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# One Phat tribute to Benny Goodman on Pier
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/see-body-found-page-9-one-phat-tribute-to-benny-goodman-on-pier/
- Published: 2005-08-18T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:35:42.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Entertainment, Pier, #archive-import

*Twilight crowd gets into swing of things*

*By Daily Press staff*

Tonight’s free outdoor concert at the Santa Monica Pier is promised to be phat.

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and clarinetist Eddie Daniels will headline the Twilight Dance Series, now in its 21st season.

The concert has been scheduled specifically to mark the 70th anniversary of the night Benny Goodman and his orchestra opened a two-night engagement on Aug. 21, 1935 at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. The engagement was so successful that it was extended to seven weeks. The Swing era began from there.

In celebration of the event, tonight’s concert will open with the well-known film historian and frequent contributor to “Entertainment Tonight,” Leonard Maltin, also an admirer of the Big Phat Band, introducing a film clip taken from the 1937 Warner Brothers’ film, “Hollywood Hotel,” directed by Buzz Berkeley. The Goodman band in formation is shown playing “Hurray for Hollywood,” while seated atop the boot of liveried-chauffeured Austin convertibles. Goodwin has written a new arrangement of the closing bars of the tune which his band will perform live. Swing dancers on stage will dance to the song as well.

Goodwin also has arranged a medley of 12 tunes, consisting of hits from the Swing era made famous by various big bands. Included in the medley will be several hits of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, which Eddie Daniels will perform. The bulk of the concert, however, will consist of the Big Phat Band’s contemporary repertoire of big band jazz, which will include more of Daniels’ work, as he has been a guest star on Goodwin’s two CDs, and also is featured on the next CD.

Goodwin’s band was profiled by the New York Times on March 9, written by Mireya Navarro and accompanied by three photographs. The article, entitled “The Definition of Phat: Big Band with Young Fans,” emphasized that young people form the band’s core audience. The audience tonight is expected to be, therefore, a mixture of young people as well as older people who remember the thrill of seeing the great bands of yesterday.

On June 12, the Big Phat Band closed this year’s Playboy’s Jazz Festival. Don Heckman, of the Los Angeles Times observed, “Closing the day on an upbeat note, the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band performance brought a potent reminder of the importance of the word ‘Jazz’ in the Playboy Jazz Festival label.” Richard S. Ginell in Daily Variety wrote, “Gordon Goodwin’s superb, fresh-sounding Big Phat Band provided the capper to the streak and the night, fueled by a madly swinging rhythm section.”

Goodwin has been a long-established film and television composer, and is the recipient of three Emmys for his arranging prowess. Last year, he arranged and conducted the soundtrack music for such major box office hits as “The Incredibles” and “National Treasure.” This year, his work includes a composing credit for “Coach Carter” starring Samuel L. Jackson. In mid-August Miramax will release “The Great Raid” starring Benjamin Bratt. Again, Goodwin arranged the sound-track music conducting a large orchestra.

Goodwin’s two CDs, “Swingin’ for the Fences” and “XXL,” have received a total of five Grammy nominations. His next “Silverline” CD is in the process of being recorded and will be released in January. The Big Phat Band is made up of the best big band musicians in Los Angeles, and includes such stalwarts as saxophonist Eric Marienthal; trumpeters, Wayne Bergeron and Bob Summers; trombonist Andy Martin; and guitarist Grant Geissman.

The Big Phat Band explores many genres, from jazz and salsa to funk and blues.

“I never wanted to boxed into one genre or style,” Goodwin said. “And I always liked different kinds of music from R&B to classical.”

Tonight’s concert will be partially sponsored by KABC radio. KABC personality, Doug McIntyre, will be emceeing a portion of the second half of the concert.

Concerts start at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday on the Santa Monica Pier’s west parking deck. For more information, visit www.twlightdance.org, or www.santamon-icapier.org. You also can call the pier information line at (310) 458-8900\. For bus information, visit bigblue-bus.com or call (310) 451-5444.

Pier officials strongly recommend walking, biking and using mass transit to get to the concerts, as parking is limited. Parking is available in beach parking lots located at 2330 Barnard Way, located south of the pier, and 1550 PCH, just north of the pier.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 18, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081805.pdf?ref=smdp.com)