Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Metropolitan Jazz Octet - The Bowie Project
by Brice Boorman, Chalked Up Reviews
In the vast world of jazz, where traditional sounds seamlessly meld with both classic and modern influences, the Metropolitan Jazz Octet (MJO), alongside vocalist Paul Marinaro, has redefined genre boundaries with their ambitious Origin Records endeavor, The Bowie Project. This album stands out for its excellence in various facets of music production, singing, and performance.
Take, for instance, MJO's rendition of David Bowie's "Changes,"... read more
Ziggurat Quartet - Calculated Gestures
by Jerome Wilson, Cadence Magazine
Calculated Gestures is by a group of veteran musicians from the Pacific Northwest who experiment with a gamut of sounds, using complex hip-hoppish beats on "XoBoX," snaky Indian melodies on "Vindaloo" and minimalist phrase repetition on "Oregonian Monkey Chant." These pieces often have the piano, bass, and drums locking into angular and fragmented rhythms while saxophonist Barber picks his way through on the top like he's climbing over barbed... read more
Bridge Quartet - Day
by John Barron, All About Jazz.com
The Portland, Oregon-based Bridge Quartet is a group of hard-swinging musical daredevils who play with ultra-modern sensibilities. The ensemble consists of drummer Alan Jones, pianist Darrell Grant, bassist Tom Wakeling and Canadian saxophonist Phil Dwyer. Their debut release, Day, contains fresh takes on well-worn standards like "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "Where or When" and "Milestones," along with enticing original material.
With an... read more
Eddie Allen and PUSH - The Rhythm
by Terrell K. Holmes, The New York City Jazz Record
Eddie Allen's top-flight band Push—Allen (trumpet), Jon Beshay (tenor), Misha Tsiganov (keyboards), Tyler Bullock II (piano), Kenny Davis (bass), EJ Strickland (drums) and guest Steve Turre (trombone)—really brings it on The Rhythm, an energetic album that displays the leader's formidable skills as producer, arranger and composer.
The Afro-Cuban inflected title track exemplifies how Allen adeptly manipulates rhythm, making it flexible in... read more
Bobby Broom - Bobby Broom Plays for Monk
by Brian McCoy, Oakland Examiner
Bobby Broom was just a teenager when he became enamored with jazz, but even then he figured he'd started too late.
As the Chicago-based guitarist explains in the interview below, he realized even in 1976 that ? human mortality being what it is ? it would be years before he acquired the chops needed to play with his be bop heroes. How many would still be around when Broom was ready?
An impressive percentage, as it turned out. And Broom has made... read more
Mark Taylor - Spectre
by Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Fresh off a regional "best instrumentalist" award, sax virtuoso Mark Taylor returned to bandleader efforts with 2009's Spectre, a romp through a fair set of originals. Most compositions here come directly from Taylor's pen, but there are a few additional items -- two contributions from pianist Gary Fukushima and one from bassist Jeff Johnson, and one entry from Jim Knapp, a big-band leader with whom Taylor had been keeping busy over the course... read more
Piet Verbist Zygomatik - Cattitude
by Pierre Dulieu, Dragonjazz (Belgium)
Cattitude, the title of the first track that gives its name to the album, lays the foundation for this music. The rhythm section, with leader and composer Piet Verbist slappin' the bass like a flag in the wind and drummer Herman Pardon, is fanning the embers from the start of a jazz-soul-funk fire which will soon ignite. After the exposition of a neo hard-bop theme as visceral as sophisticated, it is Bram Weijters who guides his... read more
Shawn Purcell - 180
by C. Michael Bailey, Wild Mercury Rhythm
Dr. Shawn Purcell, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a jazz guitarist, educator, arranger, and composer living in the Washington DC region. Purcell earned a BS from Duquesne University, an MA in Music from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He managed to do this after a career in the US Air force where he performed with a number of... read more
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