Marco Pignataro is a multi-talented saxophone player, composer, and educator originally from Bologna, Italy.
He is currently the Managing Director of Berklee Global Jazz Institute.
He has shared stages with artists such as Eddie Gomez, Joanne Brackeen, Danilo Pérez, George Garzone, and Terri Lyne Carrington, among many others.
Pignataro performs and tours internationally with several musical groups, including the Marco Pignataro Almas Antiguas Quartet and the Eddie Gomez Quintet.
He released 2 CD’s recently -Awakenings, which is under consideration for a vocal Grammy, and Chant for Our Planet, a Tallberg Foundation supported project to address climate change.
“Jazz music has historically been a powerful artistic medium to inspire, educate, empower and advocate for social change in our community. Using jazz to advocate for reforming climate policies is now a mandate for conscientious artists to inspire more care for our world.”
Marco Pignataro
We talked about:
🎷 His newest project, Chant for Our Planet
🎷 His approach to composing; before the Awakenings project and afterwards
🎷 Comprovisation; how that approach was used for his piece, On Irene’s Path
🎷 Which process would be best for students to experience first when learning music
🎷 How 1 person’s observation from his website inspired a new album and play
And MUCH more!
Here’s the Video:
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There is so much I can say about this interview, chock full of good stuff, including the term “Italian blues”! Marco is so engaging to listen to and such a wonderful storyteller about how his music grows organically, is never the same, and sometimes that’s scary even to him. I went back and found “In Irene’s Path” to listen to what he described in this interview concerning hurricane Irene and I heard it!
Thanks so much Laura – I totally agree with everything you said, and yes, you can feel that Hurricane in that piece!