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Jazz Articles about Kerry Politzer

About Kerry Politzer

433

Album Review

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Blue in Blue

Read "Blue in Blue" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
August 15, 2010

Two of the most enduring and popular ensemble set-ups in jazz are the piano trio--piano/bass/drums--and the piano trio, with a saxophone joining in. Pianist Kerry Politzer combines formats on Blue in Blue, with six tunes featuring her trio and four more with guest saxophonist Donny McCaslin.While You Took Me In (Polisonic Records, 2007) featured Politzer in a more pop-leaning mood, Blue in Blue finds her back in mainstream jazz land, sculpting a sound that mixes up piano influences ...

376

Take Five With...

Take Five With Kerry Politzer

by AAJ Staff
July 15, 2010

Meet Kerry Politzer: I started out as a classical pianist, went over to jazz and Brazilian music, and am now exploring the world of vocals and lyrics. I've released three jazz albums: Yearning, Watercolor and Labyrinth; and one jazz-pop album, You Took Me In. Labyrinth was a finalist in the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards, and its first track, “Rhodes Rage," won Best Jazz Category, Third Prize in the 2005 International Songwriting Competition. Instruments: Piano, vocals. ...

314

Album Review

Kerry Politzer: You Took Me

Read "You Took Me" reviewed by Virginia A. Schaefer

by Virginia A. Schaefer
February 19, 2008

Following her three releases as a jazz pianist who composes much of her material, Kerry Politzer steps out as a singer-songwriter with You Took Me In. As well as performing all the vocals, she plays piano with the band, which consists entirely of jazz musicians. Although the turn from jazz piano to pop-oriented song may seem surprising, Politzer has actually been active as a singer-songwriter for several years, and has received awards in songwriting competitions. On the ...

Album Review

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

by AAJ Italy Staff
April 12, 2006

Labyrinth è il terzo album di Kerry Politzer, giovane pianista e compositrice che gode di una certa popolarità sulle scene newyorkesi, e che esordì come leader nel 2001, con Yearning. Il repertorio del disco si basa prevalentemente sulla samba up tempo, prendendo tuttavia in considerazione le composizioni in tre quarti (come “Falling Through the Cracks"), quelle in cinque (che nel CD sono ben due, “Paloma" e “Hya"), le ballad (ne è un bell’esempio “The End-), e il walking bass in ...

146

Album Review

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

Read "Labyrinth" reviewed by Ken Franckling

by Ken Franckling
December 1, 2005

Over the past few years, New England Conservatory graduate Kerry Politzer has emerged as one of the more interesting younger composers on the New York jazz scene. She leads a modern jazz trio and a Brazilian repertoire quartet to showcase her compositions. Labyrinth is her third release since 1999 and it draws from the best of those intersecting worlds: modern jazz with a Brazilian undercurrent. It's all original, often multi-layered material. Politzer is joined on this session by ...

159

Album Review

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

Read "Labyrinth" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone

by Michael P. Gladstone
October 11, 2005

The press release accompanying pianist/composer Kerry Politzer's third album professes her love of Brazilian music and straight-ahead jazz. We certainly hear some good examples of her approach to samba, but most of this album is squarely in the category of well developed mainstream jazz in a trio and quartet setting. Politzer is joined by Andrew Rathbun, dividing his time on tenor and soprano sax on half of this album, plus bassist Chris Higgins and drummer George Colligan. (Colligan is perhaps ...

166

Album Review

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

Read "Labyrinth" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
October 5, 2005

Pianist/composer Kerry Politzer's third CD as a leader, Labyrinth, is described as a set of “Brazilian and jazz" originals. For this listener, the word “Brazilian" evokes lilting rhythms and gentle melodies, but the disc's opener, “Rhodes Rage," a fast samba, has more rage than gentleness. The tune proves itself a high-octane cooker, featuring Andrew Rathbun on tenor saxophone playing with some fiery swing. Politzer's solo--an extension of her sharp-edged opening--is an intricate, propulsive, percussive interlude, beautiful in an in-your-face fashion, ...