Results for "Kerry Politzer Quartet"

Kerry Politzer

Born: December 19

Kerry Politzer is a Portland-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She is on the music faculty of Portland State University and has also taught at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University, the University of Portland, and the University of Manitoba. 

Kerry received a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied improvisation and composition with the late jazz guru Charlie Banacos, and a Master of Music from Rowan University. 

Kerr has released nine albums as a leader, the latest of which is Alternate Route (Whirlwind Recordings) featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel and Jaleel Shaw. Other albums of note include Blue in Blue, which featured saxophonist Donny McCaslin and was termed a “first-rate jazz outing” by AllAboutJazz.com. She has also been a featured sideman on albums of George Colligan, Laura Dreyer, and the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE). Her commissions include works for the PJCE as well as a solo piano piece, “Microclimates,” for the pianist Andree-Ann Deschenes. This piece was featured on Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline.

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Blue In Blue

by AAJ Italy Staff
January 18, 2011

Kerry Politzer vanta un percorso simile a quello di molti pianisti statunitensi. Approccio precoce allo strumento, studi al conservatorio, innamoramento per il jazz, primi riconoscimenti, album di debutto pluripremiato, ingaggi a go-go, coccolata da pubblico e discografici. Ma si sa il rischio di adagiarsi sugli allori è sempre dietro l'angolo e questo Blue in Blue sembra ...

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Blue in Blue

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 ...

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 ...

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

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 ...

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

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, ...

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

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 ...

Kerry Politzer Quartet: Labyrinth

by John Kelman
September 17, 2005

For her third outing as a leader, pianist/composer Kerry Politzer ups the ante by working with a couple of players who, while not exactly household names, have some cachet in the New York community. Chris Higgins, a lithe bassist with a tone not unlike Dave Holland's, may be as relatively unknown as Politzer, but saxophonist Andrew ...