I wanted to mention how much I am enjoying the 2021 album "Rain Painting" by John Stowell & Dan Dean. Modernity meets tradition in this collection of Stowell's compositions and Dean's wordless vocal arrangements and bass playing. The guitar, bass and vocal sounds are all very much in keeping with the heritage of the jazz style. And Stowell's playing swings like crazy. His improvisation is unfailingly melodic and he doesn't tend to repeat himself... read more
New Stories, the piano trio made up of Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller, and drummer John Bishop, have undertaken the daunting task of reviving eleven tracks from the brilliant bop composer and pianist, Elmo Hope. Hope was a much lesser known contemporary of of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. He only lived to be 43, but left a legacy of bop compositions. Elmo passed away in 1967, but his wife, Bertha, an excellent pianist herself, has continued... read more
Abstract Realism is the debut recording for the band Id�e Fixe, an experimental ensemble under the leadership of saxophonist Peter Epstein, that has been in existence since 1997. Along with Epstein, the band includes guitarist Andy Barbera, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer Matt Mayhall. Special guests for the disc include bass clarinetist Brian Walsh and saxophonist Gavin Templeton. With minimal ideas as the basis for each track, the music takes... read more
As the title suggests, Richard Sussman?s album is a study in endurance. By reuniting with some of the players who appeared on his 1978 debut Free Fall and presenting a diverse roster of new tunes, Sussman underscores how true musicality is never diminished by the passage of time.
In other words, the ol? fellas still have it. Tenor man Jerry Bergonzi steps in straight from the woodshed on the Jazz Messengers-inflected ?Spare Change? and his... read more
Big band jazz in full swing - Mike Waldrop's debut as a big band leader is a soaring good listen. Waldrop has recently distinguished himself as an educator at Eastern Washington University, but he spent plenty of time paying his dues as a working musician/drummer in New York and Chicago before embarking on his academic career. While at the University of North Texas, Waldrop polished his big band durmming with the One O'Clock Lab Band. He also... read more
Most everyone has a favorite tune: A song that lingers in memory and takes you back to another time and place. For many years jazz musicians have transformed popular songs into instrumental pieces such as John Coltrane's version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit "My Favorite Things." There is magic in taking something familiar and transforming it into something new, as Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom proves once again on his new release Song and... read more
With four trumpets, four trombones plus tuba, five woodwinds, two French horns, guitar, drums, Latin percussion, mallets, two basses, and piano, Kim Richmond's Concert Jazz Orchestra is a formidable ensemble just getting off the bus. Especially the woodwinds, who are each toting an entire music store. Throw in Kim Richmond's brooding, playful, ecstatic arrangements, and you can tell pretty fast that this ain't no Glenn Miller band.
You may... read more
From Seattle drummer Steve Korn comes Points in Time, his third release on Origin Records. Following in the theme of his previous albums, Korn makes heavy use of the musicality of the drums both in his playing and in arrangement and composition. The album opens with the rather ethereal (and short) "Hymn" before moving into "Helio," where the individual artists take some extra time for their solos, highlighted by pianist Marc Seales' long tour de... read more
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect