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Brad Goode

A multi-instrumentalist and composer who performs on trumpet, bass and drums, Brad Goode is recognized as a unique stylist with a highly creative approach to improvisation. He has recorded on dozens of jazz albums, including 18 as a leader for the Delmark, Sunlight, SteepleChase and Origin labels. He is a dedicated educator, with many of his students enjoying successful music careers.

Brad began playing violin at age 4, switching to rock guitar at age 8. He later earned a BM degree in classical trumpet at the University of Kentucky, and an MM degree in bass at DePaul University. His trumpet teachers include Vincent DiMartino, Byron Baxter, Clark Terry, Chris Gekker and William Adam. He studied bass with Larry Gray, Donald "Rafael" Garrett, Carroll Crouch, and Eddie DeHaas.

Brad learned Jazz through the time-honored system of apprenticeship. His participation in this tradition was extensive, lasting well into his thirties. During his apprenticeship years, he toured and recorded with the bands of Von Freeman, Red Rodney, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Curtis Fuller, Jack DeJohnette, Ernie Krivda, Eddie Johnson, Rosemary Clooney, Barrett Deems and the Woody Herman Orchestra, among others.

Brad led his own combo in Chicago from 1985 until 1998, including a twelve-year stint as leader of the house band at the Green Mill. As a Cultural Ambassador for Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, he led jazz groups on tours of Asia and the Middle East.  He was named one of the most influential Chicagoans of the 1980s by the Chicago Tribune, who credited him as a “major catalyst in the revitalization of the Chicago jazz scene.”

Brad’s work as a musician has taken many forms. As a freelance musician, he has performed extensively as a first trumpeter for big bands, salsa groups, symphony orchestras, musical theatre productions, and commercial recordings. As a soloist, he is equally comfortable playing Traditional Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Fusion, Free Jazz, Klezmer, Pop, and Classical, possessing a memorized repertoire of hundreds of songs in each genre. He is active as a bassist as well, in a variety of contexts. Brad currently tours with the bands of Canadian vocalist Matt Dusk and West African drummer Paa Kow, and with his own quintet featuring legendary saxophonist Ernie Watts.

As an educator, Brad’s desire to help musicians succeed is his primary focus. He combines experience as a seasoned performer with a passion for study and research, and he offers a thoughtful perspective to his classes and private students. He is recognized as a master teacher of brass technique, and is an authority on rehabilitation and recovery from injury in brass players. He teaches jazz history to performers from the perspective of a performer, utilizing in-depth musical analysis. Brad’s philosophy on the teaching of improvisation is unique, formed by his own learning experiences outside of academia. He has presented lectures internationally on the need for a reconsideration of jazz pedagogy methods, and teaches courses on jazz pedagogy to graduate students and educators. He believes in the value of jam sessions as learning environments, and runs weekly sessions for students to learn by playing with pros.

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37
Album Review

Kent Engelhardt & Stephen Enos: Madd For Tadd

Read "Madd For Tadd" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The masterworks on this second edition of Madd for Tadd are presented on two discs, one of which bears the name of one of composer/pianist Tadd Dameron's classic themes, “Our Delight." Oddly, the other is named for the only non-Dameronian item on the menu, “Central Avenue Swing," written by saxophonist and Dameron chronicler Kent Engelhardt who adapted the composer's tasteful charts for a big band and co-leads the ensemble with trumpeter Steve Enos. Although he is most ...

38
Album Review

Ted Piltzecker: Vibes on a Breath

Read "Vibes on a Breath" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Even though Ted Piltzecker is a splendid vibraphonist and ushers a group of Colorado's leading jazz musicians through its paces on Vibes on a Breath, it is his sparkling arrangements that carry the day on this delightful new album. Several members of Piltzecker's septet double, and he makes the most of that versatility, writing charts that bring to the fore John Gunther's bass clarinet, Wil Swindler's baritone sax and (on the closing number) Judith Leclair's bassoon and Javier Diaz's percussion. ...

12
Album Review

Brad Goode: The Unknown

Read "The Unknown" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


One of the joys attached to reviewing music is the exposure to artists who otherwise might not show up on the radar. For every Pat Metheny there are a hundred highly-creative, lower-profile, hugely-talented guitarists plucking the strings; for every Brad Mehldau plying the trade ten dozen marvelous, relatively unknown pianists show up in the mailbox or the downloads. And for every Ralph Alessi out there blowing their horns, you will--with just a bit of digging--encounter scores of trumpeters riding below ...

Album Review

David Sanford Big Band feat. Hugh Ragin: A Prayer for Lester Bowie

Read "A Prayer for Lester Bowie" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


La variopinta composizione di Hugh Ragin dedicata a Lester Bowie dà il titolo al nuovo album di David Sanford ma non ne esaurisce gli intenti. Il premiato compositore, bandleader e didatta di Pittsburgh aggiunge infatti sette suoi nuovi brani, confermando fantasiosa padronanza del disegno orchestrale in equilibrio tra linguaggio contemporaneo e tradizione. I brani del disco sono stati incisi nel 2016 e vedono la luce solo ora grazie all'etichetta Greenleaf di Dave Douglas. L'incisione è stata effettuata ...

4
Album Review

Brad Goode: That's Right!

Read "That's Right!" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


The first collaboration between trumpeter Brad Goode and saxophonist Ernie Watts is a case study in superior musicianship and improvisation. It also illustrates how two frontline performers and their supporting band can achieve excellence as a creative ensemble. The kickoff, “Half Moon," an original from pianist Adrean Farrugia, is reminiscent of the popular work of Chuck Mangione. Goode states the theme and chases all the clouds away before Watts enters to echo the theme and stretch out ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

Brad Goode, Brad Turner and More New Releases

Read "Brad Goode, Brad Turner and More New Releases" reviewed by Bob Osborne


This week we feature excellent new albums by Brad Goode, Brad Turner, Gregory Rivkin and Samuel Blais alongside some other new releases and archive picks. Playlist Brad Goode Quintet “Half Moon" from That's Right (Origin Records) 00:00 Brad Turner “Ups and Downs" from Pacific (Cellar Live) 09:34 Gregory Rivkin “Portrait of Elvin" from A Certain Attitude (Vitaly Manevich / LemonJuice Studio) 16:52 Samuel Blais “Imitation Game" from Equilibrium (Odd Sound) 23:17 Bobby Hutcherson “Don Is" from Enjoy ...

8
Album Review

Brad Goode: That's Right!

Read "That's Right!" reviewed by Jim Trageser


With a fat, rich tone somewhere between French classical trumpeter Maurice André and the flugelhorn of Chuck Mangione, Brad Goode has the ultimate calling card for a jazz player: An immediately recognizable sound. The fact that he's also got an upper register to rival Maynard Ferguson makes Goode one of the most underknown of jazz players. Joined by the great Ernie Watts on tenor sax, and a solid rhythm section of Adrean Farrugia (piano), Kelly Sill (bass) and ...

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4

Recording

'That's Right!,' The Recording Debut Of Trumpeter Brad Goode's Quintet Featuring Tenor Titan Ernie Watts, Set For October 19 Release By Origin Records

'That's Right!,' The Recording Debut Of Trumpeter Brad Goode's Quintet Featuring Tenor Titan Ernie Watts, Set For October 19 Release By Origin Records

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

That’s Right!, the recording debut of trumpeter Brad Goode’s quintet featuring tenor titan Ernie Watts, documents the virtuosity and versatility of one of the tightest working bands on the contemporary jazz scene. Set for October 19 release by Origin Records, the album is a powerful showcase for Goode’s ideal quintet as well as the soloing chops and writing skills of each of its members. Watts and Goode first shared the front line in a concert at the University of Colorado ...

1

Recording

Trumpeter Brad Goode's "Chicago Red" To Be Released By Origin Records Feb. 19

Trumpeter Brad Goode's "Chicago Red" To Be Released By Origin Records Feb. 19

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

For innovative trumpeter Brad Goode, jazz has been a means for him to develop and express his own improvisational voice, without limiting himself to a single sound or style. On his new album, Chicago Red, Goode and a like-minded group of adventurous world-class musicians stretch out on eight Goode compositions—as well as “St. Louis Blues” and “Vesta La Giubba” from I Pagliacci—with strikingly original results. The CD, his second for Origin and 13th as a leader, will be released February ...

54

Recording

Recent Listening: Brad Goode

Recent Listening: Brad Goode

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey

Brad Goode, Tight Like This (Delmark). During his Chicago days, Goode worked through his influences, notably Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown, into early individuality. He has a Gillespie moment during his muted solo on the exotic 1942 Xavier Cugat song “Nightingale," but it's a rare example of his playing a direct quote. Goode has serious fun exercising his trumpet virtuosity. Creativity and taste balance his technical skill so that hissmears, swoops, glissandos, flawless interval leaps and notes in the stratosphere ...

142

Recording

Brad Goode - Tight Like This (Delmark, 2010)

Brad Goode - Tight Like This (Delmark, 2010)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

Trumpeter Brad Goode began playing music at an early age, and has been at it ever since, whether leading, playing as a sideman or teaching students. This album is a crisp quartet session, with Goode as the only horn in the lineup, supported by Adrean Farrugia on piano, Kelly Sill on bass and Anthony Lee on drums. The music is genuinely accessible and begins with a version of Louis Armstrong's “Tight Like This" that sets the tone for the album, ...

175

Performance / Tour

Chicago Jazz Fest Jazz Record Mart Brunch with WDCB

Chicago Jazz Fest Jazz Record Mart Brunch with WDCB

Source: Kevin Johnson

CHICAGO JAZZ FEST—JAZZ BRUNCH AT THE MART Sunday, September 5, 10 am-noon—Free! Delmark and Jazz Record Mart and WDCB Radio present our annual JAZZ RECORD MART Breakfast with WDCB—during Chicago Jazz Fest weekend—featuring performances from Colorado based trumpet master Brad Goode and his quartet with Kelly Sill on bass and Adrean Farrugia on piano and Anthony Lee on drums—celebrating their new Delmark CD, Tight Like This. Appearances by veteran all-star vibes player Jim Cooper, legendary Chicago saxophonist Ari Brown and ...

178

Recording

Jazz Trumpeter Brad Goode's 4th Delmark Album, "Tight Like This," Due September 21

Jazz Trumpeter Brad Goode's 4th Delmark Album, "Tight Like This," Due September 21

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

Jazz trumpeter/composer Brad Goode debuts his exciting new quartet on Tight Like This, Goode's fourth Delmark Records CD and his twelfth as a leader. The Chicago native has assembled the band “I've longed for my entire career," one that shares his willingness to take risks “while maintaining respect for the form and the group sound." Tight Like This will be released September 21. Toronto pianist Adrean Farrugia, Chicago bassist Kelly Sill, and Brooklyn-based drummer Anthony Lee can play “any way ...

142

Performance / Tour

Brad Goode's "Nature Boy" Delmark CD Release Party at the Green Mill- Feb 15, 16

Brad Goode's "Nature Boy" Delmark CD Release Party at the Green Mill- Feb 15, 16

Source: All About Jazz

BRAD GOODE QUARTET RECORD RELEASE PARTY Fri-Sat Feb 15,16, 2008 Record release party for “Nature Boy" (Delmark) featuring: Brad Goode on trumpet Jeff Jenkins on piano Kelly Sill on bass Todd Reid on drums Colorado jazz trumpet master, BRAD GOODE, returns to his long time former home base, Chicago and The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge/Jazz Club to celebrate his stellar new release on Delmark Records, “Nature Boy!" “Nature Boy" is ...

189

Performance / Tour

Delmark Records CD Release Parties: Sabertooth, Brad Goode, Keefe Jackson

Delmark Records CD Release Parties: Sabertooth, Brad Goode, Keefe Jackson

Source: All About Jazz

Hey hey friends of Delmark - Wishing you a happy and healthy Holiday Season! We'd love to see you out in the New Year to celebrate our new Delmark jazz and blues releases with the Sabertooth Jazz Quartet, Little Arthur Duncan (CD and DVD), Keefe Jackson's Project Project, and Brad Goode. These new releases follow hot on the heels of the highly acclaimed Ari Brown's Live at the Green Mill and Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble's Live at the Velvet ...

“Tired of hearing trumpet clones of Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard? Want a cliché’-free style? Try the fresh style of Brad Goode. It’s got power and swing, tenderness and depth. Despite the challenges posed by attempting to remain cliché-free, Goode manages to be quite fluid in his improvisations. His fertile imagination is carried by a seemingly effortless command of the trumpet. -Mark Gridley, Historian, author of JAZZ STYLES

"Goode's command of the trumpet allows for plenty of risk-taking moments, drenched with technical astonishment and raw emotion. With an abundance of melodic ideas, the Chicago native walks a musical tightrope, creating a rush of improvised suspense. His free-flowing approach is playful and refreshingly unsentimental. Nature Boy (Delmark 578) emphasizes everything genuine going on in jazz today. Goode and company are performing at an incomparable level, at once virtuosic and innovative."-  John Barron, ALL ABOUT JAZZ

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Carl Schultz
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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Unknown

Origin Records
2023

buy

Vibes on a Breath

OA2 Records
2023

buy

Madd For Tadd

Self Produced
2023

buy

A Prayer for Lester...

Greenleaf Music
2021

buy

Polytonal Dance Party

Origin Records
2019

buy

That's Right!

Origin Records
2018

buy

If I Only Had a Brain

From: Vibes on a Breath
By Brad Goode

Decathexis

From: The Unknown
By Brad Goode

Perplexity

From: That's Right!
By Brad Goode

What Happens in Space City

From: Chicago Red
By Brad Goode

Tight Like This

From: Tight Like This
By Brad Goode

Encryption

From: Polytonal Dance Party
By Brad Goode

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