Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Paul Simpson, The Answer Is In the Beat
The first solo album from Christopher Icasiano (of Seattle-based jazz group Bad Luck) contains two continuous suites ("Provinces" and "Taho") related to the complexity of cultural identity as a second generation Filipino-American. The album consists entirely of complex, sometimes frenzied drumming mixed with ambient synths as well as some field recordings from the Philippines. On the first track, which goes for ten minutes, he keeps up a rapid... read more
Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters - Imaginary Sketches
by Tom D'Antoni, Oregon Music News
Seattle-based trumpeter Chad McCullough has quickly come into his own. His addition to The Kora Band put it over the top. Last year's album The Sky Cries with Slovakian pianist Michal Vanoucek along with Portland bassist Dave Captein, and Seattle's Matt Jorgensen (drums) and Mark Taylor (sax) was well received.
On the heels of that comes a collaboration with Antwerp-based pianist Bram Weijters which shows off McCullough's warm lyricism in a... read more
John Stowell and Dave Liebman - Blue Rose
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Saxophonist Dave Liebman joined guitarist John Stowell and bassist Don Thompson on three tunes on Stowell's The Banff Sessions (Origin Records, 2002). More than a decade later, Stowell and Liebman have teamed up on a duo outing, Blue Rose. The two artists' take on a bunch of jazz standards and Great American Songbook tunes has a beautiful fluidity in this pared down setting. Stowell's lines are crisp and clean, while Liebman's keening... read more
Chad McCullough Bram Weijters - Urban Nightingale
by Dave Sumner, eMusic
Follow-up album to last year?s excellent Imaginary Sketches. McCullough?s trumpet and Weijters? piano have a symbiosis that should be the envy of others. This is jazz for a rainy day, no matter if it?s the cabin-fever variety or the kick back and relax sort of thing. McCullough gets to soaring, but has weight on those wings, and Weijters has a nice way of balancing the piano?s melodic and rhythmic traits. For this album, Piet Verbist is... read more
Christopher Icasiano - Provinces
by Gregg Daniel Miller, Free Jazz Blog
4 1/2 STARS I had to listen to this record for months before I could write about it. It's that different. Percussion solo records are an interesting breed, and this one doesn't remind me of anything.
Icasiano's percussiveness is all about the pacing and grouping of the beats. Clusters, clusters, driving and then receding, with crisscross patterns emerging from the maelstrom. Psychedelic. Disorienting. There is no "one," and while... read more
John Stowell / Michael Zilber - Basement Blues
by Robert Rusch, Cadence
I remember JOHN STOWELL [g] from the mid '70s when he made a series of rather ethereal recordings. Over the years he seems to have tempered that sound. His latest pairs him up once more with his long time associate, MICHAEL ZILBER [sax/p]. BASEMENT BLUES [Origin 82717] is with the quartet [John ShifflettÂb, Jason Lewis drm] recorded 3/12 and 3/15. The program here is made up of 8 originals plus one Jerome Kern [Nobody Else But Me] and one... read more
David Friesen and Glen Moore - Bactrian
by Rob Nairn, Bass World Magazine
Glen Moore and David Friesen are two bass players who need no introduction; their bios and discographies are legendary, so any release form either is worthy of serious attention. A CD featuring the two of them is something special, especially given the enormous historical legacy they bring to their art. The Bass duo CD idea is not an altogether common genre but there have been some remarkable recordings over the years (Dave Holland, Barre... read more
Michael Zilber - Originals for the Originals
by George Harris, Jazz Weekly
Michael Zilber uses his compositional skills as well as his soprano and tenor saxes to give tribute to some of his musical inspirations. The core team of David Kikoski/p, James Genus/b and Clarence Penn/dr is used for all of the songs except one, the darkly swinging "Hen House" dedicated to Joe Henderson. Other Selmer stars include a Wayne Shorter, who is shown by the leader's soprano in the Weather Report fashion on the exciting and propulsive... read more
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