Bill Goodwin

Mentor/mentee, musical cohorts and former college pals join together on May 12th (8 pm) at the Artists Quarter for an evening that promises smokin’ hot music. Drummer Bill Goodwin, best known perhaps for his long association with Phil Woods, and saxophonist Adam Niewood, a protégé of Goodwin and co-conspirators in Goodwin’s quartet, come to St. Paul where they will light fires with bassists Gordon Johnson (first set) and Adam Linz (second set) and pianist Bryan Nichols. Niewood has been to the AQ before, in the company of Linz who was his classmate at William Paterson University.  

Essentially self taught, Bill Goodwin was attracted to jazz drumming by Shelly Manne’s performance on the soundtrack The Man with the Golden Arm. His first forays into music included piano and saxophone lessons. A professional drummer since 1959, Goodwin has played with Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Jim Hall, George Shearing and Bobby Hutcherson, and singers June Christy, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett and Manhattan Transfer. In 1969, he moved to the East Coast where he played with Gary Burton, later joining forces with bassist Steve Gilmore. Both became charter members of The Phil Woods Quartet (now Quintet) in inception in 1974. "Bill is the magic ingredient in our all acoustic group,” says Woods. “Bill is one of the masters who plays the song, not just the time. He shades and tints beautifully. He plays the music."

An accomplished producer, Goodwin has produced all of Woods’s Quartet, Quintet and Little Big Band recordings since 1980, including two Grammy winners and one nominee. He’s also produced several releases by Tom Harrell and Keith Jarrett’s Live at the Deer Head Inn. For many years, Goodwin has been featured at the W.C. Handy Music Festival (W.C. Handy Jazz All-Stars). He currently teaches jazz drumming at William Paterson University.

Adam Niewood©Andrea Canter

Bill Goodwin, a former associate of Gerry Niewood,  became Adam’s mentor as well as cohort, and Adam was soon playing with Bill Charlap, Jim McNeely, Rufus Reid, Warren Vache, Vic Juris, Steve Gilmore, Gene Bertoncini, and others “in numerous configurations…All situations I wouldn’t have found myself in, if not for Bill. He is a fabulous musician and I’ve learned a lot about playing music from him." Adam released is first recording with the collective SBW for Native Language in 2003, then Goodwin produced a recording that paired Adam with his father Gerry (Facets, 2004). Also in 2004, Goodwin produced Adam’s first recording as leader, Introducing Adam Niewood, with Eric Lewis on piano, Matt Brewer on bass, and Ben Perowsky on drums. Despite Adam’s success as a performer, he may be better known in the Big Apple as a woodwind mouthpiece refinisher, a skill he developed following the death of refinisher Jon Van Wie and to address his own frustration over the quality of modern wood mouthpieces. In New York and on tour, he continues to play and record with Bill Goodwin’s Quartet, his Rabble Rousers ensemble, and other bands, as well as presenting workshops. 

Adam Linz©Andrea Canter

This will be an exciting, one-night stand at the Artists Quarter, with music beginning earlier than usual, at 8 pm on May 12th. 

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St Peter Street in the lower level of the Hamm Building, off Seventh Place, in downtown St. Paul; www.artistsquarter.com 
 

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites