Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Nigel Jarrett, Jazz Journal (London)
A young vibraphonist couldn't wish for more in the way of plaudits than an endorsement from Gary Burton. In part it's a measure of how jazz vibes playing has divided roughly into two phases: first, it involved hitting the instrument's bars as a drummer might, then a generation later coaxing from them arabesques of sound by almost disguising how such sounds are produced.
The multi-mallet approach changed everything. The vibraphone became not... read more
James Moody - 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note, March 26, 2005
by John Murph, DownBeat
To commemorate jazz legend James Moody's centennial birthday celebration, Origin Records releases the sanguine James Moody: 80 Years Young-Live At The Blue Note. The album captures both a March 2005 birthday party and a victory lap for Moody as he fronts a stellar and rotating cast of musicians that includes trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Cedar Walton and alto saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. The vibes are as relaxed... read more
Dan Dean - Songs Without Words
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
Wanna know what heaven is going to sound like? Grab a hold of this album and you'll at least have a hint.
Dan Dean supplies layers of his voice as well as an occasional bass and whistle to this wonderfully arranged collection of "classic" classics. His wordless vocals create an ethereal mood that floats with sublime joy on Bach's "Air on a G String" while he makes you feel like you're in a dream on "The Sheep May Safely Graze." Dean creates a... read more
Emi Meyer - Monochrome
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
A Seattle native that has managed to tear it up in Asia comes home to hang out with the crème of the Seattle jazz scene to turn out a set that makes you wonder if she's an art chick that can do whatever she wants because Paul Allen gets the first special thanks in the liner notes or is she a millennial Chris Connor. Today's lounge lizards can only listen to so much Cole Porter and this is certainly a sterling alternative come cocktail... read more
Doug Scarborough - The Color of Angels
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The always impressive Doug Scarborough returns with a new batch of jazz tunes, and he's got Akram Abdulfattah, Jeremy Siskind, Damian Erskine, Mustafa Boztuy and Reinhardt Melz along for the ride.
The title track opens the listen with swift keys from Siskind, as Scarborough's bright brass and Melz's frisky drumming guide the timeless jazz climate, and "Limitless" follows with a soulful approach where Abdulfattah's precise violin adds much to... read more
Barry Greene - Giants
by Mike Gates, UK Vibe
5 STARS
Delivering exactly what its title promises, Barry Greene's Giants is a deeply felt, expertly executed homage to the lineage of jazz guitar, delivered by a musician fully capable of standing alongside the figures he honours. It's an album that makes me feel nostalgic while, at the same time, rewarding me as a modern, living, breathing statement that bridges eras with intelligence and soul.
Greene has long been... read more
Zem Audu - Spirits
by Dave Rogers, WTJU, Richmond
Nigerian-born, London-raised, tenor sax player Zem Audu presents his own take on funky soul or fusion jazz. Having first explored piano and guitar, Audu eventually settled on sax and studied with Courtney Pine as well as with Jean Toussaint at Trinity College of Music. This is his second release as a leader. He composed all of the songs on the disc, which also features Mike Stern (guitar), Benito Gonzales (piano), Ben Williams (bass) and John... read more
Scenes - Trapeze
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
With the original line up coming together for the first time in 20 years, they play together like they haven't missed a step. With most of the tunes by the MIA sax man who originally left for health reasons, everyone is right back in step. With a Seattle take on a New York feel for modern sax jazz, it's that hypnotic kind of set that breathes well in the background or foreground, powered by pros that know how to... read more
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