Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Bridge Quartet - Night
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence
Night has a talented quartet pinning their ears back and playing their butts off on a variety of familiar pieces. the opening "Wouldn't it be Loverly" quickly establishes that Phil Dwyer is one of those saxophonists who likes to go on stream-of-consciousness rants in his solos. He generally does this in more laidback fashion than Sonny Rollins or Dexter Gordon, even on an uptempo "Green Dolphin Street." But on Rollins' "Strode Rode" he really... read more
Hal Galper / Jeff Johnson / John Bishop - Furious Rubato
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Pianist Hal Galper spent a big part of his career working with some of the giants of the mainstream, players like trumpeter Chet Baker, alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, guitar master John Scofield and bop alto sax legend Phil Woods. With his Agents of Change (Fabola Records, 2006), a trio outing with drummer Billy Mintz and bassist Tony Marino, he moved out of the familiar flow to explore the "rubato style" of playing, an open, circular... read more
Eddie Allen and PUSH - The Rhythm
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
New York trumpeter, Eddie Allen, leads this ensemble he calls PUSH through a baker's dozen of tunes, including ten original compositions. The album title "Rhythm People" says it all. The arrangements splash on the scene with mad rhythms. They push the title track ahead in 6/8 time, adding an African flair to the arrangement. A quarter of the way through, the PUSH ensemble changes the groove to a bluesy 4/4 Straight-ahead feel, letting Eddie... read more
Scenes - Trapeze
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
4-STARS The storyline for the Pacific Northwest-based band Scenes began in 1983, when drummer John Bishop and guitarist John Stowell began playing together in Portland and Seattle. When bassist Jeff Johnson arrived in Seattle in 1989, he began playing a weekly trio gig with Bishop and tenor saxophonist Rick Mandyck. Stowell, already frequently traveling abroad to play and teach, would drop by every so often to play.
The quartet... read more
Greta Matassa - Portrait
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Away from recording for almost a decade, this regional winner with a worldwide reach (when she wants it) shows how classic jazz vocal is done right. With a great eclectic sense of material, Matassa knows how to dive into every note and find even more than was put there originally. A real pro that's glad to do all the heavy lifting so you can sit back and listen, you might as well let her carry out this agenda to the max. Hot... read more
Tom Collier - Across the Bridge
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
Ruminations on the past, musical or otherwise, are often weighed down by the sediment of sentiment. But it certainly doesn't have to be that way. Looking back can provide an outlet for the imagination to take control, and vibraphonist Tom Collier seems well aware of that. On Across The Bridge, Collier revisits his youth, delivering nine original numbers that touch on a childhood spent on the opposite side of the West Seattle Bridge from where... read more
Marcos Varela - San Ygnacio
by Scott Albin, Amazon
Although Marcos Varela was born and raised in Houston, his roots go back to the tiny Texas town of San Ygnacio and the family ranch that dates back to at least the 1750's-- hence this album's title. From Varela's New York City base of the past 12 years, the active bassist has performed with such artists as Jason Moran, Geri Allen, the Mingus Big Band, and Kendrick Scott, while also composing music for film and TV. For his first CD as a... read more
Nnenna Freelon - Beneath the Skin
by Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
It's hard to believe that Nnenna Freelon turns 71 later in July. Yet, the singer, songwriter, playwright, actress, and podcaster has had a busy career that spans four decades. She did not begin recording until her early 30s. Signing to Columbia Records, her self-titled debut album introduced the world to a self-assured vocalist working her way through the Great American Songbook. After three albums, she moved to Concord Records where she... read more
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