Gordon Goodwin is an American jazz pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor. Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ...

Early Years

Gordon Goodwin began his musical education at Cal State Northridge with Joel Leach and Bill Calkins. After graduation he was recruited to Louie Bellson's big band, where he played with the likes of Pete Christlieb and Don Menza. He went on to play under Les Hooper and Grant Geissman. A state-funded university in Northridge, California, part of the California State University System, formerly the San Fernando Valley State College. ... Grant Geissman, born April 13, 1953 in Berkeley, California, is a jazz guitarist and an Emmy-nominated composer for network TV series and TV movies. ...

Big Phat Band

Since then, Goodwin has risen to prominence in the American jazz scene with his big band, The Big Phat Band. This band brings together the talents of such players as Wayne Bergeron and Eric Marienthal. Under Goodwin's direction, the band has released two albums: "Swingin' For The Fences," which received two Grammy nominations, and "XXL," which received three. Goodwin himself has received many individual awards, including a recent Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement for his work on the feature film The Incredibles. Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... It has been suggested that Operation Kronos be merged into this article or section. ...

Gordon Goodwin's music with the Big Phat Band is distributed by Silverline Records.

Popular Culture Scene

As a film scorer, Goodwin has worked on such films as Fern Gully, The Majestic and Enemy of the State. His work in television includes music for the TV series The Animaniacs. His recording history includes performances with artists as diverse as Mel Torme, Ray Charles and Christina Aguilera. Goodwin is also a talented conductor, having worked with such groups as the London Symphony Orchestra and Seattle Symphony Orchestra. FernGully: The Last Rainforest is an animated feature produced by 20th Century Fox and released on April 10, 1992. ... The Majestic is a 2001 film, written by Michael Sloane, and directed by Frank Darabont. ... Enemy of the State is a 1998 film written by David Marconi, directed by Tony Scott, and starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, and Lisa Bonet. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs was a popular animated TV cartoon series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... Mel Tormé (September 13, 1925 - June 5, 1999) was a jazz singer with a light, velvety, high-tenor voice. ... Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004). ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer-songwriter. ... The London Symphony Orchestra (frequently abbreviated to LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... The Seattle Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. ...

Educational Use of Works

Gordon Goodwin's arrangements and composistions have become increasingly popular with High School and College level jazz ensembles. Many of his original arrangements are student-friendly, making them excellent teaching tools in terms of style and general technique. The 'current-ness' of his music and the wide availability of recordings make Goodwin's music easy to use for detailed interpretation practices in which recreation of the original sound is important. Songs of his such as "High Maintainence", "Samba Del Gringo", and "The Jazz Police" are especially popular in high schools across the country.

Discography

The Big Phat Band has three albums currently released:

1. Swingin' For The Fences

2. XXL

3. The Phat Pack