Fred Goodnight Quartet performs this February

In Goodnight’s youth, it was Pittsburgh, not New York that was the jazz capital. He used to stand outside clubs and listen to world class jazz performers until he was old enough to go inside and meet with the likes of Art Blakely, Mary Lou Williams, Ahmad Jamal and others. From those early days in high school bands and visiting clubs, Goodnight went on to study music theory at Akron University, the US Navy School of Music and, as an enlisted marine, at the Field Music School. In the military, he served in the Pacific Drum and Bugle Corp as part of the Fleet Marine Force. He toured Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan as well as Alaska and California, sharing the sound of jazz and other musical genres with audiences as diverse as school children to the Japanese Emperor and his court.

After military service, Goodnight also attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and took on a day job as an illustrator when he graduated. But for years and for up to as many as six nights a week, he also had a night job playing the drums. He was a member of several bands, each one better than the last, traveling up and down the East Coast and through the Mid-Atlantic States. During this time he also played at high profile events such as for the Statue of Liberty anniversary at Madison Square Garden, music festivals in Switzerland and Europe and as part of the opening act for Ray Charles.

Goodnight’s diverse teachers included the renowned jazz artist Max Roach, drummer and recording artist Baba Olantungi of Nigeria, Brazilian percussionist and recording artist Nana Vasconselors, workshop facilitator and percussionist Arthur Hull and percussionist Tony Vacca. Early in life he was influenced by the likes of James Moody (with whom he later shared the stage) and he has learned from percussionists Tony Williams, Philly Joe Jones and Jimmy Cobb who all played with Miles Davis at some point in their careers. Through these influences, he started leading drumming circles, added a Brazilian flavor to some of his performances and integrated unique approaches to his drumming style.

Goodnight moved to Brevard County about 15 years ago and local jazz lovers may remember him from a seven-year gig at Dijon’s Restaurant in Melbourne Beach. Currently, Goodnight plays at local venues, churches and special events with both local and visiting musicians and still travels, having just returned from a gig as part of the 30th Annual Peace Gathering in Princeton New Jersey. As a Space Coast Jazz Society board member and through his musical activities, Goodnight is also a teacher and mentor to young jazz musicians throughout Brevard.

When performing, Goodnight says his goal is “to be fully present and feel joy and happiness in what I do. And, I want people to come away from the performance feeling uplifted.” So do not miss this chance to enjoy the Fred Goodnight Quartet and to feel uplifted after a Sunday afternoon of live jazz on the Space Coast.

Space Coast Jazz Society concerts are open to the public. General admission can be paid at the door or purchased online at www.SpaceCoastJazzSociety.org: $10.00 for Jazz Society and the Rockledge Country Club members, $15.00 for non-members. Students under the age of 25 enter free with ID. Food and beverages are also available for purchase.

The Rockledge Country Club is located at 1591 S. Fiske Blvd., Rockledge, FL 32955. For more information, call Bobbie (321) 960-4897 or email Jazz@SpaceCoastJazzSociety.org. You can also join this unique and fun organization at the concert or through the website.

The Space Coast Jazz Society is dedicated to preserve and promote jazz ---
hosting monthly concerts by a variety of professional musicians and bands and awarding scholarships to graduating Brevard County high school seniors.