Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Mattias Svensson - Embrace
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris-Move
5 STARS
Embracing the Present: Mattias Svensson's Quiet Authority in Modern European Jazz
In an era when jazz often oscillates between nostalgic revival and restless experimentation, Embrace arrives as a quietly confident statement, an album that neither looks backward nor feels compelled to shout its modernity. It speaks instead with assurance, depth, and patience. When the name Mattias Svensson appears on the... read more
Dawn Clement - Delight
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Pianist and vocalist Dawn Clement forms a satisfying trio with all-stars Buster Williams on bass and drummer Matt Wilson for a mix of post bopping instrumentals and indie-oriented vocals. Her voice has a folksy reflection to it, as on the Randy Newman-ish "Forgive Me" and a Blossom Dearie take of Elvis Costello's "Someone Took The Words". She has an easy touch as she tickles the ivories on a bouncy "Elders' Holiday" and has fun around the... read more
Hadley Caliman - Straight Ahead
by Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes
Veteran tenor saxophonist Hadley Caliman?he was on the Central Avenue scene in Los Angeles during the '50s?teams with golden-toned trumpeter Thomas Marriott on the frontline for this inspired outing. Flaunting a beautiful, burnished tone and remarkable fluidity on his horn, Caliman sails through his "Cigar Eddie," Harold Land's "Rapture" and Lee Morgan's Latin-flavored "Totem Pole" with confidence and old-school swagger. And he acquits himself... read more
Benjamin Boone with the Ghana Jazz Collective - Joy
by Ron Netsky, Rochester City Paper (NY)
When saxophonist Benjamin Boone—a professor at California State University, Fresno—traveled to Ghana to study as a Fulbright Scholar, he never expected to record an album. But one night at an Accra bar he encountered The Ghana Jazz Collective, a group of musicians as fluent in American jazz as they were in West African traditions. The resulting album is a product of this wonderful merging of cultures. If the great title tune, "Joy," seems... read more
Ziggurat Quartet - Calculated Gestures
by Nenim Iwebuke, Afropop Worldwide
Nigerian-born, London-raised, Brooklyn-based saxophonist, composer and producer Zem Audu is no novice to the music industry. While working closely with notable names like Hugh Masekela, Jason Moran and Lauryn Hill over the years, the Skatalites band member has ingested a variety of genres: contemporary jazz, ska, reggae, funk, soul and r&b.
Zem's new album, Spirits (Origin Records), is a fusion of his life experiences: his roots in... read more
Bobby Broom - The Way I Play: Live In Chicago
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Between stints of touring with Dr. John, or Sonny Rollins, or his own Deep Blue Organ Trio, guitarist Bobby Broom has been holding court in a Chicago restaurant for a decade or so in a small trio format. Eventually feeling comfortable with the vibe he'd been creating, a live album was culled from a series of recordings over a few months of the live show. Among all of the jazz standards here, there's a constant interplay between drummer Kobie... read more
Randy Halberstadt - Open Heart
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
4-STARS Seattle based pianist Randy Halberstadt has been a major figure on the jazz scene in the Pacific Northwest for several decades, applying his talents as a pianist, composer, educator, and author. He has four previous releases as a leader, most recently with Flash Point (Origin, 2010). So yes, it has been some time since we last heard from the multidimensional pianist.
In the meantime, Halberstadt has garnered a reputation as... read more
Peterson-Kohler Collective - Winter Colors
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
If the business of big business wasn't something that always gets in the way and grinds things down, this is probably what impressionistic, Windham Hill jazz would sound like today. Skillfully played by a bunch of cousins that used to do this all the time, it's deep yet easy going and always on the money and in the pocket. Much more than just pretty playing, this might well be the cure for what ails ya. Killer... read more
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