Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

My CD review last Friday was the new Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band disc "The Phat Pack."

An excerpt:

Running a big band is kind of like juggling flaming chain saws - who's to say which is more difficult? Gordon Goodwin - CSUN alumnus, Grammy ("The Incredibles") and Emmy winner - gives way more than the proverbial 110 percent with his 18-piece Big Phat Band.

What I didn't say in the review was that way back when I was in the big band at Grant High School (in what used to be Van Nuys, but is now Valley Glen), I remember Gordon's arrangements very well -- they were pretty rocking (literally, as in rock 'n' roll) for jazz arrangements, and it was pretty easy for the band to sound good with them, as we all understood and could interpret the language that much better.

Gordon is a California State University Northridge graduate, and he talks about the importance of learning the classical saxophone there. I also know of Gordon through his close association with guitarist Grant Geissman (guess they save on monogramming by buying in bulk, no?) also a CSUN alumnus.

They played together in Grant's early group, which was very popular in L.A. in the '80s, drawing large crowds at Donte's in North Hollywood, where my underage self once saw them.

(At left is Grant Geissman's famous Gibson-L5-in-the-pool shot, which he explains on one of the extras from the DVD, "The Grant Geissman Quintet - There and Back Again." Gordon is also featured on the DVD, which includes video, audio and extras.)