For those not in the know, Kerry Politzer is a Portland-based jazz pianist and composer.

She received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied improvisation and composition with jazz guru Charlie Banacos.

The pianist has released six CDs as a leader, including Blue in Blue, which featured saxophonist Donny McCaslin and was termed a “first-rate jazz outing” by AllAboutJazz.com.

Kerry has also been a featured sideman on albums of George Colligan, Laura Dreyer, and the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble. Furthermore, Kerry’s 2005 CD Labyrinth was a finalist for Best Jazz Album in the 2007 Independent Music Awards.

Now the highly-lauded pianist releases her sixth jazz album entitled Diagonal: A Tribute to Ferreira.

A modern tribute to the late Brazilian jazz guitarist/composer Durval Ferreira, for this quite wondrous new album - which features eight reworked Ferreira compositions as well as three originals inspired by him - the pianist has assembled a fine cast of sidemen: John Nastos (Dianne Schuur, Esperanza Spalding) on saxophone, flute, and clarinet; noted pianist George Colligan, here on drums; Seattle bassist Tim Carey (Jovino Santos Neto); Ben Graves on acoustic and electric guitars; and Simon Lucas on Brazilian percussion.

1. 'São Salvador'
2. 'Chorinho No. 2'
3. 'The Day It Rained'
4. 'Diagonal'
5. 'O Gato'
6. 'Moça Flor'
7. 'Batida Diferente'
8. 'Tema Pro Durval'
9. 'E Nada Mais'
10. 'Cliché'
11. 'Estamos Aí'

If you would like to win an AUTOGRAPHED copy of this CD, just answer this easy question about the lady herself, Kerry Politzer: Which of her songs won Third Prize, Jazz Category in the 2000 Mid-Atlantic Song Competition and an Honorable Mention in the 2000 John Lennon Songwriting Competition?

Send us your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win one of these wonderful Diagonal: A Tribute to Ferreira CDs AUTOGRAPHED by Kerry herself!

Just send us an e:mail here before October 15th with your answer and the subject title CONTEST: KERRY POLITZER SIGNED CDs to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net

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