After more than a decade of making beautiful music at
home, on the road and in the studio, Gordon Goodwin's irrepressible Big Phat Band
keeps rolling merrily along, burning rubber on its sixth free-wheeling
recording (and first for Telarc Records).
Apart from his unquestioned status as a world-class
composer, arranger, pianist and saxophonist, Goodwin has a keen eye for what
moves records, and never fails to include on his albums a few
"guests" whose names are well-known in various precincts of the jazz
world.
This time around, they include alto saxophonists Dave Koz andGerald Albright (featured
with fellow alto Eric Marienthal on
"Rippin' 'n Runnin'"), the vocal group Take 6 and
electric bassist Marcus Miller (front
and center with Goodwin at the Hammond B-3 organ on the funky anthem
"Never Enough").
Goodwin, who favors the occasional hackneyed rock beat
/ tempo to keep the younger generation engaged, wrote and arranged everything
on That's How We Roll save for the "encore," George Gershwin's time-honored masterpiece,
"Rhapsody in Blue," which he has nimbly remodeled for a twenty-first
century audience.
When Goodwin chooses to pursue a straight-ahead
course, as on "Hunting Wabbits 3," "Gaining on You,"
"It's Not Polite to Point" or "Race to the Bridge," there
aren't many contemporary composers who can generate as much sustained vigor and
excitement. "Bridge," in particular, is consistently inspiring,
sounding more than a trace like a warmhearted salute to another big-band giant,
the late Bob Florence.
With Marienthal in high gear, the Big Phat Band comes
out swinging on "That's How We Roll" and lingers in a similar groove
on the tongue-in-cheek mambo, "Howdiz Songo?" The three altos acquit
themselves well on the choppy "Rippin,'" which precedes the whimsical
"Hunting Wabbits," Goodwin's gentle ballad "Everlasting"
(solo by guitarist Andrew Synowiec) and ultra-swift "Gaining on You"
(Brian Scanlon, tenor; Goodwin, piano).
The trombone section (Andy Martin, Francisco Torres, Charlie Morillas, Craig Ware) is
showcased on the rhythmic "Point," Marienthal and Scanlon on
"Bridge." Trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, who solos with Synowiec on
"Howdiz Songo?," has the last word on "Rhapsody in Blue,"
following perceptive statements by Martin and tenor Jeff Driskill, while clarinetist Sal Lozano
reproduces the well-known glissando that heralds the theme.
If this is indeed how Goodwin and his Big Phat Band
roll, long may they continue to do so. At its best (which in this case is most
of the time), the BPB is one of the more persuasive and proficient ensembles on
the US scene today, thanks in large measure to the remarkable talent and
versatility of its strong-minded leader. That's How We Roll is arguably the band's most impressive
album to date, and considering the competition, that's saying a lot.
