Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Bobby Broom - My Shining Hour
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Every city tends to take its own jazz treasures a bit for granted, notwithstanding the respect they generate across the country and beyond. With My Shining Hour (Origin Records), to be released Aug. 19, guitarist Bobby Broom reminds us of his stature as soloist and bandleader. Fronting a trio with bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Makaya McCraven, Broom stands front and center - and benefits enormously from this high exposure. Rarely... read more
Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by John Barron, All About Jazz
Chicago-based guitarist Bobby Broom pays tribute to jazz icon Thelonious Monk on Plays For Monk, a fresh take on eight of the late pianist's compositions, along with a couple of standards associated with Monk's repertoire. Joining Broom for his third release on Seattle's Origin Records are his long time trio mates, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins.
Broom does a tremendous job navigating Monk's music in a bare-bones guitar trio... read more
Jessica Williams - Billy's Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor
by Derek Ansell, Jazz Journal International
This CD was designed as a tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor, the veteran jazz pianist who has been playing for 65 years now and is counted by Ms Williams as a friend. He has also booked her to play at various prestigious events and, as she puts it, they have spent time 'hanging out together for a few hours.' The music, all original compositions by Jessica, is played on a beautifully tuned and recorded concert grand and presents this particular pianist... read more
Michael Waldrop - Origin Suite
by David Cohen, Jazzenzo (Netherlands)
Composer, percussionist and vibraphonist Michael Waldrop defines music as follows: "a serious ordering of sound that strives to send messages to the listener, which can not be communicated by spoken or written language". From someone who has formed such clear thoughts about nature and the task of music one is inclined to expect a lot of good things.
The 'Origin Suite' amply satisfies these expectations. Waldrop guides the listener through a... read more
Lynn Bush with New Stories - Still Life
by Christopher Loudon, Jazz Times
Lynn Bush, yet another of the fast-growing roster of formidable singers from the Seattle area, makes her recording debut with Still Life (Origin), an evocative collection of time-honored standards. Though blessed with a smoky voice that recalls the alluring sang-froid of Julie London, Bush is decidedly more robust than the perpetually horizontal Miss Julie. Backed by a masterful rhythm section comprised of pianist Marc Seales, bass player Doug... read more
Charlie Ballantine - East by Midwest
by Geoffrey Himes, Hard Rain & Pink Cadillacs
There are jazz guitarists who can play melodic themes and lyrical precision, and there are those who make use of the harsh and surreal sounds an electric guitar is capable of. Indianapolis's Ballantine is one of the rare youngsters who can do both, much as Bill Frisell and John Scofield did in an earlier generation. Ballantine proved this on his 2018 album of Dylan covers, and he proves it again on this even better project, which includes tunes... read more
Ziggurat Quartet - Calculated Gestures
by Ron Bierman, Jazz Review
One of the ways jazz has grown is by absorbing the sounds and rhythms of other cultures. African and Latin American music were strong early influences. Today, India is making waves. Since classical Indian music has always included extensive improvisation, it seems it might have happened sooner. However, while spirituals, rumbas and African drums readily appeal to Western ears, Indian raga is a more difficult fit, its scales more exotic, its... read more
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Joseph Ross, Amazon
5-STARS Recorded in Brooklyn, NY, and released on the Washington state-based Origin Records label in 2025, Blessed & Bewitched is a fine introduction to the music of Austria-based singer Maja Jaku. With her intriguing-sounding name and colorful background in her native Kosovo, Maja is sure to stir up interest with her Origin debut. Ostensibly free form jazz filled with a variety of jazz and pop influences, Blessed & Bewitched is... read more
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