Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band

Winning 4 Grammys and 20 Grammy nominations is a reliable indicator for constant and high-level professionalism. Gordon Goodwin built his fame with the Big Phat Band, a large 18-piece ensemble. Little Phat Band is his 8-member alternative.

Their debut album An Elusive Man is available since September 9, 2016. Beside Gordon (piano and tenor sax) are performing Wayne Bergeron (trumpet), Eric Marienthal (alto and tenor sax), Andy Martin (trombone), Andrew Synowiec (electric and acoustic guitar), Rick Shaw (electric and acoustic bass), Bernie Dresel (drums) and Joey De Leon (percussion).

The LP Shuffle is a striking example for a Big Band formation with natural energy and a blistering chemistry. The emphasis is on pure brass in straight swinging. Cot In The Act is full of fun and flavor with guitar and sax in expanding solos. But when the brass team gets underway, the music is reaching full steam.

Behind You opens a plethora of musical boxes, moods and styles. One never knows what to find next corner. On the title track Andrew Synowiec brings in a sonic fury with bluesy approach on electric guitar through distortion effects. The various horns amp up to a powerful equipoise.

Samba Cya pulses with impressive solos by pianist Gordon Goodwin and guitarist Andrew Synowiec. A scorebook of this Latin jazz tune is available. Garaje Gato (Garage Cat) celebrates the salsa, the rhythm and more flowers of beautiful Latin America with musical pyrotechnics of Wayne Bergeron on trumpet, Bernie Dresel on drums and Gordon on piano.

With I Know You and Miles Davis' Walkin' Little Phat Band returns to the swinging jazz of East Coast with a broad jazz orchestration. In A Sentimental Mood is a composition by Duke Ellington (1935), he recorded with John Coltrane. The band keeps the original arrangement untouched and opens this way a window to the glorious time of Big Bands with their very own spirit.

Why We Can't Have Nice Things exposes Eric Marienthal's impressive talent on tenor sax which he only can expand in full range when he is performing the jazz realm. Andy Martin follows with another smashing solo on trombone.

Gordon Goodwin is with his formations the first address in Big Bands and with An Elusive Man he remains in this genre the measure of all things.