Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Hal Galper - E Pluribus Unum - Live in Seattle
by Bret Saunders, The Denver Post
I hadn't thought of Hal Galper in a long time.
There were a couple of records showcasing his flawless piano technique that I had discovered at my college radio station in the '80s. I remembered that he was touring with saxophonist Phil Woods for a while. But for whatever reasons, I hadn't heard his music, other than an occasional cut on the radio, for a couple of decades.
It turns out that Galper, a Bostonian and respected educator,... read more
Dee Daniels - Intimate Conversations
by Dusty Groove, Jazz Chill Corner
Dee Daniels is the kind of singer who really takes us back to our precious time spent in jazz clubs on the south side of Chicago a few decades back - during the days when the old school jazz singer seemed to be a dying breed, as few labels really understood how to capture their genius or present them to the public. Daniels has an easygoing, relaxed way of putting over a tune - yet still manages to come across with a rich, soulful vibe throughout... read more
Anthony Branker & Word Play - Dialogic
by George Kanzler, New York City Jazz Record
Anthony Branker is the director of the program in jazz studies at Princeton University. He?s a trumpeter but does not play on Dialogic, only providing compositions and musical direction for the players: Ridl (piano and Fender Rhodes), Ralph Bowen (saxes), Kenny Davis (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums). Branker?s music is highly informed by rhythms, from rolling 6/8 and funk to swing and AfroCuban. And his concept of small group composition seems... read more
Nnenna Freelon - Time Traveler
by Nate Chinen, WBGO
On Time Traveler, her first album in more than a decade, Nnenna Freelon considers the passage of time through the prism of personal loss. The album is a tribute to the memory of her husband of 40 years, noted architect Phil Freelon, who died in 2019.
Among the more emotional expressions on the album is this cover of "Time in a Bottle," a posthumous No. 1 hit for singer-songwriter Jim Croce. With a sharp band arrangement by her pianist, Miki... read more
Ben Thomas - The Mystagogue
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
On his sophomore album as a group leader, Ben Thomas uses a solid quartet format with an additional rotating sax or clarinet. On The Mystagogue, the vibist makes good on the promise of the title � he introduces new listeners into the religious rites of jazz, showing the relics and holding the ceremonies. In a less metaphorical sense, Thomas and his band power their way through a fine mix of post-bop, hard-bop, and modern jazz, all Thomas... read more
Dawn Clement - Break
by Ric Bang, The Davis Enterprise
Seattle-based Dawn Clement is an outstanding composer, arranger, pianist and vocalist. I make that assessment based on just this album.
She has played and recorded with several groups, including a previous release under her leadership, but this is my first exposure to her. My bad, in the words of today's youth.
Let's begin with her talen as a pianist: She's the most inventive, lyrical and swinging artist I've heard in years. Her covers of... read more
George Colligan & Theoretical Planets - Risky Notion
by Dave Rogers, WTJU - Richmond
Multi-instrumentalist Colligan pulled this current group together by recruiting two of his students at Portland State (Nicole Glover, tenor & soprano sax and Jon Lakey, bass) and other locals Joe Manis (tenor & alto sax and Tony Glausi, trumpet). Though most widely known as a pianist, Colligan is the drummer on this release - his first as a leader as a drummer. The saxes, often playing in harmony, literally fill the sonic space on most of these... read more
David Friesen Circle 3 Trio - Where the Light Falls
by Mark Klafter, Amazon
At the ripe age of 72 David Friesen has achieved a major breakthrough with Where the Light Falls. He is an artist who has labored intensely and compassionately for a lifetime in the jazz harvest, inspiring and teaching many the joys of music, and he is reaping his bounty now. Joined by his Circle 3 Trio mates Greg Goebel on piano and Charlie Doggett on drums with guitarist Larry Koonse on several tracks, Mr. Friesen has been set free to compose... read more
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