Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Mark Colby - Reflections
by Ed Kopp, Jazziz
It's become somewhat rare and refreshing to hear a talented mainstream saxophonist who's not a Coltrane disciple. Veteran Chicago tenor man Mark Colby takes his inspiration from Stan Getz and others from the Lester Young school. On Reflections, an elegant and wide-ranging studio recording, Colby tackles assorted standards and three fine originals.
A graceful player, Colby possesses a silvery tone, virtuoso technique and a canny melodic... read more
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Tom McCarter, KZSU - Stanford
Vibraphonist McCarthy returns to his native Toronto after fifteen years in New York & creates an ode to the city. He works his way through originals & a few choice covers with a balanced approach that speaks both to strength and poise, & the romance embedded in the act of repatriation adds a touch of nostalgic allure to the music. He also pays tribute to two of his main... read more
Jim Knapp Orchestra - Secular Breathing
by , Mainly Big Bands
Mark this web-site well as it not only includes some outstanding big bands now, but future releases look promising too. It seems that the Seattle area is rich in talent, a fact that has encouraged ORIGIN RECORDS to allow their label to be the shop window for the local area talent.
I must admit that I was not too familiar with the work of Jim Knapp. Recently I have become aware of the awe and respect he commands among the higher echelons of... read more
Tim Jensen - A Mind For The Scenery
by David Franklin, Jazz Times
A Mind for the Scenery (Origin), from Portland, Ore., woodwind player Tim Jensen, offers a potpourri of styles, from funk to funereal to free, and there's not a dull moment on it. Its fine soloists tend to favor the mainstream post-Coltrane modal/hard bop approach when not taking the occasional free-jazz flight. But Jensen's arrangements of his own compositions, along with "On Green Dolphin Street" and Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages," demonstrate a... read more
Brad Wheeler - The Future Was Yesterday
by Neil Tesser, Chicago Reader
Chicago saxist Brad Wheeler plays with an infectious passion, but it's rooted as much in musical intellect as it is in his broad, swaggering tone on both tenor and soprano. Wheeler's name might ring a bell: he grew up in the Chicago suburbs and hit the local scene hard and fast in the 80's, but after he moved to Paris in 1990 his work all but vanished from these shores (though he did appear on a couple of Kurt Elling's Blue Note albums). Wheeler... read more
Jon Hamar - Hymn
by George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Scene
Seattle bassist Hamar must have had a premonition. Just how would a trio without a drummer go over? And so, on this recording, he works only with Geoffrey Keezer, piano, and Todd DelGiudice, alto saxophone. Without a drummer, there?s a stronger sense of intimacy and communication among the three players, and the result is impressive. The song list includes a few tips of the hat to fellow bassists with ?Falling Grace,? a near standard by Steve... read more
Tom Collier - Alone in the Studio
by , Jazziz
Vibraphonist Tom Collier has nurtured twin passions for mallet instruments and the recording process since childhood. His dad, a professional trumpet player, was also a 78-rpm-recording hobbyist, and he even recorded his 4-year old son playing xylophone in 1954. The equipment, and Collier Jr.'s playing, grew more sophisticated over the years, and he recalls trying to replicate the then-experimental overdubbing techniques employed by The Beatles... read more
Bill Anschell - Rumbler
by Andrew Luthringer, Earshot Jazz
There's an exhilarating moment on pianist and composer Bill Anschell's superb new album Rumbler that is emblematic of the album's strengths, and it's right at the top of the first track. The disc kicks off with piano and saxophone outlining Thelonious Monk's iconic "Misterioso." Sure, it's a great composition, but with all the masterful versions already recorded, can there really be anything new here?
Suddenly, skepticism is knocked aside as... read more
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