Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Oscar Hernández & Alma Libre - The Art of Latin Jazz
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
This guy is a major figure in modern Latin jazz. So, what does he do? He makes a Latin jazz album the average, two left footed gringo can relate to and love. Not too Ricky Ricardo, not too ethnic, not to street, this is a set that takes the best of Latin jazz and slides it right down the middle for a set that can even find klutzes tapping their toes along to it. A solid gateway date for the gringo too intimidated to enter the Latin jazz tent,... read more
Don Lanphere - Year 'Round Christmas
by Carol Swanson, christmasreview.com
Don Lanphere's Year 'Round Christmas arrived in my mailbox a few days ago as a delightful surprise. I had requested a different holiday release, and this pleasurable CD came along as an unexpected companion. I'm certainly glad it did.
Lanphere, a beloved jazz great who played with legends like Charlie Parker and Artie Shaw, was known as the "Seattle Jazz Grandpop." Sadly, the artist passed away in October 2003, but the fine music of this... read more
Jessica Williams - Touch
by Michael Steinman, Cadence Magazine
Pianist Jessica Williams thinks deeply about her spiritual relationship with the instrument, and the deep cohesive bond is evident in her recordings. Touch finds her at one of her two favorite pianos in a comfortable space in Seattle, The Triple Door, where the audience is quietly attentive. Williams is a serious blend of the romantic experimenter, in love with the expansive sounds of the piano, and the player who knows the value of space and... read more
Joe Locke / Geoffrey Keezer Group - Live In Seattle
by Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition
Vibraphonist Joe Locke and keyboardist Geoff Keezer have had three recorded collaborations - the first two were released in Japan only on a different label. Their latest CD was recorded live at the 2005 Ballard Jazz Festival and is a real gem. Imagine a revved up Modern Jazz Quartet with a more assertive drummer (Terreon Gully) and you get the picture. This CD starts out smoking and the groove does not let up for nearly an hour later. A mixture... read more
Don Lanphere - Where Do You Start?
by John Doll, Jazz Review
Don Lanphere's career started as an impressive saxophonist in 1949 by playing with legends Fats Navarro, Woody Shaw and Woody Herman. Except for a Woody Herman stint at the end of the Eisenhower era, drug use and incarceration blemished his musical path for a thirty year period. It was only when he kicked the habit in 1982 that he started to make music again. Lanphere still retains his musicality and vision as evidenced in his latest CD, "Where... read more
Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble - The Atwood Suites
by Tree Palmedo, Oregon Jazz Scene
With big-budget adaptations like The Handmaid's Tale catching the public eye, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood doesn't exactly need more publicity. But with this ambitious, large-ensemble double album, composer Andrew Rathbun seeks to highlight a lesser-known facet of Atwood's bibliography: her poetry. With vocalists Luciana Souza and Aubrey Johnson fronting the band, Rathbun transforms Atwood's emotive poems, which often deal with weighty issues... read more
David Weiss Sextet - Auteur
by Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail
Trumpeter and composer David Weiss assembles a dynamic sextet for his latest album, Auteur, featuring both longtime collaborators—alto saxophonist Myron Walden and drummer EJ Strickland—and fresh voices like pianist David Bryant, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, and bassist Eric Wheeler. The album showcases seven passionate tracks, including five original compositions by Weiss and two previously unrecorded pieces by jazz greats Freddie... read more
Chad McCullough | Michal Vanoucek - The Sky Cries
by George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon
Seattleite Chad McCullough enlists the help of Northwest stalwarts Mark Taylor, alto saxophone, Dave Captein, bass, and Matt Jorgenson, drums, in addition to European pianist Michael Vanoucek, on a selection of original material. McCullough and Vanoucek's writing encompasses varied moods, tempos and sonic nuances. All the players have shining solo opportunities, but McCullough's silvery tone stands out as something... read more
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