Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Gordon Goodwin & the Big Phat Band album release party in LA April 12

Since saxophonist/pianist and GRAMMYÒ-winning composer/arranger Gordon Goodwin first assembled his Big Phat Band in 2000 – the 18-piece band has become one of the most exciting large jazz ensembles on the planet. Populated by L.A.’s finest players, the Big Phat Band has burned up stages and studios with an eclectic, intelligent and high-energy brand of music that takes the big band tradition into the millennium with marrying the best elements of swing, Latin, blues, classical, rock and more. And the journey rolls on with the April 2011 Telarc release of That’s How We Roll. Jazz with Goodwin and the Big Phat Band for the CD Release Party at CATALINA BAR & GRILL – Tuesday, April 12th. Stage time is 8pm and 10pm. Tickets are $12.50 for students and $25 for general admission. Catalina’s is located at 6725 W. Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-466-2210.

The Band’s journey takes a new turn with the April 12, 2011, release of That’s How We Roll, the band’s sixth recording overall and debut on Telarc International, a division of Concord Music Group. That’s How We Roll is a ten-song set of all original material, save for an intriguing rendition of Gershwin’s classic “Rhapsody in Blue.” The remaining nine tracks were written by Goodwin, including the driving and syncopated “Never Enough,” which he co-authored with his wife, Lisa Goodwin. Along the way, the Big Phat Band gets some assistance from a handful of stellar artists: a cappella supergroup Take 6, saxophonists Gerald Albright and Dave Koz, and bassist Marcus Miller.

“There’s a significant segment of the population – and some are just high school kids – who inherited an appreciation for this music from their parents or their grandparents,” says Goodwin. “They don’t necessarily consider themselves jazz fans, but they find this music to be accessible without being highbrow or elitist. The inspiration behind this record is very simple, and very much in line with that of our previous records. We make music that sounds good to us, and it does seem to resonate with a lot of people.”

The album opens with the sly and ultra-tight title track that makes room for each of the horn sections to stretch out and establish their respective territory. In addition, guitarist Andrew Synowiec and bassist Rick Shaw also lay down some understated but solid grooves.

Equal parts simmering and funky, “Rippin’ and Runnin’” features the saxophone threesome of Albright, Koz and Eric Marienthal, a regular member of the Big Phat Band roster. Midway through the set, “Everlasting” sets up an interlude of melodic balladry that allows for a half-time breather of sorts.

“Never Enough” showcases the vocal work of Take 6, with a definitive underscoring by Marcus Miller on bass. The band closes by pumping up Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with an elastic tempo, an aggressive arrangement and generous spaces for ambitious solo flourishes. The resulting track preserves the integrity of the original material yet modernizes it for a contemporary audience.

It’s this kind of balance of the traditional with the progressive that underscores the Big Phat Band’s philosophy overall. “The title of the album is a statement about our desire and commitment to ensemble music that encompasses a wide range of styles,” says Goodwin. “That’s How We Roll is our way of saying, ‘This is the music that we believe in, and we’re going to play it and record it in a way that reflects that belief and the commitment.

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