Portland's 15th Annual Dia do Choro Concert
Celebrating Brazilian Composers
Discover Choro music! Roots jazz from Brazil, considered Brazil's first "urban pop" music. In this unique show you will experience a wide range of pieces of Choro and other genres by many of Brazil's important 20th century composers - Pixinguinha (the Duke Ellington of Brazil), Jacob do Bandolim, and many more. Three acts! Choro da Alegria (quartet), Daniel Pardo/Kerry Politzer Duo (Flute/Piano), Tim Connell (Mandolin)
Come hear the intricate and sultry instrumental melodies of classic choro, the edgy syncopation of modern choro, and rhythmic samba! This is a rare opportunity to hear a wide range of composers, performed by three diverse acts: Mandolin, Piano Flute Duo, Quartet (flute, guitar, pandeiro, and cavaquinho)....
read more
Portland's 15th Annual Dia do Choro Concert
Celebrating Brazilian Composers
Discover Choro music! Roots jazz from Brazil, considered Brazil's first "urban pop" music. In this unique show you will experience a wide range of pieces of Choro and other genres by many of Brazil's important 20th century composers - Pixinguinha (the Duke Ellington of Brazil), Jacob do Bandolim, and many more. Three acts! Choro da Alegria (quartet), Daniel Pardo/Kerry Politzer Duo (Flute/Piano), Tim Connell (Mandolin)
Come hear the intricate and sultry instrumental melodies of classic choro, the edgy syncopation of modern choro, and rhythmic samba! This is a rare opportunity to hear a wide range of composers, performed by three diverse acts: Mandolin, Piano Flute Duo, Quartet (flute, guitar, pandeiro, and cavaquinho).
Come celebrate Brazilian culture, and support local musicians!
MORE info about the artists:
Jasnam Daya Singh is a Latin Grammy-nominated concert and jazz pianist and brilliant composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he is now a local Portland area artist.
While attending the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, he was chosen as the first soloist of the 1984 symphonic season to perform the "Piano Concerto in G" by Maurice Ravel.
In the late 1980s Jasnam moved to the USA. He has toured throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and his native Brazil. He has recorded numerous CD albums over the years on multiple continents, including a Latin Grammy award nominated CD he recorded with fellow Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto, Live in Caramoor.
///////////////////////////
Gabriela Gimenes (flute) holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from University of North Texas, Master of Music from University of Central Arkansas, and Bachelor of Music from Sao Paulo State University. She has played with Sao Paulo Youth Wind Symphony, Conway Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Academica do Estado de São Paulo, Fiddler on the Roof Production in São Paulo Brazil, USP Symphony Orquestra, and Theatro São Pedro Symphony Orchestra. At UNT, she was also a member of UNT woodwind quintet and teaching assistant for 4 years. She is a winner of Arkansas 2004-05 MTNA Competition state division and honorable mention at region division. She also won the 2005 Concerto competition at University of Central Arkansas. In 2016, she was featured as a soloist with Cubatão Symphonic Band and São Paulo State Wind Symphony. She has also worked as woodwind teacher at Bravo Youth Orchestras in Portland, OR.
She is an artist for Sopro Novo Project at Yamaha Musical do Brasil. Gabriela has published a Flute notebook through Ricordi for Yamaha Musical do Brasil in 2013. Currently she is performing with Choro da Alegria and Peter Ziza flute guitar duo in Portland, OR. Gabriela helps Global Missions Project, an non-profit that takes Christian musicians all over the world. She is also current Chair of Youth Engagement for the National Flute Association.
////////////////////////////
Kerry Politzer is a Portland-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She is on the music faculty of Portland State University, and she has also taught at Jazz at Lincoln Centers 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.
Prior to her upcoming album Ruminations (PJCE Records), Kerry released seven jazz CDs as a leader, including 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 for the pianist Andree-Ann Deschenes.
///////////////////////////
Ben Graves
Guitarist & Composer - Portland, Oregon
Ben was born and raised in Tennessee, close to the musical cities of Nashville and Memphis, where he discovered his love of blues, rock, and jazz. Influenced by Wes Montgomery, Grant Green and John Coltrane at an early age; Ben has developed a style blended with not only jazz elements, but Latin, classical and world music as well.
Ben has studied, shared the stage, and toured with national and internationally known artists including Rick Zunigar (Stevie Wonder), Tony Dumas, Leon Russell, Dick Berk and Charles McPherson. While living in Los Angeles, he studied classical guitar with Scott Tennant (of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet), Evan Hirschelman, and Robert Mayeur. Ben has performed in music festivals all over the U.S., including the Reno Jazz Festival and Portland Jazz Festival. He has performed with local jazz greats including Ron Steen, Andre St. James, Bobby Torres, Dave Captein and Darrell Grant.  Ben holds his Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies degree from Portland State University where he focused on orchestration, composition, jazz arranging and jazz piano. Ben currently resides in Portland, OR where he performs regularly in jazz, chamber music and Latin ensemble.
show less
