169 – Brandon Goodwin: Leading an Original Jazz Group, Workshopping with Delfeayo Marsalis, The Montreal Scene

Brandon Goodwin has lived and worked in Montreal for 12 years. His group, B’s Bees, for which he serves triple duty as drummer, bandleader, and composer, recently released two albums: Dear Charlie, a tribute to the great jazz bassist Charlie Haden, and Kanata, a musical exploration of the history and identity of their home country of Canada. The group is currently touring Canada and the U.S. on the back of these releases.

Brandon grew up in Armstrong, CA, and chose Montreal as the base of operations for his music career because of its vibrant, art-loving culture, and because its cost of living is actually lower than Vancouver, Toronto, and many comparable American cities. From early in his career, he had a drive to write, perform, and record original music. Drumming is just one aspect of his musical life, as he is usually spending as much if not more time developing himself as a composer and doing the administrative legwork it takes to get an original jazz group in the studio and on the road.

In this podcast, Brandon talks about:

What Charlie Haden means to him and the jazz world in general

The drummers Haden was most associated with, especially Paul Motian, and the influence they had on Brandon

The subject matter of Kanata

Traveling to New Orleans to meet with Delfeayo Marsalis and workshop the compositions and recording/producing techniques for the record

Montreal culture

His early drumming influences, from Grohl to Bonham to Blakey

His experience at Concordia University in Montreal

His thoughts on accessibility vs. expression, as a drummer and composer

This episode is sponsored by Session Ace.