GORDON GOODWIN´S BIG PHAT BAND — Act Your Age (2008) Two Version | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless & APE (image+.cue), lossless

It isn't easy to keep a big band together, but Gordon Goodwin has come up with various strategies to maintain his Big Phat Band since its founding at the turn of the 21st century. Although the band is a vehicle for his writing and arranging, Goodwin has not been shy about bringing on eye-catching guest stars and trying new things, whether that meant having Johnny Mathis sing a number or Dave Sanborn contribute to a reading of "Play That Funky Music." He has been rewarded with Grammy nominations and stratospheric sales (for this style of music, that is) in the 15,000-20,000 range. Act Your Age, the fourth Big Phat Band album (not counting the group's 2006 soundtrack to Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas) again reveals Goodwin's marketing savvy. Deliberately offered up just before the deadline for the 2008 Grammy Awards, it boasts a bevy of guests including Chick Corea, who recreates his "Senor Mouse"; Patti Austin, singing a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's "September"; electric bassist Nathan East, taking the lead role on the title tune; Dave Grusin, playing on his "Punta Del Soul"; the album's producer, Lee Ritenour, adding electric guitar to "September" and "Punta Del Soul"; and, um, "Art Tatum." The quotation marks are necessary since the Tatum contribution is virtual, courtesy of an electronic process by which a Tatum performance of "Yesterdays" from 1949 was digitized, then re-performed by a Diskclavier, accompanied by a big band arrangement provided by Goodwin. Traditionalists will cringe, of course, but Goodwin doesn't care about them. He cares about reanimating big-band music. Funnily enough, he does that most consistently on the tracks that don't have any guests or gimmicks, and they actually take up a good part of a long disc, just not, for the most part, in the early sequencing, where the guest stars are found. As the album goes on, Goodwin's charts turn out to be punchy and inventive, and he is abetted by a precise and enthusiastic ensemble. He may have included more tangential elements than big band fans would prefer, but there is some undeniable contemporary big-band music on this album. (On CD copies of Act Your Age, "Floating Home," the album's final track, is available as a download-only track, not on the disc itself.)  William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
1    Hit The Ground Running 4:54
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
2    Watermelon Man 5:27
Composed By – Herbie Hancock
Featuring, Piano – Gordon Goodwin
3    September 4:29
Composed By – Al McKay, Allee Willis, Maurice White
Featuring, Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Featuring, Vocals – Patti Austin
4    Yesterdays 3:18
Composed By – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
Featuring, Piano – Art Tatum
5    Señor Mouse 5:00
Composed By – Chick Corea
Featuring, Piano – Chick Corea
6    Punta Del Soul 5:04
Composed By – Dave Grusin
Featuring, Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Featuring, Piano – Dave Grusin
7    Act Your Age 5:48
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Featuring, Electric Bass – Nathan East
8    Chance Encounters 7:34
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Soprano Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
9    Backrow Politics 8:05
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trumpet – Bob Summers, Dan Fornero, Dan Savant, Wayne Bergeron
10    East Coast Envy 5:12
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin
11    El Macho Muchacho 6:10
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
12    Gumbo Street 6:32
Composed By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Rick Shaw
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo Flute – Sal Lozano
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Jay Mason
Bass Trombone – Craig Ware
Drums – Bernie Dresel
Guitar – Andrew Synowiec (tracks: 1 to 7, 9), Grant Geissman (tracks: 8, 10 to 12)
Percussion – Brad Dutz
Piano, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Eric Marienthal
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Brian Scanlon
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Jeff Driskill
Trombone – Alex Iles (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7 to 12), Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Francisco Torres (tracks: 3, 5, 6)
Trumpet – Bob Summers (tracks: 1 to 6, 9), Dan Fornero, Dan Savant, Pete DeSienna (tracks: 7, 8, 10 to 12), Wayne Bergeron

GORDON GOODWIN´S BIG PHAT BAND — That's How We Roll (2011) 24-44.1Hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Upon seeing the title That's How We Roll, people who don't know anything about the history of pianist/tenor saxophonist Gordon Goodwin and his Big Phat Band might assume that this is a hip-hop recording. "That's how we roll" is a popular expression in hip-hop circles (at least as of 2011), but like a lot of the bebop and hipster slang of the '40s and '50s, hip-hop slang often reaches people who aren't necessarily part of hip-hop's core audience, and that includes a jazz instrumentalist like Goodwin, who is jazz-oriented on this 67-minute CD but doesn't conduct himself like a jazz purist from start to finish. 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. That's How We Roll has its share of tracks that could easily be described as big-band soul-jazz, including "Rippin' n Runnin'," "Howdiz Songo?," and the title tune. But "Race to the Bridge" and "Gaining on You" have boppish melodies, and Goodwin's hard-swinging arrangement of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (which is the only song on this 2011 release he didn't compose) is quite Basie-minded. Meanwhile, the least jazz-friendly track is "Never Enough," which features Take 6 and is the only vocal offering on a predominantly instrumental CD; "Never Enough" is the only time the album ventures into outright funk (as opposed to jazz-funk or soul-jazz). That's How We Roll is not an album that was recorded with jazz purists in mind, and at the same time, there is way too much improvisation for the smooth jazz crowd. But this is an enjoyable outing if one is seriously into big-band jazz and also has a strong appreciation of soul and funk. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1    That's How We Roll 7:06
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
2    Howdix Sango? 7:10
Featuring, Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Featuring, Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
3    Rippin' N Runnin' 6:59
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Gerald Albright
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
4    Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn) 7:55
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
5    Everlasting 5:40
Written-By, Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
6    Gaining On You 5:33
Featuring, Piano – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
7    Never Enough 5:45
Featuring, Electric Bass – Marcus Miller
Featuring, Organ [B-3] – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Vocals – Take 6
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin, Lisa Goodwin
8    It's Not Polite To Point 7:54
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Craig Ware, Francisco Torres
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
9    Race To The Bridge 6:11
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Encore    
10    Rhapsody In Blue 7:26
Featuring, Clarinet – Sal Lozano
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Driskill
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin
Featuring, Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
Written-By – George Gershwin
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Rick Shaw
Alto Saxophone – Kevin Garren (tracks: 5 to 7)
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Flute [Alto], Piccolo Flute – Sal Lozano
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Jay Mason
Drums – Bernie Dresel
Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Percussion – Brad Dutz
Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Eric Marienthal (tracks: 1 to 4, 8 to 10)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Brian Scanlon, Jeff Driskill
Trombone – Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Craig Gosnell (tracks: 1 to 7, 9), Craig Ware (tracks: 8, 10), Francisco Torres
Trumpet – Bob Summers, Dan Fornero (tracks: 1 to 4, 8 to 10), Dan Savant, Wayne Bergeron, Willie Murillo (tracks: 5 to 7)

GORDON GOODWIN´S BIG PHAT BAND — Life In The Bubble (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band's 2014 effort, Life in the Bubble, showcases the ensemble's lively, crisply swinging jazz sound. Included here is a mix of standards and originals including such songs as the hard-driving "Why We Can't Have Nice Things," the lively Latin-tinged "Garaje Gato," their freewheeling take on the classic "On Green Dolphin Street," and others. Matt Collar
Tracklist :
1    Life In The Bubble 6:47
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
2    Why We Can't Have Nice Things 6:20
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Kevin Garren
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin
3    Synolicks 8:16
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
4    Years Of Therapy 8:22
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
5    The Passage 6:47
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
6    Garaje Gato 6:51
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Drums – Bernie Dresel
Featuring, Percussion, Vocals – Joey Deleon
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trombone – Francisco Torres
7    Does This Chart Make Me Look Phat? 8:21
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Driskill
Featuring, Trumpet – Willie Murillo
8    Get Smart 4:28
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Written-By – Irving Szathmary
9    On Green Dolphin Street 3:37
Featuring, Piano – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trumpet – Bob Summers
Written-By – Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington
10    Party Rockers 3:57
Featuring, Vocals, Written-By – Judith Hill
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Rick Shaw
Alto Saxophone – Kevin Garren (tracks: 2)
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo Flute – Sal Lozano
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Jay Mason
Drums – Bernie Dresel
Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Percussion – Joey De Leon, Jr. (tracks: Joey Deleon)
Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Driskill (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7 to 9), Kevin Garren (tracks: 3, 4, 6)
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Brian Scanlon
Trombone – Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Craig Gosnell, Francisco Torres
Trumpet – Bob Summers (tracks: 9), Dan Fornero, Dan Savant, Wayne Bergeron, Willie Murillo

GORDON GOODWIN´S LITTLE PHAT BAND — An Elusive Man (2016) Two Version | FLAC (tracks+image.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    The LP Shuffle    7:36
 Gordon Goodwin
2    Cot In The Act    6:37
 Gordon Goodwin
3    Behind You    6:51
 Gordon Goodwin
4    An Elusive Man    9:11
 Gordon Goodwin
5    Samba Cya    5:06
 Gordon Goodwin
6    Garaje Gato    6:17
 Gordon Goodwin
7    I Know You    5:27
 Gordon Goodwin
8    Walkin'    5:32
 Richard Carpenter
9    In A Sentimental Mood    6:35
 Duke Ellington
10    Why Can't We Have Nice Things    6:19
 Gordon Goodwin
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Rick Shaw
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Arranged By, Piano, Tenor Saxophone, Mixed By – Gordon Goodwin
Drums – Bernie Dresel
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Percussion – Joey De Leon, Jr.
Trombone – Andy Martin
Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron