Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Tim Jensen - A Mind For The Scenery
by Tom Ineck, Berman Music Review
Like much of the bountiful fruit harvested at Origin Records in Portland, Ore., Tim Jensen's "A Mind for the Scenery" challenges the listener from the get-go.
Jensen is a composer and reed player of eclectic tastes, versatility, technique and audacious creativity. He also is an arranger and a bandleader who knows how to surround himself with like-minded musicians capable of equal audacity. Take for example the opener, "Sausage," a squiggly... read more
Bill Anschell - Rumbler
by Hobart Taylor, KUCI - Irvine, CA
Bill Anschell is a pianist arranger who provides here that subtle miracle of jazz performance, making an elephant walk on stilts. Deep in tone and soul his tunes and a couple of covers, (most notably Monk's "Misterioso" with a super performance from Seattle's Richard Cole on sax),have solidity and assuredness, and yet seem casual and airy at the same time.... read more
Charlie Ballantine - East by Midwest
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The Baltimore resident and guitarist Charlie Ballantine is joined by Quinn Sternberg and Dan Weiss for these 9 Americana tinted songs that aren't short on grooves.
The shimmering guitar of "Storyteller" opens with much warmth and grace, and "Runaround" follows with Weiss' scrappy drums complementing the meticulous guitar playing.
Landing close to the middle, "Strawberry Fields Forever" is a reflective moment that also benefits from some... read more
Chuck Deardorf - Transparence
by Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times
Most major American cities (and, for that matter, most European ones) contain a jazz musician who is the default bassist of record. You run into them all over town, in all manner of ensembles, kicking ass and taking names.
In Seattle, Wash., it is Chuck Deardorf. He is known for making other people sound good, not leading his own projects. But Transparence argues that he is also a strong and smart bandleader. Deardorf blends various... read more
Laurie Antonioli and Richie Beirach - Varuna
by Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Music Review
Jazz vocalist Laurie Antonioli seems perfectly matched with the piano subtleties of Richie Beirach in their album Varuna (Origin 82698). Laurie has a superbly vibrant vocal instrument that she puts to beautiful use on this set. Phrasing, tone, pitch control and artistry are out front in the best ways here. Richie Beirach has not been in my ears much in later days (and I have no idea if he has made himself relatively scarce or I have simply... read more
Matt Jorgensen +451 - Hope
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
Another drummer hanging out in the great Northwest is Matt Jorgensen. He and his band, 451, have previously released several recordings. Jorgensen borrows Mark Taylor from Steve Korn and features Korn's other saxophonist, Rob Davis on several cuts. Jorgensen employs a double saxophone front for the opening of this disc, "Slinky," giving the band a big muscular sound that is propelled by Ryan Burn's Fender Rhodes. The band hits a bull's eye with... read more
Bobby Rozario - Spellbound
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
Someone has been drinking the waters of Carlos Santana, and his name is Bobby Rozario. The guitarist/vocalist plays with a fiery drive and biting tone, searing through a collection of originals, supplied by a mix of musicians that included Robby Ameen-Dennis Chambers/dr, James Genus/b, Edsel Gomez/p-org, Tim Ouimette/tp, and a wide array of pecussionists and vocalist. The sauntering "Ci tana" includes the voices of Chris Alfinez, Jose Pepito... read more
Dave Slonaker Big Band - Shifty Paradigms
by Mark Griffith, Modern Drummer
Is there a busier drummer around than Peter Erskine? But as his schedule has gotten even busier, it seems that his playing has gotten less busy. And while there are many drummers in LA that can drive a big band through tricky charts, no one does it better than Peter Erskine. As I said in his Modern Drummer Legends book, I don't think that Peter Erskine has ever made a bad record. He always seems to give the music what it needs, and Shifty... read more
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