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Kerry Politzer: Diagonal

By Dan McClenaghan
August 28, 2019
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Portland, Oregon-based pianist

Kerry Politzer

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Kerry Politzer has a thing for bossa nova. Her immersion into sounds from Brazil comes into full blossom with her sixth album, Diagonal.

Brazil's bossa nova sound came to world wide attention initially via the music from saxophonist

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz on Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962), followed by early 1960s recordings from

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim,

Joao Gilberto

vocals
1931 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Joao Gilberto, and guitarist

Charlie Byrd

guitar
1925 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Byrd. The popularity of the sound remains strong nearly seventy years beyond its initial introduction, due to practitioners like Politzer.

Diagonal isn't a typical mix of the favorites—Jobim and Giberto. Instead Politzer embraces the music of guitarist/composer Durvel Ferreira (1935-2007), who, in his heyday, had his tunes covered by the likes of saxophonists Cannonball Adderley and Stan Getz, vocalist Sarah Vaughn and flutist

Herbie Mann

flute
1930 - 2003

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Mann.

Politzer and her band are masterful in their interpretations, playing a smooth-flowing stream of authentic bossa nova, along with three Politzer originals composed in Durvel's bebop-meets-bossa style, including a sizzling "O Gato" that gives off a good deal more heat than what might be expected from the tradition. The majority of the album is instrumental, with some of Politzer's beautifully done vocals slipped into the mix: a gorgeous take on Durvel's "Moca Flor," in Portugese, and "The Day It Rained," in a hushed and soothing English.

Politzer has crafted all of the arrangements, perfectly. Diagonal can sit proudly on the shelf beside Getz/Gilberto (Verve, 1963), and would hold its own on the radio with Astrud Gilberto singing "The Girl from Ipanema."

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Track Listing

S?o Salvador; Chorinho No. 2; The Day It Rained; Diagonal; O Gato; Mo?a Flor; Batida Diferente; Tema Pro Durval; E Nada Mais; Clich��; Estamos A��.

Personnel

Kerry Politzer

piano

Kerry Politzer: piano, vocals; John Nastos: saxophone, flute, clarinet; Ben Graves: guitar; Tim Carey: bass; George Colligan: drums; Simon Lucas: percussion.

Album information

Title: Diagonal | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Self Produced

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