Origin Suite

The Origin Suite is inspired by three paintings of Cuban artist Wifredo Lam

composed by Jimi Tunnell, Mouzon is dedicated to drummer Alphonse Mouzon

After the success of Michael Waldrop's Time Within Itself CD, he decided to approach Origin Records to do a second CD. They agreed and this time a wider set of music was used though still employing Jack Cooper as the primary writer and arranger for the new project. Another substantial grant ($10,000) was obtained by Waldrop from Eastern Washington University to doing a CD.

The Origin Suite (title work) is inspired by three paintings by artist Wifredo Lam: La Jungla, Nativité, Al Final De La Noche. Lam's paintings are primitive and earthy in approach and draw on Caribbean and Central African themes related to Santería and Cuban Vodú culture.

• January 11, 2016 (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8), Crystal Clear Sound, Dallas, TX
• Summer 2016 (track 7), Buffalo Sound, Denton, TX
• June 2016 (tracks 4 and 10), SkyMuse Studios, Seattle, WA
• September 2016 (tracks 9 and 11), Ice Station Zebra, Seattle, WA
• August 2010 (track 12), KillZone Studios, Los Angeles, CA

The Origin Suite CD got its first promotion with the "Track of The Day" feature with All About Jazz. The track La Jungla was given 3.5 of 5 stars by reviewer Fiona Ord-Shrimpton.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
All About Jazz	Track of the Day[3] [4] [5]
Cadence	Favorable[6]
Midwest Record	Highly favorable[7]
Jazz Reader	[8]
Soul and Jazz	Featured album of the week[9]
Jazz Journal	[2]
Jazzenzo	Highly favorable[10]
Jazz Weekly	Highly favorable[11]
Modern Drummer	Highly favorable[12]

"We’ve been blessed of late to have some fantastic contemporary big band/large ensemble recordings, with new compositions and fresh arrangements. The Michael Waldrop Big Band is amongst them."

Dr. Brad Stone Producer
Award winning Progammer and Host
“The Creative Source” SoulandJazz.com

"Michael Waldrop's Origin Suite provides an interesting and exciting journey in listening. A dynamic drummer, Michael is also amongst the ever-growing list of drummers who also compose. His compositions are arranged and conducted beautifully by Jack Cooper and Gerald Stockton and the band is comprised of first-rate players."

Richard DeRosa
Director of Jazz Composition and Arranging UNT

"Acclaimed percussionist, composer, and bandleader Michael Waldrop delivers a magnificent, eclectic, and intrepid album with Origin Suite. This union of timbres and textures, solos and styles has become the hallmark sound of Waldrop, whose music has come to define modern jazz, both honoring traditions and forging new ones. He is that rare triple threat: master composer, thoughtful arranger, and virtuosic performer. He belongs in the pantheon of best big band leaders."

Kabir Sehgal
Multi-Grammy & Latin Grammy Award winning producer
New York Times bestselling author

"MICHAEL WALDROP [drm/vib] is another artist with past ties to North Texas State and his big band is not traditional as displayed on ORIGIN SUITE. Recorded at various times from August 2010 though July 2017 presented here are a dozen originals mostly by Waldrop. There are also moments for small groupings. Purists will be set off by the lack of continuity in style and manner of the CD, that said, the various styles employed work well. The main influence seems to be Weather Report with its high energy rhythm and electrified pinning. Waldrop picks from a pool of over 25 musicians, uses overdubbing and there is an occasionally use of voice as sweetening to the compositions.

Bob Rausch, Cadence

• Origin Records
• Michael Waldrop
• Jack Cooper
• Marc Secara
• List of jazz arrangers

• Origin Suite at AllMusic
• Origin Suite at Discogs
• Origin Suite at MusicBrainz
• Origin Suite at Origin Records
• Origin Suite on YouTube
• OCLC 1014344356
• Michael Waldrop's website