Gabrielle Goodman (born 1964 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American jazz singer, composer, author, and associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music.Symkus, Ed. (August 1, 2007)
Goodman will jazz up the Fort
''Roslindale Transcript''. She began working as a backup vocalist for

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...

while at the

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...

and later sang with

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

and Chaka Khan.

Early life

She was raised in Baltimore in a musical family. Her mother was a classical singer and her father was a jazz trombonist. She attended Peabody preparatory school and briefly Oberlin College. She transferred to the

conservatory, where she studied under the direction of Alice Gerstl Duschak and Gordon Hawkins and graduated in 1990.

Career

Goodman, a protege of Roberta Flack began her international performance career as a backing singer for Flack in the mid-1980s and continued to tour and record with the legend for several years opening for Miles Davis, Ray Charles, the Crusaders and other legends in Japan, Switzerland, Brazil and other prestigious venues all over the world. Goodman's breakthrough as a solo recording artist happened when she appeared on producer Norman Connors 1988 album ''Passion'' on Capitol Records. She was the lead female singer on five songs, including a remake of

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single " Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use ...

's "Loving You" and "You're My One And Only Love". She later recorded two jazz albums ''Travelin' Light'' and ''Until We Love'' on the JMT/Verve label with German producer Stefan Winter that feature her with

Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...

, Christian Mcbride,

Gary Bartz Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards. Biography Bartz studied at the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, he performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Wor ...

, Gary Thomas, and

Terri Lyne Carrington Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and ma ...

.Goodman's gospel influence is apparent in her jazz recordings as she blends genres starting "On A Clear Day" with a rousing gospel introduction that gives way to full swing interpretation as the song continues. It was Gary Thomas who recommended Goodman for the recording contract with JMT/Verve. Her early years of singing in church in Baltimore allowed the singer to blend jazz and gospel. "Amazing Grace" is another testament to her versatile artistry and connection to gospel music. Goodman stated that she and the band: Christian Mcbride, Mulgrew Miller and Terri Lyne Carrington began to play the song between takes of another song and the performance was so strong that the producer Stefan Winter decided to record the song and add it to the "Until We Love"CD. Since then Goodman has recorded and produced three soul jazz CDs respectively entitled "Angel Eyes", "Songs From The Book" and "Spiritual Tapestry" for the Goodness label. She appears with Walter Beasley, Terri Lyne Carrington, David Bunn, Tony Bunn, Jeff Ramsey, Armsted Christian and Patrice Rushen on these recordings. As a touring and performing solo artist, she appeared in festivals such as the Montreux, North Sea, and Newport. She co-starred with Dee Dee Bridgewater in Montreal Canada 1998 and toured with

in the show Forever Swing 2001. In 2010, she appeared with the Boston Pops for eleven performances at Boston Symphony Hall as a soloist for Christmas shows under the direction of Keith Lockhart. The singer had previously appeared as a soloist with the Pops under the direction of Charles Floyd in 2001 for Pops Gospel performance that year. She has performed with the Baltimore, Syracuse, and Yamayuri Symphony Orchestras. She has a four-octave vocal range. She has recorded for JMT,

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, and Polygram and has written and arranged songs for Chaka Khan and

.Joyce, Mike (April 10, 1989)
Roberta Flack
''The Washington Post''. She has worked as a professor of voice at Berklee College of Music since 1998. Goodman has also provided vocals for Patti LaBelle,

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady ...

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Awar ...

Freddie Jackson Frederick Anthony Jackson (born October 2, 1956) is an American singer. Originally from New York, Jackson began his professional music career in the late 1970s with the California funk band Mystic Merlin. Among his well–known R&B/soul hits are " ...

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...

, and George Duke.

Discography

As leader

* ''Travelin' Light'' (1993) * ''Until We Love'' (1994) * ''Angel Eyes'' (2004) * ''Songs from the Book'' (2011) * ''Spiritual Tapestry'' (2014) * ''Black Portraits: (Slavery to Freedom)'' (2019)

As sidewoman

* I'll Keep Running (Robert Flack) 2018 * S.O.U.L. (Roberta Flack) * "Softly With His Song" (Roberta Flack) * More To Say (Terri Lyne Carrington) * "Oasis" (Roberta Flack) 1988 * ''Passion'' (1988) Norman Connors * ', Magic Lady'' (1991) Lonnie Liston Smith * It's Too Late (The Strangers) 1983

As a writer

* "You Can Make the Story Right" (Chaka Khan), ''The Woman I Am'' (1991) * "Rap intro to A Prelude to a Kiss" (Roberta Flack), ''Roberta'' (1994)

Publications

* ''Vocal Improvisation: Techniques in Jazz, R&B and Gospel Improvisation'' (2010)

References

External links

Gabrielle Goodman
at Berklee College of Music {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, Gabrielle 1964 births Living people American women jazz singers American jazz singers Musicians from Baltimore Berklee College of Music faculty Peabody Institute alumni Jazz musicians from Maryland Women music educators American women academics 21st-century American women