Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Encyclopedia
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece jazz
ensemble based in California
and led by Gordon Goodwin
. Goodwin composes most, and arranges all, of the group's performance pieces, as well as playing piano
and occasionally tenor saxophone
. While using a similar instrumentation to the traditional big bands of the 1930s and 40s, the Big Phat Band has a highly contemporary sound, highlighted by driving rhythms, fast, almost frantic tempos, less emphasis on the melodic line, and extreme virtuosity. On rare occasions, the band uses vocalists or adapts its pieces to accompany dancing. Formed in 2000, the group comprises many of Los Angeles
' most acclaimed studio musicians, and has to date released four albums under Silverline Records. In September 2011, also featured on the Shine On! Songs Volume One
charitable album in support for those effected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
.
- 1st Alto Saxophone/Soprano Saxophone
/Piccolo
/Flute
Sal Lozano - 2nd Alto Saxophone/Piccolo
/Flute
/Clarinet
Brian Scanlon - 1st Tenor Saxophone
/Clarinet
/Flute
Jeff Driskill - 2nd Tenor Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute
Jay Mason - Baritone Saxophone
/Bass Clarinet
/Flute
- 1st Trumpet
Bob Summers - 2nd Trumpet
Willie Murillo - 3rd Trumpet
Dan Fernero - 4th Trumpet
Dan Savant - 5th Trumpet
Charlie Morillas - 2nd Trombone
Francisco Torres - 3rd Trombone
Craig Ware/Craig Gosnell - Bass Trombone
- Piano
/Tenor Sax/Soprano Sax
Andrew Synowiec - Guitar
Rick Shaw - Bass
Bernie Dresel - Drum
s
Brad Dutz (Percussion)
(Swingin' For The Fences)
Ray Brinker (Drumkit)
Grant Geissman
- Guitar
(Swingin' For The Fences, XXL, The Phat Pack, Act Your Age)
Carl Verheyen (Guitar)
Luis Conte - percussion
nominations:
2006 Grammy Award nominations:
2007 Grammy Award nominations:
2008 Grammy Award nominations:
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
ensemble based in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and led by Gordon Goodwin
Gordon Goodwin
Gordon L. Goodwin is a Grammy award-winning American studio pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Lisa, daughter Madison and two sons, Trevor and Garrison.- Early years :...
. Goodwin composes most, and arranges all, of the group's performance pieces, as well as playing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and occasionally tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
. While using a similar instrumentation to the traditional big bands of the 1930s and 40s, the Big Phat Band has a highly contemporary sound, highlighted by driving rhythms, fast, almost frantic tempos, less emphasis on the melodic line, and extreme virtuosity. On rare occasions, the band uses vocalists or adapts its pieces to accompany dancing. Formed in 2000, the group comprises many of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' most acclaimed studio musicians, and has to date released four albums under Silverline Records. In September 2011, also featured on the Shine On! Songs Volume One
Shine On! Songs Volume One
Shine On! Songs Volume One is a charitable album released on September 30th, 2011 by the Shine On! Songs record label. The album's proceeds will go towards the foundation's programs to give Psychosocial support to children with cancer in Japan and their families, and an additional program to help...
charitable album in support for those effected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
.
Saxophones/Woodwinds
Eric MarienthalEric Marienthal
Eric Marienthal is a Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres....
- 1st Alto Saxophone/Soprano Saxophone
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
/Piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
/Flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
Sal Lozano - 2nd Alto Saxophone/Piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
/Flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
/Clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
Brian Scanlon - 1st Tenor Saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
/Clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
/Flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
Jeff Driskill - 2nd Tenor Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute
Jay Mason - Baritone Saxophone
Baritone saxophone
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
/Bass Clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
/Flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
Trumpets
Wayne BergeronWayne Bergeron
Wayne Bergeron, American jazz musician and trumpet player, was born in 1958 in Hartford, Connecticut and grew up Southern California. His interest in music started on the French Horn before he switched to, his claim to fame, the trumpet, in 8th grade...
- 1st Trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
Bob Summers - 2nd Trumpet
Willie Murillo - 3rd Trumpet
Dan Fernero - 4th Trumpet
Dan Savant - 5th Trumpet
Trombones
Andy Martin - 1st TromboneTrombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
Charlie Morillas - 2nd Trombone
Francisco Torres - 3rd Trombone
Craig Ware/Craig Gosnell - Bass Trombone
Rhythm section
Gordon GoodwinGordon Goodwin
Gordon L. Goodwin is a Grammy award-winning American studio pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Lisa, daughter Madison and two sons, Trevor and Garrison.- Early years :...
- Piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
/Tenor Sax/Soprano Sax
Andrew Synowiec - Guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
Rick Shaw - Bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
Bernie Dresel - Drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s
Brad Dutz (Percussion)
Temp players
Dan Higgins - 1st Alto SaxophoneAlto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
(Swingin' For The Fences)
Ray Brinker (Drumkit)
Grant Geissman
Grant Geissman
Grant Geissman is a crossover jazz, contemporary jazz and new age guitarist and an Emmy-nominated composer for network TV series and TV movies. An in-demand studio musician, he has recorded extensively for several labels since 1976, and he can be heard playing guitar on the theme for Monk and...
- Guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(Swingin' For The Fences, XXL, The Phat Pack, Act Your Age)
Carl Verheyen (Guitar)
Luis Conte - percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Featured soloists
The Big Phat Band have recorded and performed with many renowned musicians. In addition to the regular members of the band, the group has featured artists such as:- Eddie DanielsEddie DanielsEddie Daniels is an American musician. Though he is best known as a jazz clarinet player, he has also played alto and tenor saxophones, as well as classical music on the clarinet....
- Take 6Take 6Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel music sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two...
- Brian McKnightBrian McKnightBrian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
- Johnny MathisJohnny MathisJohn Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
- Michael BreckerMichael BreckerMichael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
- Arturo SandovalArturo SandovalArturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpeter and pianist. He was born in Artemisa, in the newest renamed Artemisa Province, Cuba....
- David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
- Dianne ReevesDianne ReevesDianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...
- Chick CoreaChick CoreaArmando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
- Dave GrusinDave GrusinDavid Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
- Patti AustinPatti Austin-Life and career:Austin was born in Harlem, New York. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater at age four and had a contract with RCA Records when she was only five. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves as her godparents....
- Lee RitenourLee RitenourLee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
Discography
- Swingin' for the FencesSwingin' For The FencesSwingin' For The Fences was the first album by the supergroup Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Released in 2001, the album quickly became one of the most popular jazz albums of the last 20 years. The album features many acclaimed players and soloists...
(Released Jan 23, 2001) - XXLXXL (album)XXL is the second studio album by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, released on September 23, 2003. It includes guest performances from saxophonist Michael Brecker, the vocal group Take 6, clarinetist Eddie Daniels and singer Johnny Mathis.-Track listing:...
(Released Sep 23, 2003) - The Phat PackThe Phat PackThe Phat Pack is the third studio album from Californian 18-piece jazz ensemble Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. The album was released June 13, 2006 under Silverline Records, and following the tradition of the group's previous two albums , a bonus DVD is included with the CD purchase...
(Released Jun 13, 2006) - Bah, Humduck! a Looney Tunes Christmas (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) (Released 2006)
- Act Your AgeAct Your Age (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band album)Act Your Age is the fourth album recorded by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Gordon Goodwin's 18-piece big band have already had critical acclaim with their albums XXL and The Phat Pack...
(Released Sep 30, 2008) - Dave Siebels With: Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (Released May 12, 2009)
- That's How We Roll (Released April 12, 2011)
- Grade 3 featured on the Shine On! Volume One album along with Tierney SuttonTierney SuttonTierney Sutton is an American jazz singer.A three-time Grammy Nominee for "Best Jazz Vocal Album" and "a selection by Jazzweek as Vocalist of the Year in 2005," Sutton was born in Wisconsin and was educated at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and the Berklee College of Music in...
. (Released September 30, 2011) - Play With Me featured on the Shine On! Volume One album along with Amber Lily. (Released September 30, 2011)
Awards and nominations
2003 Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations:
- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album - XXL
- Best Instrumental Composition - Hunting Wabbits from XXL
- Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocals - Comes Love from XXL
2006 Grammy Award nominations:
- Best Instrumental Arrangement - Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes from The Phat Pack
2007 Grammy Award nominations:
- Best Instrumental Arrangement - Yo Tannenbaum from Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
2008 Grammy Award nominations:
- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album - Act Your Age
- Best Instrumental Composition - Hit the Ground Running from Act Your Age
- Best Instrumental Arrangement - Yesterdays from Act Your Age