Kerry Politzer: Alternate Route

Pianist Kerry Politzer had released eight albums before Alternate Route (Whirlwind, 2025), though to many jazz listeners they essentially flew under the radar. Politzer is a Portland, Oregon-based musician on the faculty at the esteemed jazz studies program at Portland State. With this, her ninth offering, more attention and accolades are bound to come her way. The album of ten original compositions not only lends a strong focus on her adept compositional and instrumental skills, it also welcomes in a formidable cast to assist the effort. 

At the core of the session is the triad formed in the rhythm section by Politzer, bassist Alexander Claffy and drummer George Colligan—that's right, one of the premier pianists in jazz is also a fine drummer. Whether slipping into a Brazilian groove on the opener, "Before It's Too Late," or swinging on the follow-up, "Here We Go Again," the rhythm section burns on precise and sometimes subtle terms. Colligan's intricate snare work, Claffy's always swinging persona and Politzer's highly advanced sense of harmony embellish the melodic aspects of the pianist's original tunes throughout a recording that is decorated with inspired solo work. Add saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and you have a very satisfying session that comes off unforced, spontaneous, with value placed directly in the moment and nowhere else. In other words, while Politzer's tunes are clearly carefully crafted, the studio session that produced this recording is a bit off the leash so to say—and that's a good thing.   

Rosenwinkel is tapped to play the melody on the opener and the sparkling "Watercolor," giving the tunes a definitive vibe that one would typically assign to the guitarist—modern, eclectic, seeking the edge while speaking out from a place rooted in jazz tradition. Shaw carries the melodic lead on "Storm Warning," entering the fray on alto. Politzer's bouncy, dynamic solo dances between Claffy's playful undercurrent and Colligan's intuitive subtleties. The leader clearly is reveling in being a part of a stellar band, allowing her artistic self to be expressed through the vehicle of her compositions, while reminding us on no uncertain terms of her own instrumental prowess within this stellar gathering.   

The title track is full on quintet, with Rosenwinkel offering a scathing solo, adeptly handing the baton to Shaw for the next leg of this swinging top of the arc track within ten splendid tunes. Claffy's earthy, fibrous tone is clear during a short, to-the-point solo, and as is the case throughout the album, in his support of his bandmates. His sense of swing is very New York, perhaps emblematic of the east-west bounce in the life history of Politzer and her life partner in Colligan. While Politzer's colorful sense of melody and advanced understanding of harmony has its seemingly west coast sensibility, there is a definitive edge to this recording that reflects the modern focal point of jazz in Gotham.   

The album's out piece, "Tara," is a lovely homage to a friend. It communicates the constant of eternity, the undefinable place where things neither begin or end, where beauty is the only logical part of life to hold onto. In itself, it may allow the jazz public on an international scale to understand more clearly, a gem that sparkles in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

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