Gordon Goodwin
Gordon L. Goodwin (born 1954) is an American pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He is the leader of Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. He has won four Grammy Awards and three Daytime Emmy Awards, and has received over twenty Grammy nominations for his compositions and arrangements.
For the British athlete, see Gordon Goodwin (athlete).Early life and education[edit]
Gordon Goodwin was born in Wichita, Kansas.[1] He wrote his first big band chart, called "Hang Loose", when he was in the seventh grade. He continued his musical education at California State University, Northridge, with Joel Leach and Bill Calkins.
Career[edit]
Following graduation from college, Goodwin was employed as a musician at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. Subsequently, Disney approached him to write a musical show featuring past and present Mouseketeers, including Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.[2] Since then, Goodwin has risen to prominence in the American studio music scene with his big band, The Big Phat Band.[3][1] He has written and worked with artists like Ray Charles; Christina Aguilera; Johnny Mathis; John Williams; Natalie Cole; David Foster; Sarah Vaughan; Mel Tormé; Leslie Odom, Jr.; Idina Menzel; Lang Lang; and Quincy Jones, to name a few. Goodwin is the host of a nationally syndicated jazz radio program called Phat Tracks with Gordon Goodwin, also airing weekends on KSDS, San Diego's 88.3 FM.
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