The international critics have acclaimed Torsten Goods as an “emerging new force in the jazz scene”! He is only 30 years old; excellent reviews wherever he has performed so far, 4 albums released as a bandleader, shows around Europe, Asia & USA and a nomination for the "German record critics Award”! Not a bad CV for a “twenty-something”!
While he was still in high school he attended workshops given by Jim Hall and John Scofield in New York, and took lessons with the virtuoso gypsy guitarist Bireli Lagrene in Strasbourg. As a 20 year old he travelled to New York with a scholarship to study at the prestigious New School University NYC where he worked with brilliant musicians Jack Wilkins and Vic Juris and performed with guitar legends like i.e. Les Paul and George Benson. Thanks to Benson´s advice, Goods has developed not only a dazzling guitar technique but also an exceptionally sensitive and expressive way of singing, feeling at home in jazz as well as pop registers.
Signing with the renown label ACT Music in 2006 for his 3rd Album “Irish Heart”, opened many doors for Goods and he started playing on prestigious German festivals such as Jazz Baltica and Leverkusener Jazztage as well as international festivals like the Paris Jazz Festival and many Jazz competitions such as the London International Jazz Competition, the European Guitar Award in Dresden and the "Thelonious Monk Jazz Guitar Competition" in Washington, where he was the only European reaching the semi-finals and being allowed to play in front of a jury formed by George Benson, Pat Martino and John Pizzarelli amongst others!
With his last album "1980", which was released in September 2008, Goods made again a further step in his sensational career extending the range of his music, sounding completely mature and playing his guitar with an astonishing security and elegance. With adaptations of outstanding songs written in 1980 by great artists as i.e. Freddy Mercury or Billy Joel along with his own compositions, Goods follows the path of such great jazz guitarists and singers as John Pizzarelli and Michael Bublé. At the moment Torsten Goods is working on his 5th Studio album, which will be expected in 2012. |
