Have a listen to Gordon Goodwin & His Big Phat Band

By jazzman • Nov 11th, 2008 • Category: Artists, News, jazz artists

Gordon Goodwin & His Big Phat Band have been out there leading the way for the past seven years, inspiring musicians and artists alike to follow their remarkable musicianship. Goodwin - musician, composer, and arranger - earned himself a 2006 Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement for his work on the feature film The Incredibles. He has also racked up three Emmys during his years

Gordon Goodwin & his Big Phat Band are great musicians and artists, and their performances are entertaining and engaging to say the least. December 16th brings them to the Jazz Bakery in Culver City, CA. The band also has other upcoming event, please see below for details.

Gordon Goodwin:

Known for his witty, intricate, and hard-swinging compositions, Goodwin has really made a name for himself in Hollywood as a very successful composer and arranger. Having been in the scene for the last years, his resume speaks for itself.

Goodwin has worked on such films as Fern Gully, The Majestic, Glory Road, National Treasure, Remember The Titans, Armageddon, Bad Boys II, Con Air, Gone in 60 Seconds, Star Trek Nemesis, the classic cult film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, and Enemy of the State.

In addition, he has entertained us in television for his work on the 90s brilliant and classic cartoon series The Animaniacs. Like many cartoons, the music play an extremely large role that can either make or break it, and his contributions here have really set the bar high.

Goodwin has received many individual awards, including a 2006 Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement for his work on the feature film The Incredibles. If this wasn’t enough, he is also a three time Emmy winner.

His recording history includes performances with artists as diverse as Mel Tormé, Ray Charles and Christina Aguilera. Goodwin has also been a guest conductor for such groups as the London Symphony Orchestra and Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He is still going strong, currently in head Music Arranger of the Walt Disney Parks around the world.

The Big Phat Band:

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, an 18-piece jazz ensemble, celebrates and personifies the best of the big band tradition with a very contemporary and original sound. Through the writing genius of Gordon Goodwin, audiences have enjoyed one of the most craftsman-like hard swinging large jazz ensembles comprised of L.A.’s finest musicians. Gordon’s witty and insightful arrangements propel the listener on a journey through a myriad of styles: Latin, blues, swing, classical, hard-hitting jazz, and even an homage to Looney Tunes.

In the band, Goodwin plays piano and occasionally both the soprano and tenor saxophone. Under Goodwin’s direction, the band has released five albums: “Swingin’ For The Fences”, which received two Grammy nominations, and “XXL”, which received three. “The Phat Pack” was released on June 13, 2006, and “Bah, Humduck! a Looney Tunes Christmas (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture)” was also released in 2006. “Act Your Age”, their latest album, was released on September 30, 2008.

Performance Schedule:

They just came off a tour in Japan, featuring a stop at the Blue Note November 4th - 9th. They will also be appearing December 16th of this year at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City. More information about the Jazz Bakery can be found here.

For a more detailed list about their upcoming performance schedule, please visit their site and click on “Tour Dates.”

For more recent news and other information about
Gordon Goodwin & his Big Phat Band, visit their site.

Recommended Listening:

Act Your Age (Sept, 2008)
The Phat Pack (Apr, 2006)
XXL (Sept, 2005)
Swingin’ for the Fences (Jan, 2002)