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Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece jazz orchestra led by Gordon Goodwin that combines the big band swing of the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion. Since its origin, the Big Phat Band has received several Grammy Awards and many Grammy nominations.

Its first album, Swingin' for the Fences, was the first recording released on DVD-Audio and the first DVD-Audio to be nominated for two Grammy Awards.^[1]

When he founded the Big Phat Band in 1999, Goodwin was working in Hollywood as a composer for Warner Brothers cartoons. His first attraction to big band music was at the age of 13 when he heard Count Basie.^[2]

Band members

Saxophones

Eric Marienthal – 1st alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, piccolo, flute
Sal Lozano – 2nd alto saxophone, clarinet, piccolo, flute
Brian Scanlon – 1st tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
Jeff Driskill – 2nd tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
Jay Mason – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, flute

Trumpets

Wayne Bergeron – 1st trumpet
Dan Fornero – 2nd (split lead) trumpet
Mike Rocha – 3rd trumpet
Dan Savant – 4th trumpet

Trombones

Andy Martin – 1st trombone
Charlie Morillas – 2nd trombone
Francisco Torres – 3rd trombone
Craig Gosnell – bass trombone

Rhythm section

Gordon Goodwin – piano
Will Brahm – guitar
Kevin Axt – bass
Ray Brinker – drums
Joey DeLeon – percussion

Temporary players

Dan Higgins – 1st alto saxophone (Swingin' for the Fences)
Ray Brinker – drums
Grant Geissman – guitar (Swingin' for the Fences, XXL, The Phat Pack, Act Your Age)
Carl Verheyen – guitar
Luis Conte – percussion
Dennis Farias – 1st trumpet (Sing Sang Sung)

Previous Players

Bernie Dresel - drums
Bob Summers - trumpet
Craig Ware - bass trombone
Colin Meyer - trombone
Alex Iles - trombone
Willie Murillo - trumpet
Andrew Synowick - guitar

Featured soloists

Discography

Swingin' for the Fences (Silverline, 2000)
XXL (Silverline, 2003)
The Phat Pack (Immergent, 2006)
Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (Immergent, 2006)
Act Your Age (Immergent, 2008)
Dave Siebels With: Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (PBGL, 2009)
That's How We Roll (Telarc, 2011)
Life in the Bubble (Telarc, 2014)
Wrap This! (Music of Content, 2015)
The Gordian Knot (Music of Content, 2019)
The Reset (Music of Content, 2021)
Raymond Scott Reimagined (Violinjazz Recordings, 2023) with Quartet San Francisco

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards

Best Instrumental Arrangement – "On Green Dolphin Street" (2014)
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Life in the Bubble (2016)

Grammy Award nominations

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album – XXL (2003), Act Your Age (2008)
Best Instrumental Composition – "Hunting Wabbits", (2003), "Hit the Ground Running" (2008), "Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get off my Lawn)" (2012)
Best Instrumental Arrangement – "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" (2006), "Yo Tannenbaum" (2007), "Yesterdays" (2008), "Rhapsody in Blue" (2012), "Party Rockers" (2015)
Best Instrumental Arrangement with Vocals – "Comes Love" with Brian McKnight and Take 6 (2003)