Every summer at the Disneyland Resort the Disneyland Resort All-American College Band returns to bring spirited music to the happiest place on Earth! They perform both marching sets and sit-down jazz sets through the course of any given performance day. On some special days, they are joined by clinicians. These are professional musicians who share their experiences in the music industry with the college band. The first clinician this year was jazz legend Gordon Goodwin.
For those of you who just watched Incredibles 2, watch closely during the credits and you’ll find Goodwin’s name. Throughout his career, Gordon Goodwin has won both Grammy Awards and Daytime Emmy Awards. He is the leader of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. He also has worked on many movies through the years. At the Disney Parks, he has composed the original soundtrack for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday. While this was later replaced by the music of John Debney, some of his original music remains today.
On June 28th, Gordon Goodwin joined the 2018 Disneyland Resort All-American College Band for its sit-down jazz set. This was the culmination of two days of work with the band. Goodwin and the band performed at 7:45 pm at the Royal Theatre in Fantasyland. This dynamic set included the following music:
- When You Wish Upon a Star
- Running with Scissors
- Blues in the Bucket
- Hunting Wabbits
- Everlasting
- A Few Good Men
The music for the set was vibrant and diverse. Goodwin performed on two different saxophones and also the piano. The music ranged from touching, to whimsical, to fun as the band went on its musical journey. The set was an absolute blast and Goodwin is always a joy to watch each year with the Disneyland Resort All-American College Band. The DAPS MAGIC team was on hand to document this performance and it can be watched below. The team was also on hand when the band serenaded Gordon Goodwin later in the evening during the Tower of Power medley.
What do you think of this performance? Let us know in the comments below!