May 4, 2026 Locust Valley, NY – Vangie Gunn-Goodwin in conjunction with GoodGunn Creative, Inc. and the Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band has announced the launch of the inaugural Big Phat Podcast. The 13-episode video podcast which will launch on May 25th, 2026. will feature Gunn-Goodwin along with co-hosts Andrew Kesler, et al, will be a unique multi-media presentation all about the life, compositions, arrangements, recordings and ancillary activities of Grammy-winner Gordon Goodwin and his world famous, award-winning Big Phat Band. The Big Phat Podcast will be available via YouTube® and all other podcast platforms.
“This unique podcast series is a special acknowledgement and retrospective of the incredible legacy of Gordon Goodwin, his life, compositions and arrangements, diverse projects, and his 25-year history leading the world-famous Big Phat Band,” said Gunn-Goodwin. She added: “Over the years, we have had so many inquiries about Gordon and his music. The podcast will allow us to share all things Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band with fans and students world and cyberspace wide.”
The first Big Phat Podcast will be presenting commentary, music, and video regarding past, present, and future Big Phat Band efforts – including the upcoming launch of 25 Years of Phatness, Goodwin’s last recording with the esteemed ensemble. One podcast highlight among many will be the fact that members of the band, as well as production and other personnel, and friends and colleagues of Gordon will be guests, among them Wayner Bergeron, Herb Alpert, and many more. Viewers will have the capability to submit questions and comments, as well.
“This exciting - and highly unique - podcast will allow viewers to get “inside doings” to Gordon’s unique approach to composition, arranging and orchestrating, not only for the Big Phat Band, but also Gordon’s award-winning work for Disney and others, said podcast co-host, Andrew Kesler. The players in the band will also be on the show bringing insights, anecdotes, and, of course, the fun of working with the Master,” he added.
The Big Phat Podcast will be launching its premiere podcast on May 25th and will be available on the Big Phat Band website (https://www.bigphatband.com), YouTube®, and all streaming platforms.
It is planned to be made available in Spanish and other languages.
Gordon Goodwin was a renowned American
jazz pianist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger, best known as the leader of
the Grammy-winning Big Phat Band. He was a prominent figure in Los Angeles
studio music, creating18-piece big band arrangements that blended swing with
contemporary funk. Gordon started his career performing at Disneyland and later
was commissioned to write shows for the Disney Company. He conceived and
founded the 18-member ensemble in 1999 and it soon became a staple of modern
big band jazz, renowned for technical prowess and tight, high-energy
arrangements. Goodwin worked on over 80 productions, arranging and composing
for movies such as The Incredibles (for which he earned a Grammy), Armageddon,
National Treasure, Con Air, and Remember the Titans. He
also composed for Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain. He worked
with legendary artists including Ray Charles, Christina Aguilera, Quincy Jones,
Johnny Mathis, and Natalie Cole. He also hosted the nationally syndicated jazz
radio program, Phat Tracks with Gordon Goodwin. He won 4 Grammy
Awards and was nominated 25 times and won 3 Daytime Emmy® Awards. He was recognized
for his contribution to music education through his clinics and arrangements
and method books. Goodwin passed away on December 8, 2025, at age 70 in
Los Angeles. His legacy is eternal as long as his music is enjoyed by its listeners
and as it played by musicians worldwide.
Vangie Gunn-Goodwin is a
highly accomplished American session singer, vocal contractor, and songwriter
based in Southern California, renowned for her work in film, television, and
video games. She is known as the lead singer of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
and for her contributions to projects like Zootopia and Spider-Man:
No Way Home. She has worked on hundreds of projects, including Family
Guy, Phineas and Ferb ("Go Candace," "Evil
Tonight"), World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty. She has been
the lead singer for Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, appearing on albums like The
Reset and The Gordian Knot. She has taught commercial music voice
and directed choirs at various Southern California universities. Vangie has
acted as a vocal consultant for Disneyland's Magic Music Days.
Andrew
Kesler is an award-winning Canadian musician, composer,
orchestrator and producer based in Los Angeles and is a founding member of the
international jazz vocal group Accent. Born and raised in Saskatoon,
music has taken Kesler around the world performing with headlining acts in over
20 countries. Recent achievements include his work as orchestrator/arranger on
The Manhattan Transfer’s Grammy-nominated album, Fifty. As a
multi-instrumentalist, music director and sideman his credits include industry
icons David Foster, Michael Bublé, Seal, John Mayer, Babyface, Jacob Collier,
Jennifer Holliday, Tom Scott, Peter Erskine, and two seasons in the America’s
Got Talent® house band. In the studio, Kesler shifts his focus to writing,
arranging and producing for established artists including Arturo Sandoval,
Pentatonix, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Take 6, The Manhattan Transfer, and
The 8-Bit Big Band in addition to media work including orchestrations for the
2022 feature film, I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Often
referred to as the “Gadget Man” for his ability to work seamlessly in many
roles, Kesler has credited contributions on hundreds of recordings spanning all
genres. Kesler has had the privilege to collaborate with the WDR
Funkhausorchester, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest Scoring
Orchestra, Guy Barker’s Jazz Orchestra, Croatian Radio & Television
Symphony Orchestra, and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Kesler serves on the
board of directors for the American Society of Music Arrangers & Composers
(ASMAC). His concept album of piano/violin duets Dragon Suite, a collaboration
with violinist Aline Homzy, won best “Contemporary Classical Album” at the
Independent Music Awards in 2013.
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band has been a worldwide phenomenon, since Gordon’s founding
the ensemble in 1999. Comprised of some of the greatest musicians in the
Southern California area including Vangie Gunn-Goodwin, Wayne Bergeron, Dan
Fornero, Eric Marienthal, Ray Brinker, Brian Scanlon, Alex Iles, and many
others, the band has released 12 best-selling albums, has toured Japan
performing of the many compositions and arrangements of Gordon. The band will
be releasing its 13th album, 25 Years of Phatness this June/July.
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