Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
John Stowell | Michael Zilber - Live Beauty
by Tree Palmedo, Jazz Society of Oregon
This live meeting of two West-Coast powerhouses succeeds precisely because it's not the kind of combustible collision that many all-star collaborations can become. You can probably thank guitarist John Stowell for that: he's got chops for days, but actively avoids setting fires. Instead, he sits back and plays only the right things. The answer also lies in the instrumentation. With no piano (and particularly with Stowell in the guitar chair),... read more
Rich Thompson - Less Is More
by Tim Willcox, Jazz Society of Oregon
The Eastman School of Music's Thompson puts together a satisfying straight-ahead affair with "Less is More." Borrowing two members of Matt Wilson's "Arts and Crafts" ensemble (pianist and organist Gary Versace, an alumni of Eastman, as well as trumpeter Terell Stafford), the material does have some similarities with Wilson's modus operandi. A wonderful mix of Blue Note-era jazz standards and original contributions, "Less is More" is at once an... read more
Carlos Vega - Art of the Messenger
by Larry Hollis, Cadence
Here's a belated present for all us hard bop lovers. This Carlos Vega has a pair of previously issued discs for the Origin label and is not to be confused with the drummer of the same name. Those two platters were salutes to Bird but this time around its a nod to powerhouse drum-master Art Blakey Vega's bandmates are the same on all three discs so one has little trouble understanding how super tight this quintet is on this third album. Each of... read more
Dan Dean - Songs Without Words
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
TOP TEN OF 2017 - And lastly - something not jazz: Bassist Dan Dean has created a set of sounds as innovative, in its way, as the 1968's Moog synthesizer-driven Switched on Bach (Columbia Masterworks, 1968), from the forward thinking Walter (Now Wendy) Carlos. Crafting a polar opposite of sorts of the legendary Carlos set, Dean - with just his bass and his overdubbed voice - shapes a gorgeous, soaring, ephemeral sound, drawing from Bach,... read more
Hal Galper Trio - The Zone: Live at the Yardbird Suite
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
A geezer who could be forgiven for playing pretty as he thinks about checking out, label stalwart Galper is having none of that. Still a forward thinking piano man, he stands as one of the greats that could teach the young 'uns a thing or two about turning out great jazz. The recording is so in the moment that when he listened to it a few months later, Galper didn't even recognize himself playing. How bad ass is that? Solid stuff as far... read more
Phil Kelly & The SW Santa Ana Winds - My Museum
by Harvey Siders, JazzTimes, September 2007
In 2003 a cross-pollination of Pacific Northwest and L.A. jazz communities resulted in Kelly's first Origin album, Convergence Zone. It happened again in '06, leading to this masterpiece. No rehearsal time. As Kelly explained, "It was straight gonzo." Thanks to the growing comfort level, the guys simply devoured the charts. "Jeannine," "Daydream" and "Zip Code 2005" reveal Kelly's expertise with taut clusters. "It's a Lazy Afternoon" (in... read more
Jordan VanHemert - Survival of the Fittest
by Editor, The Jazz Page
Jordan VanHemert's Survival of the Fittest is a compelling post-bop statement that channels personal adversity into musical resilience. Joined by an elite ensemble with Terell Stafford on trumpet, Michael Dease on trombone, Helen Sung on piano, Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums, the production crafts a sonic narrative shaped by the lead's experiences as a Korean American artist navigating cultural and personal challenges.... read more
Alison Ruble - This Is A Bird
by John Barron, All About Jazz.com
It's amazing that out of the clutter of an industrial urban center like Chicago, a voice as serene and unruffled as Alison Ruble's can exist. For her debut recording, the opulent vocalist teams up with guitarist extraordinaire/producer John McLean for an intriguing journey through a collection of timeless American classics.
The song selection, a mix of standard jazz fare and modern pop numbers, seems to suit Ruble's understated approach.... read more
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