Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Brad Goode听debuts his exciting new quartet on听Tight Like This, Goode鈥檚 fourth Delmark Records CD and his twelfth as a leader. The Chicago native has assembled the band 鈥淚鈥檝e longed for my entire career,鈥� one that shares his willingness to take risks 鈥渨hile maintaining respect for the form and the group sound.鈥澨�Tight Like This听will be released September 21.
Toronto pianist Adrean Farrugia, Chicago bassist Kelly Sill, and Brooklyn-based drummer Anthony Leecan play 鈥渁ny way you want it 鈥� straight-up, broken time, abstract, swinging, funky, intense, mellow, serious, funny 鈥� which is exactly how I like it,鈥� says Goode.
On the new CD, Goode tips his hat to trumpeters past with reinventions of vintage material such as the title track, recorded by Louis Armstrong鈥檚 Hot 5; 鈥淐hanges,鈥� a showcase for Bix Beiderbecke with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra; and 鈥淩everse the Charges,鈥� composed by one of Goode鈥檚 trumpet heroes, Freddie Webster. The five Goode originals include 鈥淪ummary,鈥� a tribute in 3/4 time to saxophonist Eddie Harris, Goode鈥檚 late friend and mentor; and 鈥淏ob鈥檚 Bounce,鈥� a hard-bopping salute to Delmark Records founder Bob Koester, who issued Goode鈥檚 very first album in 1988.
鈥淚鈥檝e spent hundreds of hours just listening to him talk,鈥� the trumpeter says of Koester. 鈥淔or me, a jazz history professor, it鈥檚 been great knowing Bob and hearing all of his insight and all of his stories about his own experiences.鈥�
Goode plans to take the new quartet on tour during his 2011 sabbatical from the University of Colorado; in the more immediate future, he鈥檚 scheduled to appear with them at the Chicago Jazz Festival 9/5 and the Hyde Park Jazz Festival 9/25.
Brad Goode, 46, was born and raised in Chicago, where he started on cornet at 10 and switched to trumpet at 13. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in trumpet from the University of Kentucky and a master鈥檚 in bass from DePaul University. From 1986 to 1997, Goode led his own group in Chicago with a cast including saxophonists Lin Halliday and Ron Blake, pianists Jodie Christian and Ron Perrillo, guitarist Fareed Haque, trombonist Paul McKee, and drummer Dana Hall. The group often was augmented by Von Freeman and Ira Sullivan, and appeared each Wednesday at the Green Mill for 11 years.
Goode鈥檚 recording debut came in 1988, with Shock of the New for Delmark. He recorded an eponymous album for Sunlight in 1995; two for SteepleChase (Toy Trumpet in 2000, By Myself in 2001); Hypnotic Suggestion (2006) and Nature Boy (2007) for Delmark; and, most recently, Polytonal Dance Party (Origin, 2008). The trumpeter also led four SteepleChase Inside Chicago dates with Von Freeman in the early 2000s, and was a featured member of Curtis Fuller鈥檚 quintet on the 2004 Delmark album Up Jumped Spring.
In 1997 Goode accepted a professorship at the University of Cincinnati, and in 2004 he moved to Boulder to teach at the University of Colorado, where he is an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies. He teaches jazz theory, analysis, and improvisation classes; coaches combos and big bands; gives trumpet and bass lessons; and teaches jazz history at the graduate level.
鈥淪ince I left Chicago in 1997,鈥� says Goode, 鈥淚鈥檝e focused my energy on being an effective and dedicated teacher. My performing has mostly consisted of sideman and freelance work, more often as a lead trumpeter rather than as a soloist. With this great quartet, I hope to return to performing creative jazz on a more regular basis. I feel ready, and I hope people will enjoy this new recording.鈥�
