Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Dan Cray - Meridies
by Darryl Daniels, The Jazz Page
On his latest, Meridies, pianist Dan Cray provides a fantastic portrait of contemporary quartet of musicians at work. Cray is joined by a terrific group comprised of Noah Preminger on saxophone, Clark Sommers on bass and Mark Ferber on drums, all whom provide solid musicianship in their respective chairs. The four musicians swing quite nicely on the uptempo tunes, and have a great sound on ballads as well. The recording is also a tremendous... read more
Jon Hamar - Hymn
by Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz
Seattle bassist Jon Hamar's third release as a leader is an intimate and collaborative effort. The textured harmonies with hints of western Classical influences that are heard on his prior CDs have further matured on Hymn, thanks, in no small part, to his choice of sidemen.
Reed multi-instrumentalist Todd DelGiudice (a past collaborator who sticks to alto throughout this record) takes an approach inspired by saxophonist Charlie Parker on the... read more
Anthony Branker & Other Ways of Knowing - Manifestations of a Diasporic Groove & Spirit
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4-STARS At the time of this writing (early 2026), the United States is beset by an odious president, a racist sociopath who seems hellbent on erasing all references to achievement or success of anyone of African descent—leaving aside that we are all of African descent; but some made the relocation to North America involuntarily.
Stubborn resistance and unvarnished artistic statement—shoulders pulled back, chins jutting... read more
Dann Zinn - Day of Reckoning
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Recorded as a farewell to Fantasy Studios, sax man Zinn and his pals recorded pretty much live off the floor capturing their vibes as well as the sounds that passed through those doors (even if some of them were recorded by Van Gelder on the other side of the country). These originals are all about energy and heart, both of which are delivered by the truck load. Smoking mainstream stuff that gives you a great view of a cat that just keeps... read more
Matt Jorgensen + 451 - Another Morning
by Thomas R. Erdmann, www.jazzreview.com
Drummer/percussionist Matt Jorgensen's regular band releases this disc, Another Morning, their fourth studio recording on the Origin label. The longtime band mates, (Mark Taylor ? saxophone, Ryan Burns ? Fender Rhodes, Phil Sparks ? bass) are joined by trumpeter Thomas Marriott on three cuts and guitarist Jason Goessl on two. Jorgensen's background includes studying with Kenny Washington at the New School for Social Research in New York City,... read more
Randy Halberstadt - Open Heart
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
41 years a teacher and he can still hit the ivories in late night/after hours fashion. A jazzbo to the core, he took his time getting this set together, from the writing to finding the right players, and if this is OCD, it has useful applications. Or it could just be strict attention to detail, so much so that it can make structure swing sounding spontaneous. Whatever, it's a smoking date that delivers the goods mightily. A tasty workout... read more
Sam Yahel - Truth And Beauty
by Matt Collar, Allmusic Guide Interview
From Jimmy Smith to Dr. Lonnie Smith, Larry Young and beyond the Hammond B-3 organ has a long and funky tradition in jazz. Taking this tradition to the next level is NYC-based keyboardist Sam Yahel. From his stellar work with such varied artists as singer-songwriter Norah Jones, trumpeter Ryan Kisor, vocalist Madeleine Peyroux and others Yahel is bringing a fresh sound to organ-based music. Recently, AMG's Matt Collar spoke with Yahel about his... read more
Gary Hobbs - Of My Times
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Of My Times has intriguing arrangements by drummer Gary Hobbs that keep the music quite unpredictable. Some selections utilize electronics while others are more straight-ahead. Among the highlights are "Fever" which has an effective vocal by Britta Hobbs and uses an atmospheric bass clarinet, "Hades Ladies," which is reminiscent of early fusion and has Marc Seales playing Fender Rhodes electric piano, and a fairly straightforward "Besame Mucho"... read more
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