Too often, the Jazz press laments the lack of mentorship in Jazz, with too many musicians coming right out of the conservatory without continuing oversight from more seasoned musicians. While the youngish 40 year old Cuong Vu might seem an unlikely "Jazz Elder," various playing experiences with the likes of many cutting-edge New York City groups, as well as big names like Pat Metheny or Laurie Anderson, seem to have prepared him for this course.... read more
I hesitate in using the word clever when talking about the music most of the time because it can be interpreted as something cynical or sneaky but in the case of "Essence Of Green" I'll use it in a very positive way.
As a "tribute" release it could have easily fallen into the predictable trap of taking "Kind Of Blue" material and changing a chord here or a rhythm there making it a weak attempt at bringing new life into overly used material... read more
Ever since the late 1960s, Portland bassist and composer David Friesen has been an important part of jazz in the Pacific Northwest. He cut his teeth in Seattle's avant-garde coffee house scene, a period he documented recently in another two disc set titled "..." In the 1970s, often in company with guitarist John Stowell, Friesen pioneered an approach that came to be called New Age music, as did another Friesen associate in those years,... read more
The Grammy-nominated arranger makes bank working with A-list pop stars (Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Michael Bublé), but his passion's his swinging, 18-piece big band. They give Leonard Bernstein's "I Can Cook Too" a hard jump-blues snap, and make Wonder's "Sir Duke" and Hank Williams' "Hey Good Looking" swing with joy, while Tierney Sutton (one of six vocalists) adds resigned luster to the Frank Sinatra chestnut "Only the... read more
Although they sport one of those old-school jazz combo names that makes them sound like the sort of fusty, hidebound corporation that underwrites political-affairs roundtables on PBS ("This program is made possible by a grant from the Deardorf Peterson Group"), the Deardorf Peterson Group are at least as musically with it as hipper-named acts like the Bad Plus and E.S.T. (aka the Esbj�rn Svensson Trio). Though the Deardorf Peterson Group start... read more
Los Angeles saxophonist Kim Richmond's album Refractions involves a full orchestra of players and that was done for the orchestral effect rather than the big band idiom you would usually expect. Richmond likes to blend concepts from the classical realm with those from the jazz realm, and full classical orchestration is one part of that. The main thrust of this idea is to provide for a deeper, more cinematic sound that is capable of conveying the... read more
JazzTimes Track Premier Locke is joined on "Subtle Disguise" by guitarist Adam Rogers, keyboardist Jim Ridl, bassist Lorin Cohen, and drummer Samvel Sarkisyan. Elsewhere on the album, there are appearances by guitarist/singer Raul Midón, alto saxophonist David Binney, and singer Alina Engibaryan. Seven of the album's nine tracks, including the title cut, are originals; the two remaining songs are Bob Dylan's "Who Killed Davey Moore?"... read more
****
Ambivalence and shadowplay suffuse this intriguing album by Seattle-based piano guru Anschell. Jeff Coffin's querulous soprano saxophone launches the medium-tempo title track, one of the most conversational on this engaging CD. The soloists vary, but the qualities of surprise and confidence always figure here. In addition to originals spanning the piquant "Heisenberg's Fugue State" and "39F," a tricky exercise verging on pop,... read more
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.
Maddie Vogler - While We Have Time
by Editor, Bman's Blues Report
Alon Farber Hagiga with Dave Douglas - The Magician: Live in Jerusalem
by Jim Motavalli, The New York City Jazz Record
John Bishop - Antwerp
by Dorothea Gangel, Jazz'N'More (Switzerland)
Benjamin Boone - Caught in the Rhythm
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Last Word Quintet - Falling to Earth
by Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
Martin Budde - Back Burner
by Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz'halo (Belgium)
John La Barbera Big Band - Grooveyard
by Tom Haugen, Take Effect
Martin Budde - Back Burner
by Paul Rauch, All About Jazz
Alon Farber Hagiga with Dave Douglas - The Magician: Live in Jerusalem
by Dan Ouellette, Jazz & Beyond Intel
John Bishop - Antwerp
by Ed Sapiega, Jazz Views (UK)