any number of excellent recordings, both as a bandleader and as an accompanist. In Figments, he takes a turn at solo piano, running through songs from pop, jazz, and the American songbook and reworking them into wandering (he describes it as stream of consciousness) arrangements that sometimes provide jazz underpinnings for classic pop, and... read more
I am always impressed by the many things Mike Pope does, so needless to say, I was eager to give his new album, The Parts You Keep, a listen.
Mike has assembled an extraordinary group of musicians to bring this project to life... including his own mother, Ann Almond Pope, who is 85 years young and still gracing the world with her beautiful classical piano playing. Together, they present us with nine stunning tracks, each one carefully curated... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect