Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

Here's how Gordon Goodwin rolls: as a musical chameleon with his fingers and toes in so many pies that it's a bit hard to keep track of what's ready to consume, still baking or over cooling on the window sill.
His business card needs a table leaf. He's a jazz pianist, tenor saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and leader of the 18-member crackerjack jazz ensemble called Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band.
A recent interview found Goodwin in the place where he composes most of his vast sonic stews, his at-home studio in Thousand Oaks, where he's lived the past 10 years.
He was doing a radio edit this day on "Rippin' n Runnin'," one of 10 tracks on the band's new CD "That's How We Roll" that's due out Tuesday. The band will put the cherry on top with a release party gig that night at the Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood.
"It's optimistic," Goodwin said of the sound on the new record, the band's sixth. "It's forward-moving and positive. I think that's our personality. It's my personality. It'll keep you young."
"That's How We Roll" showcases the high-energy group's wide range of styles, including swing, classical, funk, Latin music and rock.
Goodwin's recorded or otherwise worked with a long string of A-listers that includes Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Joel, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Diana Ross, Supertramp, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Mel Torme, John Williams, Toni Braxton and Brian McKnight. He was once the pianist and conductor for Johnny Mathis.
He's done music scores and orchestrations for numerous films and TV shows. He won a Grammy for his instrumental arrangement of "Incredits" for the 2004 Pixar film "The Incredibles." He also won three Emmys (two for "Animaniacs," the other for "Histeria"), all from his latter-half-of-the-'90s stint as a staff composer at Warner Bros., where he also did music for latter-day versions of "Sylvester & Tweety." Between those two awards giants, he counts more than 20 nominations.
But to him, scoring films and the like pay the bills and "support my Big Band habit."
"I do all this other stuff so I can afford to lose money with the Big Phat Band," he said.
The band is his labor of love: "This is me," he averred. Goodwin said he's written "plenty of music" for film that he didn't believe in.
"A director once said to me, 'I don't like minor chords, let's not use any minor chords,' " Goodwin said with a twisted grin. "That's like telling the scriptwriter not to use the letter T."
As the engaging Goodwin discussed his career, he delved into intricate jazz arrangements one moment and his affinity for Looney Tunes the next.
Perhaps it helps to know that one of the first things Goodwin worked on after graduating from CSU Northridge with a degree in saxophone performance was the score for the 1978 cult horror film "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes." The brother of one of his roomies was the director.
"I'd be a better sax player if I just went down that road," Goodwin said. "But all this stuff I do, it's led to a rich life."
Not bad for a kid who used to mow lawns in La Verne to scrape up enough money to buy Herb Alpert songbooks for the school band.
Jazz cats rolling around the pool
"That's How We Roll" features nine original tracks written by Goodwin, plus an interesting take on the George Gershwin classic "Rhapsody in Blue." Guest stars are Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Marcus Miller and the vocal group Take 6.
The title, Goodwin said, refers to a lesson "that took me 40 years to learn": You have to own who you are, and be comfortable in your skin.
"Like us or not," he added, "this is how we roll."
The vibe is upbeat. A lot of musicians, Goodwin noted, complain about jazz's underdog status and "like to play the victim," an attitude that shows in their music.
"I didn't want to go down that road," he said. "I want you to feel better after you listen to one of our tracks."
Goodwin hears the scoffers and jesters, those who call jazz elitist or highbrow, to whom it "seems like a cacophony."
"Well, maybe it's a cacophony because it goes by too quickly for you," he said. "But maybe the problem is us, too. Sometimes, jazz is more fun to play than it is to listen to."
Goodwin, 54, formed the Big Phat Band in 1999 and put out its debut disc "Swingin' for the Fences" the next year.
He's called the band members "serious cats from a deep talent pool." They range in age from 26 to 60; most reside in Los Angeles, a few in Orange County. Like Goodwin, tenor saxophonist Brian Scanlon lives in Thousand Oaks.
"When he stands up and improvises," Goodwin noted, "everyone sort of leans forward and listens."
His stable also includes lead trumpeter Wayne Bergeron; Sal Lozano on clarinet, alto sax and flutes; trumpeters Dan Savant and Bob Summers; trombonists Craig Ware and Andy Martin; Jeff Driskill on tenor sax; and Jay Mason on baritone sax.
Some have played with such giants as Count Basie, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and Buddy Rich.
They grew up with the traditional big band sound — but also The Beatles, Tito Puente, Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy and Earth, Wind & Fire.

- Ventura County Star

If Gordon Goodwin never wrote, performed, or arranged music again, he’d already have made his mark…Happily, he’s not one to rest on past achievements and with the 18-member Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Gordon is bringing large ensemble jazz to whole new audiences by infusing the music with his wide-ranging tastes.”
JAZZed

“That’s How We Roll is not recommended for purists of any sort – if you enjoy good-humored big band/large ensemble music with plenty of deftness and chops regardless of ‘genre,’ by all means dig in.”
Jazz Inside Magazine

“Goodwin has his traditional big-band influences (Count Basie, Buddy Rich), but it’s obvious that he also has a taste for soul and funk; in fact, some of the horn arrangements on That’s How We Roll successfully find the link between Basie’s funkiness and the funkiness of ‘70s funk/soul bands such as Parliament/Funkadelic, Tower of Power and Earth, Wind & Fire…this is an enjoyable outing if one is seriously into big-band jazz and also has a strong appreciation of soul and funk.”
All Music

“The slick, swinging and showbiz Gordon Goodwin Big Plat Band are celebrating their zillionth CD, That’s How We Roll (on Concord), at Catalina’s on Tuesday. It’ll be a good show; they can’t help themselves but play good shows.”
LA Weekly

“Built on a bed of technical excellence and a love for the music, the nostalgia That’s How We Roll generates for the big band era never threatens originality. Indeed, Gordon Goodwin has created a remarkably fresh piece of work that, without doubt, is one of the most interesting of the year so far.”
JazzReview.com

‘This is an 18-piece ensemble of top West Coast studio musicians that is set up similar to the big bands of the 30s and 40s, but playing with a lot more up to date sound, hard and fast rhythms and often astonishing virtuosity. Elements of Basie and Ellington are heard, mixed with fusion and pop sounds such as Tower of Power and Stevie Wonder…The first nine tracks are all Goodwin originals, and they all exhibit an exciting upbeat feeling, leavened with plenty of good humor and pop music influences.”
Audiophile Audition

“From the first note to the last, this record will hold your attention. Smooth, charming… and strong! This record has it all.”
Jay Vee Music (Birmingham, AL)

“Goodwin’s music shows a wide array of influences, including Ellington, ‘70s funk, Warner Brothers cartoon soundtracks, and Frank Zappa. There’s a healthy dose of humor in his jazz, but the arrangements are precise and well thought out…That’s How We Roll benefits from Goodwin’s broad musical interests and his ability to write arrangements that let his band wail…The recording, mastered by Doug Sax, is pristine digital, and while I occasionally wished for a bit more warmth, the sound is detailed and the full soundstage captures the scale of the band.” 4 of 5
GoodSound!

- Various

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band - That’s How We Roll - Telarc TEL-32363-02, 1.1 hours [Distr. by Concord] (4/12/11)*****:

This is an 18-piece ensemble of top West Coast studio musicians that is set up similar to the big bands of the 30s and 40s, but playing with a lot more up to date sound, hard and fast rhythms and often astonishing virtuosity. Elements of Basie and Ellington are heard, mixed with fusion and pop sounds such as Tower of Power and Stevie Wonder. This is their sixth recording, and my only complaint is that it is not hi-res surround as were their earlier releases.

Gordon Goodwin is a busy studio keyboardist, saxist, composer, arranger and conductor who has a Grammy under his belt. He was involved in the soundtrack of the animated feature The Incredibles, and also worked on the new sci-fi movie I Am Number Four. His band has been going for a decade now, and although from a revenue standpoint it’s still a hobby, Goodwin says it pays off in other ways. He plays both piano and tenor sax in his band as well as leading it. After working at catering to the whims of Hollywood big shots he enjoys being in control of the sound of his Big Phat Band. Reedist Eric Marienthal is a standout on most of the tracks, along with five others in the reed section. Goodwin’s coterie of musicians has remained much the same for ten years, and this time around they are joined by some topflight guests: Saxists Dave Koz and Gerald Albright are heard on “Rippin ‘n Running,’” and electric bassist Marcus Miller solos on “Never Enough,” joined by the vocal sextet Take 6. Goodwin participates on B-3 for that track.

The first nine tracks are all Goodwin originals, and they all exhibit an exciting upbeat feeling, leavened with plenty of good humor and pop music influences. On earlier albums Goodwin showed a connection to the music and actions of Bugs Bunny cartoons with different versions of “Hunting Wabbits” - this CD gives us No. 3 on that theme. For the grand finale Goodwin hones his arranging chops to the utmost for a very contemporary seven-and-one-half-minute Readers' Digest version of Gershwin’s classic Rhapsody in Blue.

TrackList:
1. That’s How We Roll
2. Howdiz Songo?
3. Rippin’ n Runnin’
4. Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn)
5. Everlasting
6. Gaining on You
7. Never Enough
8. It’s Not Polite To Point
9. Race To The Bridge
10. Rhapsody In Blue

-- John Henry
- Audiophile

That Gordon Goodwin and Brian Setzer both lead big bands some 60 years after the big band ceased to be the dominant musical format may be all they have in common (outside of drummer Bernie Dresel, who played for Setzer before joining Goodwin).
Goodwin's Big Phat Band is a concert band, more in the lineage of Stan Kenton, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra or Rob McConnell's Boss Brass than it is, say, dance bands such as Glenn Miller or Harry James. Setzer, of course, joyously trades on his rock 'n' roll reputation (earned in the 1980s with the Stray Cats) and plays hard-charging neo-swing meant for dancing as much as listening.
And Goodwin (who is bringing his Big Phat Band to Anthology on Saturday) was quick to point out that he and Setzer are far from the only musicians still leading big bands, citing Wynton Marsalis (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra), Maria Schneider and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in New York City. (On the dance side, it could also be pointed out that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and a revamped Squirrel Nut Zippers continue to help Setzer carry the retro swing flame.)
But Goodwin comes to big band music from the jazz side of things, while most of the retro swing combos are composed of rock, or former rock, musicians.
Goodwin said that affects not only his own expectations for the music, but how his combo is viewed and treated by others in the music business.
"Maybe (Setzer) doesn't have some of the baggage we have coming from the jazz media for some of our (song) choices that seem a bit commercial," Goodwin said last week by phone from his home in Thousand Oaks. "There are clubs in New York that won't touch us.
"We'll play the Blue Note in Tokyo two shows a night for six nights and sell it out, and yet we can't get booked into the New York (Blue Note)."
While the members of his Big Phat Band are jazz musicians, many are younger than Goodwin, who is in his mid-50s ---- and they've grown up listening to everything from classical music to heavy metal to rap.
"It's our belief that (big band music) doesn't have to be just swing music," Goodwin said, then added that the band has nothing against swing, but prefers to explore all kinds of musical paths.
And he said nobody in the band will object if you dance to their music.
"We're not a dance band, but groove is still important. ... You probably aren't going to dance to it, but you could if you wanted to."
For Goodwin ---- and, to hear him tell it, most folks leading a big band ---- keeping a big band together is a labor of love. Goodwin is an in-demand composer and orchestrator in TV, film and theme parks (he worked on "The Incredibles" and "Animaniacs," plus both "National Treasure" films), which he said "are the jobs that allow me to support my big band habit!
"The economics just don't work" for keeping an 18-piece ensemble on the road otherwise, he said. "If you see someone standing in front of a big band today, chances are he paid for the privilege."
But Goodwin said it is very much a privilege. The seed for leading his own big band (which he founded in 2000) was planted by his music teacher in eighth grade, when he played Goodwin a Count Basie record in the music lab. It was further nurtured after he graduated from Cal State Northridge and was hired to play in Louie Bellson's band.
"It's the music I really love!" Goodwin said of the Big Phat Band. "I had an epiphany: 'What am I doing, am I even involved with music I really love?' And at the time, I wasn't. I was getting paid well doing film music and music for theme parks, but I wanted to document what I believe in musically.
"It's the love of this music. Why do it? I'm not going to make a lot of money. We do it because we want to."
Unlike the neo-swing bands, where showmanship is very much part of the experience, Goodwin said the Big Phat Band has no choreography in its shows. But he said the musicians make up for it with the level of musicianship they bring.
"The music is hard enough to play that we can't be dancing and throwing our instruments around. What you will see is 18 guys who love the music."
- NORTH COUNTY TIMES

The slick, swinging and showbiz Gordon Goodwin Big Plat Band are celebrating their zillionth CD, That’s How We Roll (on Concord), at Catalina’s on Tuesday. It’ll be a good show; they can’t help themselves but play good shows.” - LA Weekly