Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Comes to Musco Center

Combining the big band swing of the 1930s and '40s with contemporary music, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band has become an international phenomenon, developing a reputation as one of the most innovative and versatile big band collectives in the last thirty years. On Sunday, March 10 at 4pm, Gordon Goodwin will bring his exciting Big Phat Band to Chapman University for a very special afternoon opened with a short set by the Chapman University Student Big Band.

With 21 Grammy nominations, four Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, Gordon Goodwin is the most decorated big band leader of the 21st century. Goodwin formed the ensemble in 2000, comprised of an 18-piece jazz orchestra populated by Southern California's finest musicians. Featuring Goodwin's witty, intricate and hard-swinging compositions, the Big Phat Band is known for taking the big band tradition into the new millennium with a contemporary, highly original sound.

"The Big Phat Band provides potent testimony to the sheer exhilaration of big band jazz...a combination of crisp accuracy and fiery soloing," wrote the Los Angeles Times.

In addition to opening for Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, The Chapman University Big Band, led by Albert Alva, will join the ensemble for a rousing side-by-side finale. This unique opportunity for students to rehearse and perform alongside the seasoned musicians is made possible by the Musco Master Class Program. Earlier this season, the Chapman Big Band opened for the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra and performed with vocalist Barbara Morrison.

Incorporating a wide range of styles including swing, Latin, blues, classical, rock and more, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band is redefining the big band genre. The Big Phat Band has toured all over the world, performing at the Hollywood Bowl, the San Francisco Jazz Festival, The Blue Note in Tokyo, among other prestigious festivals and events. Collaborations have included Brian McKnight, Johnny Mathis, Chick Corea, Take 6, Lee Ritenour, and other notable artists.

"This is a band made up of a group of musicians with diverse interests, and wide skill sets. We have always strived to break down barriers between musicals styles," said Goodwin.

Tickets for March 10 are on sale now for $25-45 and may be purchased through the Musco Center online at www.muscocenter.org or by calling the box office at 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726). All print-at-home tickets include a no-cost parking pass. Musco Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Chapman University at 415 North Glassell, Orange, Calif.

ABOUT GORDON GOODWIN

A keyboardist and woodwind player, Goodwin has built a larger-than-life reputation throughout the music industry for his composing, arranging and musicianship. Goodwin has worked with accomplished artists including Ray Charles, Christina Aguilera, John Williams, David Foster, Mel Torme, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, and Quincy Jones. He has conducted for world-renowned symphony orchestras in Atlanta, Dallas, Utah, Seattle, Toronto, and London. Goodwin's charts, published by Alfred Music, are continuously being played by students and professionals around the globe.

Goodwin's cinematic scoring and orchestrations can be heard in films such as National Treasure, The Incredibles, The Incredibles 2, Remember The Titans, Armageddon, Con Air, Star Trek: Nemesis, Gone in 60 Seconds and more.

ABOUT MUSCO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Since it opened on March 19, 2016, Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University has been hailed as "an ideal opera house, potentially the best in the West and maybe even something more" by the Los Angeles Times.

Designed by renowned architects Pfeiffer Partners, with acoustics by world-renowned Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics, Musco Center boasts an intimate seating chamber with 1,044 seats on three levels and a full-scale stagehouse capable of grand spectacle or lush symphonic sound with its unique orchestral shell in place. Musco Center serves as a dynamic focal point for campus life and the broader community, giving notice that world-class arts education and artistic achievement have found a new home in Southern California.

For more information about Musco Center and its upcoming events, and to purchase tickets online, visit www.muscocenter.org.

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