Drummer Matt Jorgensen need not worry about the pitfall of the sophomore slump with his second release as a leader, Quiet Silence. It contains some of the freshest and most honest playing on any jazz CD this year. Jorgensen and his band, 451, play complex, progressive music but make it sound as natural as breathing.
Unlike some bands led from the drum kit, Jorgensen and 451 showcase the music, not the percussionist. While an imaginative and... read more
Saxophonist Benjamin Boone led this large scale music and poetry project on (1) using the talents of 21 musicians and 11 poets. Each of the 16 selections presents a poem recited by its author with musical backing from groups ranging from one (solo piano) to seven pieces. Boone, the overall musical arranger, provided the compositions or musical leadership on 11 selections (three of them co-composed), with David Aus, Craig Vonberg, Hashem... read more
For his fourth recording, organist Ben Paterson returns to the North West Coast Origin label with For Once in My Life. He employs a standard organ-guitar-drums combo for eleven standards and originals that allows the crack trio he shares with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer George Fludas to fully explore the more modern sonic aspects of this popular jazz- blues-funk format. Blending the musical traditions of his native Philadelphia... read more
American trumpeter and composer David Weiss has been leading his sextet for almost 25 years. Slightly changing the line-up of the band, he always tries to maintain his own sound and format, which he dazzles with in subsequent recordings. This time, the trumpeter's sextet (Myron Walden on alto saxophone and EJ Strickland on drums, Nicole Glover on tenor saxophone, David Bryant on piano and Eric Wheeler on bass) perform the "Auteur" session.
It... read more
Four decades into his career, Gene Argel has finally dropped his debut album. Recorded with some of Seattle's finest players, Luminescent is a bridging of Argel's original home -- he grew up in Tacoma -- and his adopted one, the island of Maui, where Argel has lived since 1982. There's a lot of catching up to do, and the album does its best to cover years of ground: some tracks are swinging, others funky, others haunting tributes to the... read more
Milan Verbist plays as if time stands still
The audience at De Singer is filled with anticipation as pianist Milan Verbist (26) hovers his hands above the keys. A soft, almost tangible intro unfolds—the title track Time Change from his new album. The audience holds its breath. De Standaard newspaper awarded his debut album four stars, and broadcaster Klara called him one of those young twenty-somethings "who will color the... read more
Jazz has become a truly international art form in the new millennium, and some of its most creative players now come from places like Zagreb, Croatia. What makes Matija Dedic special is his touch and the way his poetic concept unfolds and deepens over the course of an album. Dedic is as seductive as Tord Gustavsen. The opening of the first track here, "Her Name," could be Gustavsen. It has that hush, the keys barely touched, the simple... read more
If you follow jazz news, you've surely heard of Cyrille Aimée, the French-born chanteuse who took top honors at last year's inaugural Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and got third place at the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition. But have you actually heard Aimée? Since 2007, she's released seven albums, including two with Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo, two with her Surreal Band, a live... 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