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Kerry Politzer's "Below the Surface"; She's What We Have Been Missing

7/30/2014

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I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised. I am also ashamed to admit that I have not heard Kerry Politzer until this—her sixth—album. What I have missed!

She moved to Portland, OR a few years ago and now serves as an adjunct professor at Portland State University. In Portland, she has come to know, to appreciate and to perform with some of that city’s great musicians. Some of those appear on this album.

“Below the Surface” brings to bear the talents of Politzer herself on piano, the talented David Valdez on alto sax, Thomas Barber on trumpet, Andrea Niemiec on bass and George Colligan on drums. Colligan is also Politzer’s husband and I admit to a small bit of concern that Polizer might sound “too close to Colligan.”

 I have written several articles and reviews on Colligan’s albums. From the first notes of the first track, however, the only “Colligan sound” was coming from the drums—drums that he was playing.

The compositions were all by Politzer. I like her voice, her rhythmic sense, her depth and her ever-so-slight melancholy. She is skilled and she is deliberate.

PictureKerry Politzer
“Two Worlds” is the opening piece and it contains all of that plus some cool changes and masterful performances from all of the musicians. David Valdez on alto sax gets a quick jump into the piece. I have been an admirer of Valdez since I first saw him perform with George Colligan’s Quartet a few years ago. Valdez, like Colligan, is a brilliant blogger (davidvaldez.blogspot.com) who writes great pieces on jazz and jazz theory. Valdez can project power and emotional on an equal scale with anyone.

Thomas Barber is the perfect horn-mate for Valdez. Barber has beautiful tonality and a punctuating hit that is excellent for Politzer’s purposes. He can create a seduction usually reserved for the sax.

“Dilemma” follows next and is a fine piece for the horns. Andreas Niemiec’s bass lines, however, are fascinating and work well beneath the horns and piano. The piece almost evokes images of a 60s detective dram or maybe even as an alternate soundtrack for “The Maltese Falcon.” Certainly, there is a dark, cool movement her and I dig it.

Politzer’s solos are beautiful and imaginative. She has been called “post-bop” and perhaps that that fits as well as any description. However, she also reveals a Brazilian taste in touch and tempo in the third track, “Moment of Clarity.”

PictureDavid Valdez
In that song, George Colligan turns in some of his very best work, as does Niemiec. Valdez cooks right alongside Politzer’s warm but lively piano.

This is top-shelf Jazz going on here. The composition is exquisite and the performers are flawless. I must have hit replay eight or ten times. When I got to the next track though, I was equally delighted.

“Below the Surface,” the title track, didn’t surprise me. Three tracks had already prepared me for the exciting world of listening to Kerry Politzer. I had moved past expectation and was now in the splendid state of expectancy.

“Below the Surface” is Thomas Barber’s limelight track. His legato blasts in step with Valdez are in sweet counterpoint to the short groove laid down by piano, bass and drums. Barber then departs into a soulful lead that is soon followed by Valdez’ equally soulful sax, all on top of that returning groove.

This is one of the coolest pieces on the album with one of the album’s sweetest swings.

PictureThomas Barber
As lyrical as the title suggests, “Meandering” again shows Valdez leading with splendid form and and texture until Politzer takes the lead at 2:10 with spot-on support from Niemiec and Colligan. Niemiec gets a solo shot and makes her melodic most of it. Valdez returns to hold the door until the group exits.

Raised in a musical family and beginning musical instruction at the age of four, Politzer received training as a classical musician until attending the New England Conservatory of Music. It was there that she discovered her love for Jazz.

She credits much of her Jazz training to Charlie Banacos and this is evident on every track. It is especially notable in her own unspoken spiritual approach to the music. She is not only gifted, she is blessed.

“Empty House” has a distinct samba feel to it. Politzer’s Brazilan textures are definitely on display here.  Valdez and Barber are in tight tandem and Colligan keeps the proceedings lively, setting up Barber’s seductively slurring solo lines.

Politzer’s solo is an excursion into virtuosic, percussive and energetic coolness. She and Colligan carry the track to its conclusion with Niemiec’s bass holding down the corners.


PictureAndrea Niemiec
The seventh track of the album is “Second Thoughts.” Valdez gets prime time again and employs fine intonations and inventions as the group lays a solid foundation for the solos.

Politzer gets (and takes) her turn in a satisfying solo that, in turn, gives way to Niemiec’s bass. The unified departure closes out nicely. What her second thoughts may have been, Politzer approaches this piece with single-minded determination.

Kerry Politzer’s shining piano moments may well be on “Echo Says.”  There are moments of real introspection and reflection in this piano, bass and drums composition. There is also a brilliance and a wonder that follows the composition and performance. The word reverence even comes to mind in the hearing of this piece.

Despite different flavorings in the various pieces, Politzer has put together an album of great cohesion. Part of that may be due to having the same musicians throughout the album instead of different guest artists on every track. Surely the compositions are tightly and straightforwardly Jazz. The result is a tightly-knit group playing interlaced pieces that simply belong together.

PictureGeorge Colligan
“If You Knew” is no exception. The evident swing and pulse is heightened by Politzer’s interaction with Colligan behind Valdez’ fronting. That swing surges to the fore as Politzer solos.

Then, at 3:30, Colligan gets the long-awaited solo. Colligan was a drummer before becoming a pianist and he puts it all on show for two minutes and 22 seconds. The memorable melody is resumed and carried away by the group.

“In Spring” is the final track. At 1:53 it is also the shortest track by far. Politzer takes this moment for her solo piano to weave a meditative and melancholic piece. The chords are almost haunting while the melodic approach is much lighter, almost hopeful. It is a perfect farewell piece until we see her again.

Politzer is anything but predictable. Her composing is intelligent and intriguing. Her performance, as stated, is flawless. Her music sings, dances and strikes yoga poses. She touches everything. My only regret is that I have not been along for the ride of her whole career.




To purchase Kerry Politzer's "Below the Surface," go here: http://pjce.bandcamp.com/album/below-the-surface
or visit her website here: http://www.kerrypolitzer.com/


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"What a Beautiful Day"--a self-fulfilling prophecy by Toshi Onizuka

7/26/2014

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As a teenager, Toshi Onizuka was inspired by western guitarists like Al Dimeola and Paco de Lucia. He began to study on his own and was soon consumed with the music of the guitar. Born in Tokyo, Toshi soon realized that he could not follow the sound in his head without leaving Japan and going to the place where that music was played as part of the culture.

In 1993, Toshi left Japan for Seville, Spain where he would learn and practice and develop his own style and sound. He remained in Seville for over five years and absorbed the music of Spain, travelling to distant parts of Spain and even to Morocco. For two years, he performed and toured with Pata Negra, an internationally renowned Flamenco-fusion group. The captivating rhythms of his playing can be traced to these roots.

His first CD, entitled “Toshi,” was released in 1997. Toshi himself composed and produced the songs on the CD, while being joined by musicians from Spain and Brazil. In Toshi's later CDs, the sound of Brazilian samba and bossa nova are clearly heard. He had truly become a "fusion" artist.

Toshi now makes his home in Portland, Oregon. His association with Portland's great musicians has expanded his play and his opportunity to further pursue the sound in his head. He has recorded with singer Gino Vanelli and with fusion pianist Mike Prigodich. He has been featured in many Oregon Music and Arts festivals and has appeared on numerous television and radio specials.

Toshi's second solo CD, “Voy Con Fusión,” was released in September, 2008. This was a superb example of his fusion of flamenco, jazz, rock, and even hip hop. His third solo CD was entitled “When You Passed By” and was released in March of 2012. Both of these magnificent recordings featured contributions from Portland's bullpen of great musicians including drummer Reinhardt Melz, bassist Damian Erskine, percussionist Israel Annoh, vocalist Tracey Harris, bassist Jon Hughes and so many others.

Toshi defies categories. "Fusion" remains the best, most accurate, description of his play but even this is found lacking when he breaks into a traditional piece such as “Besame Mucho.” Fusion, traditional Spanish, jazz, bossa nova or rock, Toshi plays them all with sublime musicianship and heart.

This is the main character of Toshi Onizuka's musicianship; it is his warm heart that provides the rhythm to his supreme performances.

PictureToshi Onizuka with drummer Reinhardt Melz
That warmth is nowhere more evident than on his 2014 release, “What a Beautiful Day.” It is dedicated to Tomoko Yamaguchi “And to others who face cancer.” It is a solo release and it gives a longed-for glimpse into Toshi at his very depths.

The first track is the title song, “What a Beautiful Day,” is performed on a custom-made Spanish Guitar crafted by Kerry Char. The song fades in with gentle background strumming to be joined by a delicate Spanish-style pick-strumming.

The imagery is unmistakable in its depiction of a sunny, warm day—more like Spain than Oregon. The clear picking casts an exquisite and impressionistic melody.

“Blue Eyes” is the second track and features Toshi playing the Ovation 1984 Limited with its clear tones. It is a melancholic romance with that splendid Ovation uniqueness for just such a mood.

The delicate finger-work that is so indicative of Toshi’s guitar-craft is in vivid color on this piece. His quick runs are virtuosic and lyrical all at the same time.

That Spanish Guitar and the Ovation are both employed and are joined by a KAMAKA 8-string ukulele on “No Answer.” The theme is as unfulfilled and as haunting as the title implies. The skip-strumming also paints a picture of unrequited approach. There is a longing and an insistence in the piece that Toshi is a master of portraying in its barest, agonizing simplicity.

The fourth track is “Una Carta de Amor” and is one of Toshi’s most lovely compositions. It plays like a song of remembrance. After all, the title means “A Love Letter.” There are charming chord changes in this captivating melody. The switch to samba at the end is a sweet segue into “Why Do We Fall in Love.” That piece also employs the KAMAKA 8-string with the 1984 Ovation and a Silvertone Vintage Acoustic Guitar.

The Andante strumming of “Why Do We Fall in Love” sets a backdrop for the conversation pace and tone of the Silvertone. The title and the piece itself ask the unanswerable question. The probing, soul-searching inquiry reaches great depth while finding no answer. Still, the question is a worthy one and the searching within the piece is an adventure worth taking.

Toshi’s albums are reflective and autobiographical in so many ways. “Unerasable Memory from My Mind” carries a heavy load of loss and the heart-break of the song is unrelenting. It is the unforgettable love that does not diminish or pass away no matter what may befall.

It is forever sweet but also it is forever sad. The sound reveals the soul as only Toshi Onizuka can unveil. This is another characteristic of Toshi’s composition and musicianship; he is a revealer and a reminder of what lies so deep within the hearer. He holds a mirror up to the self.

PictureBassist Jon Hughes alongside Toshi Onizuka
Toshi composes from the heart as warmly as any composer. So much so that each album is like another chapter in his own tale. The song “Hypocrisy” is in just such a vein. With the Spanish Guitar and Ovation again, he conjures images of all the betrayal one can bear. The picking is, at certain moments, as shrill as the disappointment that he portrays.

One of the most emotionally lavish pieces is the eighth track entitled “The Earth, the Ocean and the Sky.” It is the only piece with vocals on the album. The lyrics were written by Candace Shutter, Toshi Onizuka and Okaidja Afroso and it is Afroso who sings those lyrics.

The lyrics are mesmerizing and Afroso’s vocals are breathless and inspiring. The melody is almost a lullaby that, with those vocals, create a true song of innocence.

One of my very favorite pieces on the album is “Midnight Cruise in PDX.” A tone poem, if there ever was one, it is a flawless description of that midnight drive through Portland. The lights of the city reflecting off the waters of the Willamette River, the hum of the tires over the metal grating on Portland’s many bridges, the rhythmic thump rolling over the road joints—all captured by Toshi’s strum patterns, pickings styles and Las Palmas clapping. It is a memorable piece, indeed.

“Hawaiian Style” is played on the custom Spanish Guitar only. It is the shortest track on the album. That in itself calls to mind a picture of the oh-to-brief smile. Short but delightful.

“Light in Shade” is one of very favorites songs of all-time and is certainly my favorite Toshi piece. And that is saying a lot. There is no other song like this one. The sweet opening pauses, then surrenders to the most wonderful melody, chord changes, rhythms and memories one could ever hope to find.

“Light in Shade” is just amazing. I have never had a piece of music so easily move me. Before now, it was the YES song “Awaken” that had that claim on me. While both songs are introspective and emotional, “Light in Shade” is purely instrumental without the interpretation of lyrics. The song is precise, almost mathematical. After sitting in with Toshi’s trio for a live performance, bassist Victor Little said of it, “it is a demanding piece to play but it is also incredibly warm and emotional.”

“Light in Shade” plays it so emotionally that it is impossible to describe. During one live performance with his trio, Toshi's intro was moving and graceful and one could see his regular bassist Jon Hughes with eyes closed listening, while drummer Reinhardt Melz had his head bowed as they both let the melody and the movement flow over them.

This song is like reaching enlightenment. There is a pull to the music that carries you further and further along until labor and effort cease and you are borne aloft simply by the melody. You stop actively listening and you fall into meditation. This melody is like a stream of joy and it remains even when the music has stopped. It is a changed life that is at the heart of this piece. Every time I hear it, I am not the same as before. Joy is created and enhanced and life is reborn once again.  


It is like a long gaze into a clear pool of water. On the surface is one's own reflection, but looking past that, one can see straight to the bottom with all the wonders so clear for observation. That is the light in the shade--to see what is usually obscure, especially to ourselves.

The album closes out with “Utatane (Doze).” It is played on the Spanish Guitar, the 1984 Ovation and the KAMAKA. Very much a song of repose and relaxation, “Utatane” is a poetic description of a siesta or a daydream or a nap. The song is perfect for such languid luxuries. The duo of ukulele and Ovation is like being on the cusp of wakefulness and dreaming.

Just like the whole album.





"What a Beautiful Day" and Toshi's two previous albums can be purchased here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/toshionizuka3
Visit Toshi's web site at: www.toshionizuka.com

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"Ask Me Tomorrow" -- a Study in Colligan's Choices

7/2/2014

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George Colligan can, apparently, do no wrong. His choices in musicians and his compositional skills—not to mention superior musicianship—cannot be second-guessed. “Ask Me Tomorrow” is one more example in a long catalog of examples. Fronting his own trios and quartets or with Jack DeJohnette’s group, as a professor at Portland State University or as a blog-writer himself, Colligan does not disappoint.

“Ask Me Tomorrow”, recorded in January, 2012, Colligan points out in his liner notes was supposed to be a demo. He wanted to document this particular trio, and rightly so, because he calls it “one of the most liberating gigs” that he has ever played. Half-way through the first track the listener can already understand why.

That first track—“Ask Me Tomorrow”—was the only track that was not a first take. The energy is high and the focus is razor sharp. It is all so clear from the outset.


Colligan’s choices of Linda Oh (bass) and Ted Poor (drums) are spot-on. Colligan admits that he played “once or twice with Miss Oh in the band of flautist Jamie Baum” but that he had heard Ted Poor only on recording with trumpeter Cuong Vu. Poor’s reputation, however, was well-established and he was highly regarded.

Again, Colligan’s choice was correct. Poor plays the title track on the deep end of this blues and Oh plays off him and against him very well. Colligan himself, as always, is on top of the proceedings and, as composer, he is second to none. I even named him my “2013 Composer of the Year” for the Jazz Journalist Association poll for that year.

“Two Notes Four Chords” echoes of “One Note Samba” in a more haunting sense. It almost comes across as the jazz soundtrack of a mystery movie. Linda Oh offers a sweet solo that sets up Colligan’s close-to-the-end runs exceedingly well. The chord changes are brilliant.


The third track was written in Prague and thus the title of the song. Ted Poor’s quick roll kicks off “Prague” and the piano and bass share equally quick arpeggios to begin the piece.

The piece is exciting and provides excellent launching pads for, first, Linda Oh’s solo followed by Poor. Colligan’s piano work is stellar. He sets up the closing groove in jaw-dropping strength.

“Return to Copenhagen” was written in, of course, Copenhagen when Colligan was there in 1999. More like free style, Colligan tells in the liner notes that he wanted to test its sound with a trio. The trio obviously passed the test. Oh and Poor got the understanding of the piece quickly. It is lovely in the trio setting with each performer adapting and exploiting the range of the piece.

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Linda Oh
Oh’s solo is delicate and deep. Then Colligan returns with Ted Poor to paint an impressionistic image that is ascendant and inspiring. Ted Poor is obviously checking the sound range of his kit and Linda Oh travels high and low alongside Colligan. It is 3:29 of pure fun.

The fascinating feature of “Insistent Linda” is that this was actually the sound check for the session. In that case, I wouldn’t mind sitting through a three-hour sound check with these three.

“Jesper’s Summer House” was written at the home of Jesper Bodilsen when Colligan and other musicians were staying there. In the midst of such quietude and tranquility, Colligan says, he knew he had to write in that setting.

It must be the nature of the surroundings. The finished result is reminiscent of the great ECM recordings of Eberhard Weber and others. Linda Oh plays into it flawlessly. It is an exceptional composition but, as have stated many times, Colligan as composer (or performer) never disappoints.

PictureTed Poor
“Cathexis” is the penultimate track. “Cathexis”—now there’s a good word. In psychological terminology, it is the process of concentrating emotional energy into an idea or object or even person.

The focus between and among Colligan, Oh and Poor is laser fine. Oh cuts into a cool children’s chant for a couple of bars before returning to the full swing of Colligan and Poor. Colligan’s left-hand groove is especially in the pocket, giving a very memorable line along with Oh’s bass line. This is a favorite.

The album closes with “Jet Blue.” Always one to throw in a fun surprise—like the melodic—Colligan picks up the pocket trumpet on this free improvisational number. It is also a first-take, capturing the energy and skill of the whole trio. The ostinato is a fun feature of the piece. Colligan then fades it out with an exhausted-sounding horn.

As he did with his previous SteepleChase (SCCD 31752) recording, “The Facts” with Jaleel Shaw, Boris Kozlov and Donald Edwards, Colligan pulls in just the right musicians for just the music he intends. The recordings are done quickly and the demand is high for the musicians. None of them have let the music down.

This is Colligan’s recipe for success: fitting musicians, stunning compositions and no time to waste.




Released on June 24, 2014, “Ask Me Tomorrow” by George Colligan can be purchased here.
Have a look at George Colligan’s website at: http://www.georgecolligan.com
Visit Colligan’s fascinating blog at http://jazztruth.blogspot.com.


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