Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Laurie Antonioli - Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
The concept of a jazz-informed program of Joni Mitchell tunes isn't exactly novel anymore. Herbie Hancock's high profile River: The Joni Letters (Verve, 2007) took home two Grammy Awards; vocalist Tierney Sutton got some well-deserved attention when she put her own spin on Mitchell's work with After Blue (BFM, 2013); somewhat under-the-radar releases from artists like David Lahm and Rachel Z have made something of an impact on a... read more
The Spin Quartet - In Circles
by Don Lerman, Cadence
The Spin Quartet consists of top-notch musicians who carve out an interesting group identity on In Circles. The absence of a piano or guitar from the instrumentation of two horns, bass, and drums gives clarity and an open quality to the music, aided by the fine writing from mostly band members. Trumpeter/flugelhornist Chad McCullough wrote five of the pieces, with the subdued "Oranges Are Supposed to be Orange" and bright-eyed "Haberdasher"... read more
Tom Collier - Across the Bridge
by Dave Rogers, WTJU - Richmond
Collier plays vibes and marimba on these nine original compositions and he changes moods and styles with with ease and command. He also keeps terrific company in a group of musicians who can bring their special talents to augment his shifts. Guitarists Larry Coryell and Bill Frisell add the wonderful coloring one would expect of them and bassist Dan Dean even takes a turn on guitar while maintaining his melodic and rhythmic bass. Ted Poor and... read more
Barry Greene - Giants
by Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Praise from an extremely qualified mouth comes from none other than Pat Martino: "Barry Greene is just about one of the best; not only as a player, but also as a writer and a teacher... a world-class musician."
"'GIANTS' is jazz guitarist Barry Greene's most fully realized recording to date - a powerful tribute to the players who shaped his musical voice, including Pat Martino, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, and Russell Malone. Spanning organ... read more
Marc Seales - American Songs, Volume 3: Time & Place
by Tree Palmedo, Jazz Society of Oregon
Pianist Marc Seales has been a Northwest mainstay for years, and his American Songs series has been a consistently entertaining look at jazz and blues history. On the third volume in the series, Seales digs into the funkier side of things, both with his song choice and his band's electrified sound. The album kicks off with Curtis Mayfield's "Pusher Man," a bold choice and one that initially feels off. But once guitarist Fred Hamilton... read more
Jack Mouse - Range of Motion
by John Lane, Percussive Notes
For decades, Jack Mouse has been a sideman for a long list of jazz greats, but Range of Motion represents his debut as a leader. Collaborating with several other Chicago-based musicians (Art Davis,trumpet; Scott Robinson, woodwinds; John McLean, guitar; Bob Bowman and Kelly Sill, bass), he has put together a terrific set of his original compositions.
Mouse?s high-energy and surehanded drumming is displayed front and center, but this is not... read more
Jeff Johnson - Suitcase
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Who let these white guys loose in the church basement? Johnson and his long time improv pal, Hans Teuber, opens the lens to let some other youngbloods join the fun. Not quite arts council music, this is hipster improv done right, but even a Friday night show for this would be a sausage fest, y'know what I mean? It sounds like they know how to give the art jazz fan just what they are looking... read more
Anthony Branker and Ascent - Together
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
This is quite the achievement. This sounds like Branker's friendliest record yet. He pulls off the dandy feat of merging art and commerce making creative jazz that could leap to mass appeal. Straight ahead without an ounce of any kind of pandering, Branker leads his charges through a galloping date that really packs a wallop. With a pair of saxes leading the charge, this is everything you could want in a swinging, mainstream date that makes... read more
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