Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Richard Sussman - Continuum
by Doug Simpson, Audiophile Audition
Richard Sussman is not a well-known jazz musician, but perhaps that is because he has issued only three albums as a leader since his 1978 debut, Free Fall. The others include his 2010 release, Live at Sweet Rhythm, and this year's Continuum. Sussman may not be a household name, but he has had important roles in the jazz community as a composer (he won the ASCAP Jazz Commission for Established Composer in 2008), arranger... read more
Matt Jorgensen +451 - Hope
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
The fourth album from Matt Jorgensen's 451 group continues the line of somewhat traditional modern jazz (if that can be considered a proper name for the style) with a definite forward-thinking aspect built in. The album introduces itself with a groove-laden (and aptly named) "Slinky," powered in part by Phil Sparks' powerful bass, before moving into an interesting cover of a Coldplay song. The first part of the "Hope" series (a trio of title... read more
John Bishop - Antwerp
by Ed Sapiega, Jazz Views (UK)
As a drummer, educator, record label owner (Origin Records), graphic designer, publisher, and festival presenter, John Bishop has been one of the primary voices in Northwest USA Jazz for over 40 years. He has played drums in Hal Galper's acclaimed "rubato" trio for the last 15 years and was with the band Scenes for 20 years. He also played in the mid-80s piano trio New Stories.
Bishop explains that each band had a distinct, focused vision... read more
Kelly Brand Nextet - The Door
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
An album of originals (plus one stray Wayne Shorter number), pianist Kelly Brand's The Door is a nice set of contemporary Chicago jazz. This is nightclub jazz at its best, with attention paid to the compositions and the details, a fine set of backing musicians, and an able leader directing the activities. The compositions are never too complex, but never so simplistic as to be predictable. Brand's playing is careful, never quite reaching for the... read more
Shawn Purcell - 180
by Az Samad, Az Samad Lessons
The organ trio setting (organ-guitar-drums) is a classic jazz ensemble configuration that by now has a lot of history to it. Whether it be the older recordings from Wes Montgomery or Pat Martino, to more recent ones from Peter Bernstein and Dave Stryker — so much good guitar playing has been heard over the years in this setting.
So, when you want to release an album featuring this instrumentation, it can be a challenge to live up to the... read more
Marlene Rosenberg - MLK Convergence
by Paul de Barros, Downbeat (HOT BOX)
MLK Convergence showcases Chicago bass stalwart Marlene Rosenberg's muscular sound, rocksteady time and imaginative solo ideas far better than her first Origin recording, 2012's Bassprint. The title of this recent recording comes from the "convergence" of Dr. King's initials with those of her star-studded trio—Marlene, Lewis (Nash) and Kenny (Barron). It's also an allusion to the album's affirmative theme of social justice.
Hope emanates... read more
Anthony Branker & Imagine - What Place Can Be for Us?
by Michael Ambrosino, All About Jazz
Ma Rainey channeled music as her ritual of "singing to understand life." Congressman John Lewis leveraged music towards the "good trouble" he created fighting for civil rights in an uncivil land. Anthony Branker understands music as the calculus of his life's work—the art of weaving words and sound into transcendent tapestries that explore the rich, complex, and nuanced aspects of intolerance, beauty, prejudice, spirituality, gender, equality... read more
Jordan VanHemert - Deep in the Soil
by C. Andrew Hovan, Liner Notes
Born in Korea and raised in Michigan, Jordan VanHemert counts himself among those youngsters that got involved in his school music program by starting out on the alto saxophone. Also like many of his fellow saxophonists, VanHemert eventually moved away from the smaller horn to devote his full energies to the tenor sax, an instrument emblematic of the jazz heritage. "In my formative years, I was almost exclusively an alto saxophonist," VanHemert... read more
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