May 5, 6 & 7 Sydney Intensive

Pianist/composer/arranger and band leader, Gordon Goodwin leads one of THE most exciting large jazz ensembles on the planet. Populated by L.A.’s finest players, the Big Phat Band takes 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.

A steady, persistent audio diet of the giants of jazz, pop, rock and funk has nourished Goodwin’s being since childhood. Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Tower of Power, among many others, filled the well for the music his band makes today. And like those other bands, Goodwin’s music is nothing less than astonishing when experienced live.

Goodwin’s ability to combine jazz excellence with any musical style makes his writing appealing to fans across the spectrum. That’s why both beboppers and headbangers dig Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.

Established in 2000, the Big Phat Band’s debut recording, Swingin’ For The Fences (Silverline Records), featured guest artists Arturo Sandoval and Eddie Daniels. It made history as the first commercially available DVD-Audio title ever released and the first DVD-Audio title to receive two GRAMMY nominations.

The band’s second album, XXL (Silverline Records), was released on DVD-Audio and compact disc in 2003. Charting its first week, XXL garnered three GRAMMY nominations for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Best Instrumental Composition (“Hunting Wabbits”) and Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocals (“Comes Love” with Brian McKnight and Take 6), while winning the Surround Sound Award for “Best Made for Surround Sound Title.” The list of guest artists matched the high quality of the first release and featured, among others, Johnny Mathis and the incomparable Michael Brecker.

The Big Phat Band’s third album, The Phat Pack (immergent Records), with guest stars Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, Eddie Daniels and Take 6, received a GRAMMY nomination and spent 31 weeks on the Billboard jazz charts.

Released in September 2008, the Big Phat Band’s fourth recording, Act Your Age, far outsold every other big band record in its path. Produced by acclaimed guitarist Lee Ritenour, it featured a host of terrific guests including Patti Austin, Chick Corea, Dave Grusin and even Ritenour himself, plus a special appearance by the late pianist Art Tatum on a stunning performance that had jaws dropping right and left. The critically acclaimed Act Your Age garnered three GRAMMY nominations.

A keyboardist and woodwind player, Goodwin has built a larger-than-life reputation throughout the music industry for his composing, arranging and playing skills. Ray Charles, Christina Aguilera, Johnny Mathis, Toni Braxton, John Williams, Natalie Cole, David Foster, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Brian McKnight and Quincy Jones are just a few of the artists with whom he has worked. Goodwin has also conducted world-renowned symphony orchestras in Atlanta, Dallas, Utah, Seattle, Toronto and London.

Goodwin’s cinematic scoring and orchestration craft can be heard on such films as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Escape to Witch Mountain, Get Smart, Glory Road, National Treasure, The Incredibles, Remember The Titans, Armageddon, The Majestic, Con Air, Gone In 60 Seconds, Enemy of the State, Star Trek Nemesis and even the classic cult film Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes. Goodwin’s soundtrack to Looney Tunes’ Bah HumDuck! – a wacky Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck riff on the classic A Christmas Carol – also features the Big Phat Band’s patented sound.

Wayne Bergeron

Wayne Bergeron is enjoying a career as one of the most active players on the Los Angeles scene. With studio dates, International touring, jazz concerts, guest soloist appearances and clinics he has no intention of slowing down.

Bergeron’s first solo Big Band CD entitled “You Call This A Living?” earned him a Grammy nomination in 2004 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble as well as rave reviews from fans and press worldwide. Wayne’s latest recording “Plays Well With Others” was released on the Concord Jazz label in early 2007 is being met with the same gusto. On “Plays Well With Others” Bergeron is joined on the track “Maynard & Waynard” by his mentor, the late Maynard Ferguson in one of the trumpet legends final recordings.

As a sideman Wayne has been involved with hundreds of CD projects that include Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, Chicago, Bette Midler, Ray Charles, Diane Reeves, Celine Dion, Diana Krall, Mel Torm, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Lou Rawls, Rosemary Clooney, Diane Schuur, Joe Cocker, Kenny G., Dave Koz and David Benoit.

A partial list of film credits include “Enchanted,” “Horton Hears A Who,” “The Incredibles,” “Superman Returns,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Ratatouille,” “The Simpson’s Movie,” “Dreamgirls,” “Hairspray,” “Spiderman,” “Team America,” “South Park” and “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.”

Wayne enjoys his work as a clinician/guest soloist and continues to tour in the US as well as abroad.