Gabrielle Goodman (born 1964 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American jazz singer, composer, author, and associate professor of voice at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

.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 (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

while at the

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a Private university, private music and dance music school, conservatory and College-preparatory school, preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1857, it became affiliat ...

and later sang with

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...

and

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

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 Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

. 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 Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

.Goodman appears in Norman Connors UNSUNG episode. She was the lead female singer on five songs, including a remake of

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single " Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register. Born in 1947, Riperton grew ...

'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 was first exposed to jazz as the son of the owners of a jazz nightclub in Baltimore. In 1958 he left Baltimore to study at the J ...

, 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 (band), ...

.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. 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 Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

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 h ...

, and Polygram and has written and arranged songs for

and

.Joyce, Mike (April 10, 1989)
Roberta Flack
''The Washington Post''. She has worked as a professor of voice at

since 1998. Goodman has also provided vocals for

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

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 Ma ...

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...

Freddie Jackson Frederick Anthony Jackson (born October 2, 1956) is an American R&B 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 ...

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...

, and

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

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) * Jazz Life (2023)

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

Solo Appearances on Compilation Recordings

* Jazz Singing (Verve Jazz Vocal Collection) (1997) * Verve Next Generation Volume 2

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

{{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 American music educators American women music educators American women academics 21st-century American women