Origin Records Reviews

Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Dave Segal, The Stranger

Chris Icasiano has established himself as one of the boldest musicians in Seattle's jazz and experimental-music scenes as a drummer in the Bad Luck duo with saxophonist Neil Welch. Together they've delved into free-jazz maelstroms and more nuanced and somber pieces with masterly skill.

Icasiano's debut solo album, Provinces (out today), consists of field recordings he took during a trip to the Philippines, where his ancestors lived; he's... read more

Sam Yahel - Truth And Beauty
by Pico, www.blogcritics.org

Joey deFrancesco. Tony Monaco. Larry Goldings. Barbara Dennerlein. All at the forefront of the current generation of jazz organists and heirs to the mantle of Jimmy Smith, Charles Earland and Jack McDuff.

Oh yeah, there's one more notable: Sam Yahel. But with the release this week of his fourth effort Truth And Beauty, Yahel is making the case that there is still room for another distinctive voice in the well-established world of the Hammond... read more

Greg Germann - Tales of Time
by Georges Tonla Briquet, Jazz'halo (Belgium

A somewhat atypical jazz musician from New York, this Greg Germann . He chose to tour for years as a member of Broadway shows and in between delivered some soundtracks for films. Until Clarence Penn got him back on the right jazz path. The result is this 'Tales Of Time' with the help of, among others, Donny McCaslin and Luis Perdomo.

It certainly wasn't the case that drummer Germann completely renounced jazz over the past two decades. The... read more

Chris Walden Big Band - Full-On!
by Scott Yanow, Downbeat

A busy arranger-composer in Los Angeles for the studios, films and television, Chris Waldon has also been leading a worthy if part-time jazz big band. On Full On! six singers are featured on seven selections, but Walden's orchestra is never merely in the background. In fact, with a few exceptions, the singers can be thought of as guest soloists who take their turns in the spotlight along with the instrumental soloists and the... read more

Greta Matassa | Clipper Anderson - And to All a Good Night
by Thomas R. Erdmann, Jazz Review.com

Probably the last thing anyone would ever expect to come from cutting edge jazz label Origin Records, would be a traditionally oriented jazz Christmas album, but that is exactly what we get in this release from vocalist Greta Matassa, and bassist and vocalist Clipper Anderson. If there is anything cutting edge about this release, it's in the fact so many of these Christmas songs are rarities. For example, "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" comes... read more

Bill Anschell - Figments
by Larry Hollis, Cadence

Another name that shows up quite regularly on the Origin/OA2 rosters is Bil Anschell, a pianist surely worthy of wider exposure. As both leader and sideman he has racked up an impressive cache of credentials, playing in varied configurations from duets to larger settings, but 'Figments' is his debut in a solo piano setting. Captured on the most basic studio equipment at is home somewhere in the greater Seattle area, these unpretentious and... 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

Cathy Segal-Garcia & Phillip Strange - Live in Japan
by Paul Freeman, Pop Culture Classics

Good things are worth waiting for. And it's been a very long wait for the release of this exceptional set, performed by jazz vocalist Cathy Segal-Garcia and pianist Phillip Strange. It was recorded in Osaka, Japan, 30 years ago. But what dazzled listeners in 1992 will still do so in 2022 and beyond.

This two-CD package contains 21 classic tunes, attractively arranged and entrancingly performed. Segal-Garcia's ability to utilize unique... read more

Looking for a specific review?

This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.