Origin Records Reviews



Joachim Mencel - Brooklyn Eye
by Dionizy Piątkowski, Era Jazzu (Poland)

Joachim Mencel is an experienced pianist and composer, a respected arranger and producer of vocal music. But he is also the author of many interesting music projects, the most important of which is certainly the jazz cantata "Love explained everything to me" (for jazz combo, string orchestra, boys' choir and soloists), cooperation with the English violinist Nigel Kennedy, concerts with the American clarinetist Brad Terry. The original projects... read more

Jared Hall - Hometown
by Thierry de Clemensat, Paris-Move

5 STARS

Hometown - Jared Hall's Intimate Cartography of Sound

A monochrome album cover sets the tone: understated, almost austere, yet quietly evocative. From the very first notes, the trumpet enters not as a declaration but as an invitation, its sound warm, deliberate, and imbued with a sense of modernity that feels rooted as much in ideas as in tone. It is the kind of opening that lends itself perfectly to the... read more

Benjamin Boone | Philip Levine - The Poetry of Jazz
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

Poetry is delivered in a variety of bohemian settings as saxist Benjamin Boone teams up with a rotating rhythm team as well as guests on this clever and Beat Generation session of the 21st Century. Craig Von Berg contributes Vince Guaraldi-styled piano for "Making Light of It" while cool bop tones are formed for Levine on "Gin." Chris Potter brings his warm tenor for some bop flavored narration on the sleek "The Unknowable" with Branford... read more

Harvie S - Bright Dawn
by James Gavin, JazzTimes

Throughout his five decades in jazz, bassist Harvie S has grown from a solid, swinging timekeeper into a musician who has earned his place in the foreground. Like his key inspiration, Bill Evans's early bassist Scott LaFaro, he has turned the bass into a melodic instrument, full of expressive possibilities. He colors his sweet tone with slides, growls, wit and drama, while phrasing like a singer: a flair he absorbed, no doubt, from his long duo... read more

The Spin Quartet - In Circles
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

The post bop quartet of Chad McCullough/tp-fh, Geof Bradfield/sax, Clark Sommers/b and Kobie Watkins/dr do some impressive work with clever and sophisticate originals. Without a piano as a safety net, the two horns weave in and out of unison like a high wire act, almost but never quite falling over as Sommers keeps things together on "Little Marionette" and "Simple Song." A hint of "All Blues" supplies the base for a yearning... read more

Shawn Purcell - Oblivity
by Jeff Becker, Jazz Sensibilities

Shawn Purcell's Oblivity is a natural continuation of his previous work and a marked expansion of his compositional vision. Having long established himself as a first-call guitarist in Washington, D.C. and beyond, Purcell now offers a set of ten originals that frame his artistry with clarity. The elegance of Purcell's writing, the fluency of his playing, and the intuitive chemistry of a first-rate ensemble make this album a true find.

At the... read more

Les DeMerle - Cookin' At The Corner, Volume 2
by Edward Blanco, All About Jazz

On November 11 and 12, 2005 drummer Les DeMerle and his band recorded a two-session live performance at The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, South Carolina, producing his fourth and fifth recordings, Cookin' at the Corner, Volume One and Volume Two for Origin Records. Recording a total of thirty songs, Volume Two represents the second half of this project.

As with the first session, this follow-up release features vocalist and wife, Bonnie... read more

Corey Christiansen - Dusk
by Chris Spector, Midwest Record

The guitar man takes a steep left turn here as he wraps up his jazzy Americana trilogy with original tunes that seem to take smooth/summer jazz into some dark corners where there's a jazzy impression of southern gothic lurking around the next turn. There's a solid little history of modern jazz here lurking in the twists and turns that gives it the extra special sauce that really brings it together. Sharp, original work that grabs the... read more

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