Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band ‍

The Big Phat Sound. A More Intimate Stage.

Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band brings the remarkable musicianship, compositional imagination, and rhythmic sophistication of the Big Phat Band into a smaller ensemble setting.

Far from being a conventional jazz combo, the Little Phat Band was created to explore the full range of Gordon's music through a more flexible instrumentation, allowing extraordinary soloists greater freedom while preserving the tightly arranged ensemble passages, stylistic variety, and distinctive musical personality audiences associate with the Goodwin name.

The result is a group that can move effortlessly between hard-swinging jazz, blues, Latin rhythms, funk, and contemporary instrumental music.

A Band with Its Own Musical History

The Little Phat Band is an established part of Gordon Goodwin's musical catalog.

Its 2016 recording, An Elusive Man, demonstrated just how much musical power could be generated by a compact collection of exceptional instrumentalists.

That recording featured many of the musicians closely identified with Gordon's work, including trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, saxophonist Eric Marienthal, and trombonist Andy Martin, alongside an exceptional rhythm section.

The smaller instrumentation places particular emphasis on improvisation and interaction, allowing individual musicians to become more prominent without sacrificing Gordon's intricate compositional voice.

It is an outstanding concert format in its own right, rather than simply a reduced version of the Big Phat Band.

Continuing Gordon Goodwin's Music

Following Gordon's passing in December 2025, his music continues through the work of the musicians and creative partners who helped bring it to audiences around the world.

The Little Phat Band provides an additional setting in which that music can continue to be performed, explored, and introduced to new audiences.

Its connection to the Big Phat Band's remarkable musical community creates opportunities for performances featuring internationally recognized instrumentalists, with specific touring personnel determined by availability and the requirements of each engagement.