By Daegan Waagmeester
Staff Writer

Bossa nova jazz is one of the most well known yet unrecognized music genres. Hailing from Brazil, it’s groovy, versatile and fun. Most people have heard and enjoyed bossa nova in coffee shops and in day-to-day life without even realizing it. Luckily, Clackamas Community College recently held an event called the Tuesday at 12 Music Series with some incredibly talented jazz musicians — specifically, Bossa PDX, a group composed of talented musicians with a residency at the local Portland jazz club 1905.

Pianist Kerry Politzer playing at CCC. Photo By Jackson Arterberry

In a brief interview before the show the lead pianist Kerry Politzer, who has been performing in Oregon for about eight years, said one of her biggest inspirations is the famous jazz guitarist and composer Kurt Rosenwinkle. And the inspiration and passion shows in her and the other members of the band’s performance.

One of their standout pieces was “One Note Samba” by Antônio Carlos Jobim, where Politzer played a beautiful upbeat piece. She opened the song singing in Portuguese then quickly changed to singing along with her piano playing. About the middle point in the song the guitarist took over and played a beautiful slower solo that changed the mood of the song a lot. Towards the end of the piece, the drummer delivered an incredibly strange yet fascinating solo. They left long pauses of silence and played very quiet, one-note beats for an extended period. The audience found this unexpected approach humorous. Finally, the drummer transitioned seamlessly back into the ensemble, and the band concluded the piece with a clean and satisfying ending.

Following that, the band turned to the audience and asked if they preferred a slow or upbeat piece for the next song. Someone spoke up and asked for upbeat and the band certainly delivered. “Groovy Samba” by Cannonball Adderley was the title of the piece and it lived up to its promise. With a punchy flow and speed, it was a very pleasant listening experience. Its biggest feature was an incredible and attitude-filled  jazz rock guitar solo.

Photo By Jackson Arterberry

On the other side of the coin was their second to last song, “Bicycle Ride,” by Vendla, which was a slow melodic ballad centered around a mystical piano solo. It was a nice change of pace and was played with a lot of passion which made the piece go from slow to enchanting.          

The live performance by Bossa PDX displayed the rich versatility and captivating allure of bossa nova jazz. From the snappy beats of “One Note Samba” to the captivating ballad “Bicycle Ride,” the band demonstrated an impressive range of musical expression, blending groovy, upbeat tempos with more introspective, emotional moments. Bossa PDX’s performance was a perfect reminder of the beauty and depth of bossa nova jazz, a genre that continues to thrive in its ability to delight, and resonate with listeners. For more on this event series visit CCC’s art performances page.