CD Launch Feature Story! - March 10, 2008
STATELINE NEWS
A familial note
By Lynn Vollbrecht
Staff Writer
BELOIT — After playing music for more than 40 years, Beloiter Matt Goodwin finally has produced an album, but not without a little help from his friends — and his son.
Six years ago, in the midst of packing for a move, Todd Goodwin ran across some taped recordings of his father Matt’s music and was inspired to write him a letter.
“Papa, we have a gift,” he wrote. “I want to sing the songs you’ve written and produce a CD together.”
Matt Goodwin was thrilled.
“The day I got that letter from him, my heart was pounding I was so excited,” he said.
For various reasons, Goodwin never had been able to record his music.
“When you’re a working musician like I used to be, you don’t have a lot of money,” he said. “You don’t sit around thinking about things you can’t afford to do.”
The elder Goodwin has played music in Beloit since he was 13 years old, covering Peter, Paul and Mary songs at a Roosevelt Junior High School assembly.
“I started gigging in 1966,” he said, including stints with local bands that took him on the road a lot from 1971 to 1986. “It’s been a long time, but this is the first time I put out a CD of my own music.”
Todd Goodwin’s letter came at an opportune time; his father had just inherited some money, and could afford studio time. Over the course of six years, Todd and Matt recorded the vocals and instrumental parts for “Average Day” at a Rockford studio. Matt describes the music as rock, infused with funk and R&B, layered with lyrical observations about everything from raising a family to dealing with divorce. They settled on the name Nap Daddy for their act, a reference to Matt Goodwin’s propensity for falling asleep anywhere at anytime. Musicians Billy Braatz, Steve Thurler, Richard Armstrong, Jeanne Holbrook and Jimmy Johnson contributed to the project.
Last Sunday, some of those musicians joined the Goodwins onstage for a show at Beloit College celebrating the CD’s completion. The proceeds benefited the Aldrich Middle School and Beloit Memorial High School jazz programs. Anne Goodwin, Matt Goodwin’s wife, said the performance raised enough money to buy a new guitar for the high school and instrument repairs at Aldrich.
“For me, it was one of the best experiences of my life, both the show and doing the CD,” said Todd Goodwin, who is an attorney and father of two living in Wauwatosa, Wis. “It’s kind of hard to put into words — it was very emotional for me.
“I love music because of my dad.”
Nearly 400 people attended the show, which also featured the two youngest of Matt Goodwin’s four sons, Rob and Ben, on the trumpet and saxophone, respectively.
“It seems like just yesterday Robbie picked up the trumpet and could barely play it, and now he’s gigging all over with his jazz band,” Todd said.
Rob Goodwin, 16, and a student at BMHS, was excited to be onstage with his father’s band.
“When I play for my dad’s band, I want it to be good — the way he wants it,” Rob said. “I want to make sure I do especially well for my family.”
While it took Rob a little while to become passionate about music, he always has admired his father.
“Not every person’s dad can be a rock ’n’ roll guitarist for most of his life,” he said.
The youngest Goodwin, Ben, 14, was inspired by his older brother Rob to take up music, and was overwhelmed by the chance to perform onstage with his brothers and father.
“It was amazing,” he said. “It was a moment to remember — something that I’ll never forget.”
In a special moment, another of Matt’s sons, Tom, also joined the band onstage for a rendition of “Lean on Me.”
“I look to the right, and here’s my oldest son … he’s over there singing, doing a wonderful job, and I turn to my left, and there are my two youngest playing with my good friend Harlan Jefferson,” Matt said after the show. “I was as full and as happy as I could be.”
For now, the Goodwins are basking in the afterglow of a successful show. They hope to do another show in the Milwaukee area, and are excited to see reviews of their CD online, at CDBaby.com.
Most importantly, Anne Goodwin said, music is a way for her family to be together.
“We, as a family, have just enjoyed music as a place for everyone to come together and meet,” she said. “To see everybody together onstage, it was a dream come true for our family
A familial note
By Lynn Vollbrecht
Staff Writer
BELOIT — After playing music for more than 40 years, Beloiter Matt Goodwin finally has produced an album, but not without a little help from his friends — and his son.
Six years ago, in the midst of packing for a move, Todd Goodwin ran across some taped recordings of his father Matt’s music and was inspired to write him a letter.
“Papa, we have a gift,” he wrote. “I want to sing the songs you’ve written and produce a CD together.”
Matt Goodwin was thrilled.
“The day I got that letter from him, my heart was pounding I was so excited,” he said.
For various reasons, Goodwin never had been able to record his music.
“When you’re a working musician like I used to be, you don’t have a lot of money,” he said. “You don’t sit around thinking about things you can’t afford to do.”
The elder Goodwin has played music in Beloit since he was 13 years old, covering Peter, Paul and Mary songs at a Roosevelt Junior High School assembly.
“I started gigging in 1966,” he said, including stints with local bands that took him on the road a lot from 1971 to 1986. “It’s been a long time, but this is the first time I put out a CD of my own music.”
Todd Goodwin’s letter came at an opportune time; his father had just inherited some money, and could afford studio time. Over the course of six years, Todd and Matt recorded the vocals and instrumental parts for “Average Day” at a Rockford studio. Matt describes the music as rock, infused with funk and R&B, layered with lyrical observations about everything from raising a family to dealing with divorce. They settled on the name Nap Daddy for their act, a reference to Matt Goodwin’s propensity for falling asleep anywhere at anytime. Musicians Billy Braatz, Steve Thurler, Richard Armstrong, Jeanne Holbrook and Jimmy Johnson contributed to the project.
Last Sunday, some of those musicians joined the Goodwins onstage for a show at Beloit College celebrating the CD’s completion. The proceeds benefited the Aldrich Middle School and Beloit Memorial High School jazz programs. Anne Goodwin, Matt Goodwin’s wife, said the performance raised enough money to buy a new guitar for the high school and instrument repairs at Aldrich.
“For me, it was one of the best experiences of my life, both the show and doing the CD,” said Todd Goodwin, who is an attorney and father of two living in Wauwatosa, Wis. “It’s kind of hard to put into words — it was very emotional for me.
“I love music because of my dad.”
Nearly 400 people attended the show, which also featured the two youngest of Matt Goodwin’s four sons, Rob and Ben, on the trumpet and saxophone, respectively.
“It seems like just yesterday Robbie picked up the trumpet and could barely play it, and now he’s gigging all over with his jazz band,” Todd said.
Rob Goodwin, 16, and a student at BMHS, was excited to be onstage with his father’s band.
“When I play for my dad’s band, I want it to be good — the way he wants it,” Rob said. “I want to make sure I do especially well for my family.”
While it took Rob a little while to become passionate about music, he always has admired his father.
“Not every person’s dad can be a rock ’n’ roll guitarist for most of his life,” he said.
The youngest Goodwin, Ben, 14, was inspired by his older brother Rob to take up music, and was overwhelmed by the chance to perform onstage with his brothers and father.
“It was amazing,” he said. “It was a moment to remember — something that I’ll never forget.”
In a special moment, another of Matt’s sons, Tom, also joined the band onstage for a rendition of “Lean on Me.”
“I look to the right, and here’s my oldest son … he’s over there singing, doing a wonderful job, and I turn to my left, and there are my two youngest playing with my good friend Harlan Jefferson,” Matt said after the show. “I was as full and as happy as I could be.”
For now, the Goodwins are basking in the afterglow of a successful show. They hope to do another show in the Milwaukee area, and are excited to see reviews of their CD online, at CDBaby.com.
Most importantly, Anne Goodwin said, music is a way for her family to be together.
“We, as a family, have just enjoyed music as a place for everyone to come together and meet,” she said. “To see everybody together onstage, it was a dream come true for our family