Title - 'An Elusive Man'
Artist - Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band
Even for a successful composer and arranger in Hollywood, Gordon Goodwin’s numbers are impressive: He has won 4 Grammy's inclusive of one for his Instrumental Arrangement of “Incredits” from the Pixar film The Incredibles, he has amassed 20 nominations overall, and has 3 Emmy wins to his name too!
Here’s another impressive number to add to the list: eighteen. As in the number of musicians in Gordon Goodwin’s BIG Phat Band, one of the most exciting large jazz ensembles on the planet. Which is why Goodwin needed to tone things down, make things more mobile for the road, and why the LITTLE Phat Band was created.
Populated by L.A.’s finest players, much like the Big Phat Band, they also take the big band tradition into the new millennium with a contemporary, highly original sound featuring Goodwin’s witty, intricate, and hard-swinging compositions in a veritable grab bag of styles: swing, Latin, blues, classical, rock and more.
Having just released their debut album via Music Of Content this past September 9th, 2016, An Elusive Man, this Little Phat Band -
Gordon Goodwin, piano, tenor sax, compositions; Eric Marienthal, saxes;
Wayne Bergeron, trumpet; Andy Martin, trombone; Andrew Synowiec, guitar;
Rick Shaw, bass; and Bernie Dresel, drums - first bring us that fine Big Band style with the foot-tappin' 'The LP Shuffle'. They then back brilliantly with a trio of mid tempo cuts in 'Cot in the Act', the laid back 'Behind You', and the finger-snappin' title track 'An Elusive Man'.
Next up are the all-aboard-for-fun salsa flavored swing of both 'Samba Cya' and 'Garaje Gato', which are followed by the low key, smokey 'I Know You', 'Walkin'', with the album coming to a close with the sombre trumpet of Duke Ellington's 'In a Sentimental Mood' and then the upbeat, triumphant celebration of 'Why We Can't Have Nice Things'.
A keyboardist and woodwind player, Goodwin has built a larger-than-life reputation throughout the music industry for his composing, arranging and playing skills. Here on An Elusive Man he showcases them all and along with his Little Phat Band, well, if this isn't as complete an album of its genre ilk, I just don't know what is.
www.bigphatband.com
www.facebook.com/BigPhatBand