Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Pharez Whitted - For the People
by Frank Alkyer, DownBeat Magazine
EDITOR'S PICK - DECEMBER 2012
On For The People, Chicago-based trumpeter Pharez Whitted digs into the hard-bop bag and pulls out an 11-song set that?s perfect for a weekend chill or a serious road trip. The unison lines he plays with guitarist Bobby Broom on tunes like ?Watusi Boogaloo? are infectious. ?If They Could Only See? delivers a sweet groove. But don?t think this is light listening. ?Freedom Song? packs a punch fueled... read more
Brittany Anjou - Enamigo Reciprokataj
by Debra Jan Bibel, Amazon
A Sophisticated Debut: New Terrority for Jazz Invention The title of this album, Enamigo Reciprokoataj, seems to be a gimisch of languages and in a way it is, being Esperanto. To my knowledge, it is second Esperanto-related musical recording; Lou Harrison's La Koro Sutro is the other. Brittany Anjou, pianist and trio leader, is the composer and arranger of the ten-track 58-minute instrumental debut. The title, roughly Reciprocal Love, is... read more
Chris Walden Big Band - Full-On!
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
It's been a while since the jazz world has seen a release from this group. The first three albums credited to the Chris Walden Big Band - the Grammy-nominated Home Of My Heart (Origin Records, 2005), No Bounds (Origin Records, 2006), and Kurt Marti Suite (Origin Records, 2007) - came in quick succession. And then there was silence from Walden. Well, that's not exactly true. Walden's actually been quite busy in the... read more
Dana Hall - Into the Light
by Jim Santella, Cadence
Drummer Dana Hall mixes Jazz mainstream material with some heavily progressive textures on this recording debut as leader. As a member of Terell Stafford's quintet, he's familiar with the members of this ensemble; they share a fondness for group-speak, where unison passages fill the bill and individual soloing remains prominent. Hall, who studied aerospace engineering at Iowa State University, sees the role of drummer as a creative force in Jazz... read more
Brittany Anjou - Enamigo Reciprokataj
by Philip Freeman, Downbeat
Why did pianist Brittany Anjou title her album Enamigo Reciprokataj, which translates from Esperanto to "reciprocal love?" Even after giving it a listen, the answer's still unclear.
Anjou's debut album, inspired by a Stravinsky ballet, is a strong, classicist piano-trio effort that nods to the work of Ahmad Jamal, Vince Guaraldi and even modern players like Cyrus Chestnut in its focus on melody and swing, while still journeying as far afield... read more
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Bryan Lineberry, Earshot Jazz
Chris Icasiano is a Seattle-based Filipino-American percussionist and composer of great presence in Seattle. One might know him as drummer of the iconic Bad Luck, as a social activist, music organizer and advocate, and/or around Café Racer for Racer Sessions.
Icasiano can find meaning and influence in just about any genre of music, and for his debut solo album, Provinces, a great many of those influences converge into a jaw-dropping personal... read more
Michael Bisio & Timothy Hill - Inside Voice / Outside Voice
by Peter Aaron, Chronogram
The title of this heart-stopping collaboration by Gloversville bassist Michael Bisio (Matthew Shipp Trio) and Beacon vocalist and acoustic guitarist Timothy Hill is rich in layered meaning. Recorded in one continuous take—with no edits or pauses—this sublime set takes its sweet, soft time meandering through jazz standards (Coleman's "Law Years," Coltrane's "Wise One"), Great American Songbook ballads (Cahn and Styne's "I Fall in Love Too... read more
Deardorf / Peterson Group - Portal
by Steve Cline, Earshot
Musicians and jazz lovers of all ages were tightly packed into Jazz Alley in late April to celebrate the occasion of some of Seattle's finest professional improvising artists producing one of their own.
The sidemen have come to the front with the release of Portal (Origin) by the Deardorf/Peterson Group.
Bassist Chuck Deardorf, guitarist Dave Peterson, saxophonist Hans Teuber, and drummer John Bishop are each so entrenched in the Seattle... read more
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