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| Big Phat Band Toasts The Swinging Vegas Crew by Mitzye Ramos On a mission to bring the music, persona and effortless cool of the Rat Pack and big band eras back to the modern world, The Big Phat Band releases The Phat Pack on June 13th (immergent), their tip of the hat to a sound that refuses to go out of style. "We in the Big Phat Band have similar aspirations as the original Rat Pack, " explains bandleader and composer Gordon Goodwin, "to bring to our audience a form of timeless music. We try to play this music with energy, passion and abandon, and with the same sense of fun that Frank, Sammy and Dean had." But the fun doesn't mask the phenomenal collective talent of the band, nominated for five Grammy Awards including their win for "Best Made for Surround Title." This year, Goodwin took home his very own Grammy for his work on the blockbuster animated feature The Incredibles (which he added to his trophy shelf alongside his three Emmys) and has since been asked to work on the musical score for the upcoming camp film Snakes on A Plane. No stranger to cult classics, Goodwin scored Attack of the Killer Tomatoes fresh out of college and even decided to include the theme song on the new album. He and the band are also working on the upcoming Looney Tunes/Warner Bros Animation holiday DVD, Bah Humduck. For The Phat Pack, they team up with fellow 2006 Grammy winner Dianne Reeves (Good Night and Good Luck) on a sizzling update of the sassy, swinging classic "Too Close For Comfort." Take 6 join in on the Frank Sinatra anthem "It Was A Very Good Year, " and the album closes with "American Elegy, " Goodwin's stirring epic reflecting a post 9-11 world. In addition to the 13 track CD, a bonus DVD is included that features performance footage of the band shot at concerts around the world and in the legendary Capitol recording studios, surround sound versions of all the songs found on the CD, "make your own mix" of a Big Phat Band track, solo transcriptions for music buffs, audio commentary about each Phat Pack track, band member bios, and even a trivia game that leads winners to a hidden bonus audio track. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |