Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jessica Williams - Billy's Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor
by Ric Bang, The Davis Enterprise, September 14, 2006
Jessica Williams was 4 when she discovered her grandmother's piano.
By age 7, little Jessica was taking formal lessons; she soon was accepted at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory. While still in her teens, she was playing regularly with a jazz combo; by 20 she had moved to California and literally had her pick of the dozens of groups performing there.
She's a great pianist, and she also writes and arranges prolifically. Her discography... read more
Andrea Brachfeld & Insight - Evolution
by Terrell Holmes, New York City Jazz Record
Evolution, by flutist Andrea Brachfeld & Insight, is not just an album; it's an eloquent, impassioned plea for humanity. Brachfeld, with a first-call rhythm section of pianist Bill O'Connell, bassist Harvie S and drummer Jason Tiemann, sets out a musically and culturally diverse welcome table that is instructive as well as entertaining.
Brachfeld has serious jazz chops, and she declares her pedigree when the band bears down on... read more
José Luiz Martins - Odyssey Mixtape
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Playing piano, keys and synthesizers, Jose Luiz Martins mixes his own compositions with covers as he creates rich textures with a post-bop team of Alex Hamburger/fl-voc, Romeir Mendez/b, Dana Hawkins/dr and guests John Lee/g, Nakama/voc, Tyrone Allen/eb and Florian Haas/dr. The mix of Martins keys and Hamburger's beefy flute work wonders as on the upbeat and Latin'd "Cravo E Canela" while Lee joins in with the two for some tricky lines on the... read more
Florian Hoefner - Coldwater Stories
by Bill Milkowski, Downbeat
***1/2
For his fourth recording overall and first solo outing, the German-born pianist sets a reflective tone with generous use of space, glistening ostinatos and a tender touch. Inspired by the maritime landscape of his new home base of Newfoundland, the large Canadian island off the east coast of the North American mainland where he moved three years ago from New York City, Coldwater Stories is, ironically, more luminous than... read more
Phil Kelly - Ballet of the Bouncing Beagles
by Ric Bang, The Davis Enterprise
It's great when a wish comes true.
I previously reviewed an album ("My Museum") by Phil Kelly and the Southwest Santa Ana Winds Big Band, and expressed interest in future "Compass Wind" groups.
Well, here's another, and this ensemble is dubbed the Northwest Prevailing Winds.
Whatever. It's even better than its predecessor.
This is a truly big band of 22 musicians: four trumpets, four trombones, seven reeds and a seven-member rhythm section.... read more
Kobie Watkins - Involved
by Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Finally, drummer Kobie Watkins segues from hard bop to jazz funk to unabashedly romantic balladry in his CD "Involved" (Origin Records). If the constantly shifting jazz languages point to a young musician perhaps trying a bit too hard to show everything he can do, Watkins nonetheless handles it all. He benefits from hard-charging contributions from a cast of Chicago all-stars, particularly saxophonists Jarrard Harris and Geof Bradfield,... read more
Phil Kelly - Convergence Zone
by Jae Sinnett, Jazz Programmers List
"Convergence Zone" adds a much needed upgrade to what the jazz orchestras are dealing with today in terms of predictability. The arrangements are
challenging, fun and work only because of the quality of these musicians playing them. The sections are cohesive and beautifully in tune. The dynamic range of this band is refreshing. Jay Thomas is one of many standouts. Considering the overhead involved with making something like this work, give... read more
New Stories - Hope is in the Air
by Bill Wood, amazon.com
Producer and trumpet player Don Sickler has devoted himself for years to developing leadsheets from the recorded compositions of Elmo Hope, and now the effort has paid off big time in this CD by the Seattle piano trio, New Stories (Marc Seales - piano, Doug Miller - bass, John Bishop - drums).
Elmo Hope was the third member of a trio of close friends and pioneering jazz pianists, the other two members of which were Thelonious Monk and Bud... read more
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