Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Clipper Anderson - Ballad of the Sad Young Men
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Ballad of the Sad Young Men: In which we find the piano jazz trio amiably recreated as a cabaret act with the singing bass payer at the wheel. Digging into the oldies vocal canon and blowing off all the obvious choices for some more daring and overlooked picks, the sum total is a grand set of sophisticated listening by one of those rare male vocalists that doesn't feel the need to ape Robert Goulet or Tony Bennett. There isn't a false note in... read more
Tom Rizzo - Day and Night
by Rick Anderson, CD Hotlist
The arranging is a star feature on this album as well, though in this case the ten-piece ensemble is led by guitarist/composer Tom Rizzo. (The arranger is trombonist Nick Lane, who also plays on the session.) The program consists of a few originals but focuses on standards like "So In Love" and Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes," with a few curveballs thrown in: a slightly noirish version of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City," a swamp-funk... read more
Ben Black - Mystery & Wonder
by Chris Spector, Midwest Review
So, let's suppose for a minute that Mark Murphy had a big Zen streak running through him. Then suppose he wrote inspirational lyrics that seems to have been run through a soul/jazz translator. You feel me? Certainly not our usual genre splicing flow, this is a natch for adult listeners looking for music that matter for people who care ™. Well... read more
Sam Yahel - From Sun to Sun
by John Barron, The Jazz Word
Perhaps best known as a modern purveyor of the Hammond B3 organ, Sam Yahel is no slouch as a pianist. His latest release for Seattle's Origin Records, From Sun to Sun is a stunning example of a forward-thinking piano trio, emphasizing fresh, compositional nuances with deep-in-the-pocket grooves.
Bassist Matt Penman and drummer Jochen Rueckert create an infectious ruckus with tight interaction that at times comes across as nothing short of... read more
Mimi Fox with Greta Matassa - Two For The Road
by Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
This live set is shared by guitarist Mimi Fox and singer Greta Matassa, a combination that works together quite well. Matassa mostly performs a variety of standards (other than Fox's "You're No Angel"), and both swings and uplifts the material. A fine jazz singer, her improvising pays respect to the songs but contains its surprising moments. Fox, who heads the five-piece "backup group" (which also includes pianist Randy Halberstadt) and is... read more
Chad McCullough Bram Weijters - Urban Nightingale
by Herman te Loo, Jazzflits- Netherlands
The title of this second CD by the Bram Weijters / Chad McCullough Quartet is well chosen. The melodies that the Belgian pianist and American trumpeter have written are sweet-toned like a nightingale. But they are embedded in a contemporary urban context. The two leaders are sometimes shamelessly romantic, like the melody of 'Love Song' or 'Downtime', giving the immediately appealing charm of a pop song. But the successor of "Imaginary... read more
Dan McCarthy - City Abstract
by Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
4-STARS The concept of homecoming is inextricably linked to the music that Dan McCarthy presents on City Abstract. Recorded in May of 2019, shortly after he had returned to his native Toronto after fifteen years in New York, this date finds the vibraphonist bowing to two of his biggest influences: pianist Carla Bley and vibraphonist Gary Burton. Those lodestars provide solid inspiration and clear direction for McCarthy, who works his way... read more
Joe Locke - Force of Four
by John Kelman, All About Jazz
Joe Locke couldn't have picked a better name for Force of Four. While not as overtly plugged in as the potent, near fusion-esque Live in Seattle (Origin, 2006) with his Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group, it's an equally electrifying date that revisits the same format?vibes, piano, bass and drums?but with an all-new line-up.
It's taken time for critics and fans to catch up, but with Down Beat's Talent Deserving Wider Recognition nod, the Jazz... read more
Looking for a specific review?
This is just a small collection of the Origin Records reviews. Click here to view all reviews or try to Search for your favorite CD title.
Search Reviews:
Recently Added Reviews:
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Hanna Kay, Cult News (Paris)
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Budapest, Rudolf Radnai
Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Jared Hall - Hometown
by Dee Dee McNeil, Making A Scene
Affinity Trio - New Outlook
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Michael Dease Big Band - Return Trajectory
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
by Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move
Maja Jaku - Blessed & Bewitched
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect