Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Jessica Williams - The Art of the Piano
by C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
After recording for several labels, Jessica Williams may have found her most empathetic home at Origin Arts. She has produced several fine recordings with the label that include: Songs (with Carolyn Graye)(0A2, 1997); Billy's Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor (Origin, 2006); Songs for a New Century (2008, Origin); and now, in 2009, The Art of the Piano, recorded in solo performance live at The Triple Door, Seattle.
Like Cyrus Chestnut,... read more
Mimi Fox - This Bird Still Flies
by Lou Fancher, The Mercury News
Shook up after a five-hour medical procedure and a nightmare surprise breast cancer diagnosis, jazz guitarist Mimi Fox stood, stunned, in a hospital parking lot. Swirling overhead in the night sky, a flock of birds chirped and sang a complicated, gorgeous, melodic song.
Months later, during treatment, the Vallejo-based composer and musician completed her replicated version of the tune. This "Bird Still Flies" is the title track of Fox's new,... read more
Mike Pope - The Parts You Keep
by Mark Griffith, Modern Drummer
This is an ambitious project from bassist Mike Pope. Trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Roxy Coss, and guitarist Amaury Cabral are guests, there are two duets with Mike's mother who plays beautiful classical piano, and there is a string section on two tracks. But it is the rhythm section of Pope, drummer Nate Smith, and pianist Geoffrey Keezer who demand your attention. Their groove on Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase" is worth the price of... read more
Gary Hobbs - Of My Times
by Lynn Darroch, Oregonian
In the course of a year, drummer and composer Gary Hobbs cycles through multiple musical personalities. Big band drummer, clinician for high schools and colleges, sideman with a variety of groups and a leader of his own, Hobbs goes from straight-ahead and swing to funk and fusion.
That taste for variety is evident on his latest CD, "Of My Times."
Within the variety, though, we hear a composer and arranger in love with the rhythmic... read more
John La Barbera Big Band - Grooveyard
by Marc Myers, Jazz Wax
Jazz has long been blessed by a sizable number of sibling musicians. Most notably, there are the Joneses (Hank, Elvin and Thad), the Montgomerys (Wes, Buddy and Monk), the Mangiones (Chuck and Gap), the Heaths (Jimmy, Percy and Albert "Tootie" Heath), the Turrentines (Stanley and Tommy), the Adderleys (Cannonball and Nat), the Youngs (Lester and Lee), the Candolis (Pete and Conte), the Breckers (Michael and Randy) and the Marsalises (Branford,... read more
John Stowell / Dave Glenn & The Hawčaptak Quartet - Violin Memory
by George W Harris, Jazz Weekly
RINGER OF THE WEEK
Usually, if something is "new" or original, it actually means cacophonic. Here is an album that is creative, original and wonderfully melodic.
John Stowell plays nylon string and fretless baritone guitars along with trombonist Dave Glenn. OK, a bit unorthodox, but then the mix of the Hawcaptak String Quartet comes in to really mix and match some wonderful ideas. Consisting of Maria Sampen/v1, Steve Miahky/v2,... read more
The H2 Big Band - It Could Happen
by Jack Bowers, All About Jazz
4-STARS - As Shakespeare wrote, "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Who would dare argue with that? The point is that It Could Happen, the second recording by the H2 Big Band, is performed by a world-class ensemble. It's just not the H2 Big Band, which essentially remained home in Colorado save for its co-leaders, trumpeter Al Hood and pianist Dave Hanson. This is in fact a group of Los... read more
Tom Rizzo - Day and Night
by Robert Rusch, Cadence
Guitarist TOM RIZZO's NIGHT AND DAY [origin 82733] presents a combination of small band [Nick Lane-tbn/arr; John Dickson-fr hn; Bob Summers-tpt; Bob Sheppard-ts; Jeff Driskill-ss; Doug Tornquist-tuba] and quartet [Dennis Hamm-p, David Hughes-b, Steve Schaeffer-drm] groupings which goes down very smoothly. The horns are mainly used as coloring but the main focus/sense is a guitar-led quartet. Of the 11 tracks [57:44], 3 of them are Rizzo... read more
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