GBH and JazzBoston present JazzNOW: Dream Alliance, featuring Kenny Werner & Marco Pignataro, originally streamed live from the beautiful Fraser Performance Studio at GBH on June 25, 2021, with host Eric Jackson.

About The Dream Alliance

The “Dream Alliance” ensemble includes:

Kenny Werner is an award-winning pianist, composer and Grammy-nominated artist. Werner has released more than 30 CDs as a leader and has composed for many major jazz ensembles and symphony orchestras worldwide. His album of original compositions called No Beginning No End—a meditation on loss, death and renewal—resulted in his being awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010. For more information, visit kennywerner.com.

Marco Pignataro is an Italian saxophonist and a multifaceted musician. Together with Danilo Pérez, Pignataro leads the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, the world's premiere international jazz center of musical creativity. Pignataro’s latest virtual project, called “Passione-Canto Italiano,” was recorded in December 2020 at the GBH Studios in Brighton with John Patitucci, Alan Pasqua, Adam Cruz and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. "Passione-Canto Italiano” will soon be released as an album. More information, visit marcopignataro.com.

Nadia Washington is a songwriter, producer, educator and vocalist. Her music—a blend of jazz, soul, R&B and world music—has been performed in Russia, Eastern Europe, South America and Africa. She is a faculty member in the Ear Training and Voice Department at Berklee College of Music and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.

Devon Gates is a bassist and vocalist. She released the album Playing the Music of Roy Hargrove in 2019 and is pursuing a dual degree with Harvard University and Berklee College of Music. Gates performs and arranges for the Harvard Opportunes a capella ensemble. She recently composed an original work for the Harvard Choruses and will be featured in Berklee Press’s New Standards book of compositions by 101 female jazz composers, curated by Terri Lyne Carrington.

“Awakening” is a combination of original poetry and these musical selections:

  • Because – Lennon/McCartney, arr. Morrin
  • Inspiration – Werner
  • Farfallina – Pignataro, arr. Morrin
  • Alone Again Naturally – O’Sullivan, arr. Morrin
  • I Caught a Reflection of Me – Pignataro
  • Send One Your Love – Wonder, arr. Pignataro & Washington
  • Moon Threads – Pignataro, arr Morrin
  • Stand By Me – King, arr. Gates

Eric Jackson, host of GBH’s Eric in the Evening, moderated an audience Q&A with the musicians following the performance.

JazzNOW: Awakening, with “Dream Alliance,” featuring Kenny Werner and Marco Pignataro is presented by GBH Music, with support from the Mass Cultural Council and BioMed Realty.

About Jazz Boston: JazzBoston connects, promotes and advocates for the musicians, audiences and venues of Greater Boston’s dynamic and diverse jazz community. The nonprofit organization spreads the music and message of jazz and celebrates Boston as one of the world’s great jazz cities. Find more information at jazzboston.org.

During the show, you’ll see and hear Eric Jackson thanking our members for supporting Jazz at GBH. The specific thank you gift Eric mentions, is no longer available. But you’ll find plenty of other gifts when you support GBH at gbh.org/supportevents with your donation. Every dollar makes a difference.