Browse some recent Origin Reviews.
Affinity Trio - Hindsight
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
The trio of Eric Jacobson, Pamela York and Clay Schaub, as Affinity Trio the midwest outfit pen a timeless version of jazz that spreads out across 10 diverse tracks. The vivid trumpet from Jacobson and warm keys from York opens the listen with the glowing "Open Windows", and "Fitzroy" continues the dynamic interaction with soulful brass and well timed bass lines. Halfway through, "Themes For Ernie" focuses much on the emotive horn and twinkling... read more
Corey Christiansen - Outlaw Tractor
by Larry Hollis, Cadence Magazine
Those who enjoyed Corey Christiansen's previous outing (Roll With It) will not be disappointed with Outlaw Tractor since it retains the same case and quartet format. The all-originals tune list doesn't veer off course either with a balanced baker's half-dozen of selections that provide just enough substance for the principal soloists (Christiansen, Halliday, and Bianchi) to dig into and get their hands dirty. While the leader and hornman... read more
Keigo Hirakawa - Pixel
by D.W. Long, Notes on the Beat
A pixel. The smallest addressable unit that can be manipulated by software. It's apt - and slightly ironic - that a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who is also a vastly talented pianist, would choose the word for the title of his latest quintet release. The irony is two-fold: First, for most part, this is an acoustic project. Outside of guitarist Brandon Scott Campbell, all the musicians play acoustic instruments. So... read more
Affinity Trio - Hindsight
by Michael van Gee, Jazz'n'More (Switzerland)
Trios consisting of trumpet, piano and bass are rare, which is why the line-up of the band Affinity Trio makes you sit up and take notice. This also applies to the music, a mix of originals and rare jazz standards. The debut album, recorded in Chicago, allows intimate insights into making music together, in which all three musicians--trumpeter Eric Jacobson, Pamela York on piano and Clay Schaub on double bass--are always responsible for rhythmic... read more
David Weiss Sextet - Auteur
by Phil Freeman, The New York City Jazz Record
Trumpeter David Weiss usually builds a band to accomplish a particular musical task. Point Of Departure, a brilliant early-2000s quintet interpreted the music of Andrew Hill, late '60s mostly pre-electric Miles Davis, and underappreciated Detroit keyboardist Kenny Cox. His long-running all-star septet, The Cookers, featuring titans such as Eddie Henderson, Billy Harper (more recently Craig Handy and Azar Lawrence), George Cables, Cecil McBee and... read more
Charlie Ballantine - East by Midwest
by Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
4 STARS
A bracing guitar/bass/drums trio outing from guitarist Charlie Ballantine, East by Midwest, sounds as if it was recorded in a large, high-ceilinged warehouse with a cement floor, that floor buffed into the next dimension to a high polish, this giving the music a beautiful resonance. Retro? Think Link Wray or Dick Dale and The Deltones. Modernistic? Think John Abercrombie on some of his early ECM Records efforts. Or... read more
Ben Patterson - The Way of the Groove
by Luca D'Alessandro, Jazz'N'More (Switzerland)
The title delivers what it promises: a generous portion of groove that hits you from the very first bar. Indeed, Ben Patterson's search for the perfect groove was his goal when producing the album: "What is groove?" asks the bandleader in the description, and immediately offers a suggested answer: "Groove is essentially a study, a discipline, and an art that transcends style. It's a way of communicating..." Patterson is inspired by genres such... read more
Chris Walden Big Band - Home Of My Heart
by Adam Greenburg, All Music Guide
A young big band conductor. A rarity to be sure, but not necessarily an oxymoron. Chris Walden proves that in this album, a surprisingly versatile primer of the big band. Walden can use traditional techniques, with a soloist over the top of a soft backing of horns, as you'll hear in the Christopher Cross-penned "Rainy Day in Vancouver," as well as his own Film Noir series. He can invoke the spirit of Tadd Dameron's bop big bands, which you'll... read more
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