Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
Even for a successful composer and arranger in Hollywood, Gordon Goodwin’s numbers are impressive: a 2006 Grammy Award for his work on the Pixar film “The Incredibles,” three Emmy Awards, thirteen Grammy nominations. Another impressive number: eighteen, as in the number of players in Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, one of the most exciting large ensembles on the planet. Populated by L.A.’s finest players, the Big Phat Band has taken the big band tradition into the new millennium with a contemporary, highly original sound featuring Goodwin’s witty, intricate and hard-swinging compositions in a veritable grab bag of styles: swing, Latin, blues, classical, rock and more. For his new project, “An Elusive Man,” he has pared down the big band to his Little Phat Band, featuring some the same players from the Big Phat Band, including Eric Marienthal, Wayne Bergeron and Andy Martin.
Pianist Mike Jone
s is one of the most adept keyboard practitioners of mainstream jazz. He has gained international attention for his work with Penn and Teller. Over the past fifteen years, millions of Las Vegas visitors have heard the versatile pianist play with the eminent magic team at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino. Jones is not only the opening act for the show, he is also the music director and composer for the production. His new CD, “Roaring,” was made while he was appearing in the sold out “Penn and Teller on Broadway” show. It brings sparkling new life to standards from the 1920s. Teaming up with marvelously sympathetic rhythm team of Katie Thiroux and bass and Matt Witek on drums, Jones fully displays the dexterous technique, style and taste that have brought him acclaim from both jazz cognoscenti and critics alike.
Also this week, pianist Tim Ray pays loving tribute to some of his heroes on “Windows,” including McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Duke Ellington and Horace Silver.
Singer Dia
ne Witherspoon is captured “Live” at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley.
Trumpeter Steffen Kuehn’s “Leap of Faith” captures a master of contemporary jazz at the top of his game with special guests Bob Mintzer and Mark Russo.