DAVID'S BIO -

My earliest recollections are growing up in a Philadelphia apartment listening to the soulful sounds of James Brown, Aretha, the J5, Al Green, Bill Withers and Jesus Christ Superstar, moving to Omaha and going to my first concert (James Brown backed by Bootsy, Catfish Collins, Maceo and crew), going to see the Earth, Wind & Fire Gratitude tour featuring  EWF, the Emotions and Brothers Johnson all at the height of their powers for my b-day in 8th grade and getting absolutely turned out by it, and laying down between the stereo speakers on the floor of my bedroom and being baptized by the P-Funk Live Earth Tour, Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome and One Nation Under a Groove albums, as well as the Commodores, ConFunkShun, Cameo, Heatwave, War, AWB live, and the Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume one. Being in Omaha, I was also exposed to tons of classic rock like Frampton, Boston, Chicago, Queen, Grand Funk Railroad, Yes, Styx and more. Many of these afore mentioned bands, along with groups like the Isley Bros, Lakeside, and Ray Parker and Raydio,  I got to see perform live in Omaha, all at the height of their powers.

 

A late starter, it wasn’t until halfway through my last year of high school that I received my first guitar as a Christmas present from my mother, a completely unplayable model from Ardens, a local department store. “The intonation was so bad that it was impossible to tune, let alone play, but I tried my best and was still very grateful to her for giving me my start.” It wasn’t until the summer after my freshman year that I bought another guitar, which I played throughout college. The action was very fast, but that Peavey T-60 weighed about 60 lbs. After moving to San Francisco I became  a strat man, a Fender Elite being my guitar of choice, though you might  see me get it in on his PRS Hollowbody II, Epiphone ES335 or even my Les Paul or The Paul II guitars. I also plays various acoustics, my favorites being my Godin and Yamaha NTX700. I prefers to use a ’65 reissue Fender Twin Reverb for it’s ability to cut through in any setting and reputation as a transparent pedal platform. I blew out an old Polytone amp I had trying to play with Kev Choice’s 10 piece ensemble. Never again, I told myself, so I stick to the Fender Twin’s legendary power, and keep in shape lugging that bad boy around.

 

While attending Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, I immersed myself in more Hendrix and Santana's Abraxas, then Benson, the Crusaders, Stevie's Songs in the Key of Life and Hotter Than July, Rufus, and Prince.  I finally got my first taste of performing when a classmate talked me into joining a rock band for a talent show at school. 

 

Playing by ear, and unable to read jack off a staff, I joined my college jazz band, picking up a few chords here and there. Seems I always had pocket. Around this time I also inhaled a hearty portion of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Gil Scott Herron, Curtis Mayfield, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis and John Coltrane and developed an appreciation for music as a cultural force and soundtrack to a movement, which is an orientation that has continued to influenced my artistic choices to this day.

 

As great as my love was for music, I never seriously considered playing professionally until Anders Johansen, my old talent show fellow guitarist, planted a seed as he passed through L.A. where I was then working as an editor for a legal publishing firm.  He told me here he is visiting L.A. trying to catch a break, while I could outplay him and I’m living in L.A. and not even trying. It didn’t make me change over night, but it began my long road to actually taking myself seriously as a musician. I owe him one for that.” Ultimately, I had to admit to myself that music is something that I am called by the Higher Power to do and I must obey. While in L.A. I took two lesson from a G.I.T. grad, then when I moved back to the Bay I took a few lessons with fusion master Lorn Leber for a while. He was a great teacher.

 

 Still, it would be years before I overcame my childhood shyness and actually began playing out after moving back to the Bay Area. A very talented angel masquerading as a vocalist named Imani Uzuri was sent to me. She got me performing acoustic duets and some band stuff with her and introduced me to some other vocalists I came to accompany as well. It didn’t matter if I thought I was ready or not, she did. After one rehearsal she’d have me out there playing originals we wrote together, covers, whatever. If she said I could do it, I supposed it was true. She’s an amazing performer who puts her soul in it. Performing with her was the first time a performance I was involved in put people into trance. She’s been a mentor and inspiration to a lot of people around the world and she’s always managed to involve herself with some really gifted and genuine artists.”

 

Since those early days I've gone on to play with a number of Bay Area notables like hip-hop legends The Coup, Kev Choice Ensemble, funk rock pioneers Martin Luther and Cody Chestnutt, hip-hop poet entrepreneur Ise Lyfe, gospel jazz rapper Sista Key, sultry soul rocker Femi, the futuristic Isis Genisis, Panamanian rappers Los Rakas, Boogie Shack, award winning indie r&b artist Khela, Cuban hip-hop legends Obsession, Nigerian vocalist and filmmaker Siji, Fillmore legend Oscar Meyers, and Candice Antique where I served as MD. I've also  recorded for such Bay Area hip-hop notables as Zion-I, Mistah Fab, Rico Pabon, the Grouch and Bicasso. I was also a founding member of the reggae/world music band Sacred Journey which shared stages with Reggae legends like Midnight and Israel Vibration, as well as Nigerian master drummer Olatunji. I also started the soul/folk group JUA along my great friends inspirational vocalist Ajuana Black and master percussionist Kele Nitoto of Wolf Hawk Jaguar reknown, was a founding member of the the group Black Nile Soul along with keyboardist and producer Korise Jubert, floutist and sax player Lenon Honor, guitarist Yohimbe Sampson, drummer and percussionist Moshe Milon, and bassist Jeffrey Penn. When it gets down to it, I've been pretty selective about the artists I was willing work with, always favoring HCD (Highest Common Denominator) music over low vibration, niggative lyrical artist. Stuff may taste good, and the beat may slap, but just like you shouldn't put too much junk food in your body, I don't think I should be cooking up and serving a lot of it either.

 

Then the first love of my life gave me the love of my life and best friend. While playing a gig in San Francisco with the Oakland-based cover band Soul Mechanix, I was introduced to captivating soprano Latriece Love by vocalist Luqman Frank who had invited her to be guest vocalist on the gig. She sounded so good that bandleader Graal Schwartz invited her to join the band. But Latriece was married at the time and we both maintained a strict professional code that neither had ever violated with a fellow musician. Latriece eventually became single again. Five years later we were married and Soul Mechanix, naturally, was the band that played our wedding. Latriece and I have our own musical duo GoodLOVE on this site, and we also perform regularly at Wose Community, the legendary East Oakland-based African spirituality-centered spiritual community where I am musical director for the house band SOUNDS OF MA’AT, another SIMBA SIMBI group. SOUNDS OF MA'AT plays everything from afrobeat and highlife inspired songs to funk, blues, gospel flavors, jazz and reggae while paying tribute to our Ancestors, Kemetic spirituality and other spiritual practices of the diaspora and continent. The label, SIMBA SIMBI - Congolese for hold up that which holds you up, features the band SIMBA SIMBI, GoodLOVE, SOUNDS OF MA’AT, and yours truly, David Goodlett, as a solo artist. If you are a positive person who enjoys good music, there is something here that is bound to appeal to you.

 

But more self-indulgent ramblings about myself. Before finally venturing out on my own. I had played a gang of gigs, written and arranged songs for people, directed bands, done session work, and people kept asking when was my stuff gonna come out. I had way more songs and styles than any of them even knew about. Finally, I couldn’t keep the lid on the pot any longer. I began to get out of my own way. I’m still working on it, overcoming my reluctance to be in front.  Never had that useful grandiose ego that can come in handy for some and be the downfall of others. I try to remember that it’s not about me. We’re all just vessel. Spirit moves through us, so we just gotta keep our doors and windows open. 

 

As far as my musical influences go, I can lists many. As a guitarist, I’m inspired by lots of players—Hendrix, the whole P-Funk crew of Hazel, Hampton, Shider and all, Grant Green, Benson and Wes Montgomery, Santana, Nile Rodgers, Al McKay, Wah Wah Watson, Tony Maiden, Gabor Szabo, Ray Parker Jr., Prince, the many great blues, jazz, soukous and zouk players, as well as Gambian Ngomi music, and Malian, Ethiopian, Indian and Arabic music. But at the end of it all, the goal is to sound like your self. You can never be better at being someone else than they are. And nobody can do you better than you. Besides, music is about expressing yourself and musical communion with others.

 

When asked about my music, I often have a hard time characterizing it. Some is soul and r&b, some is funk, jazz, afrobeat, rock, hip-hop, bossa, latin, reggae, house, smooth jazz, whatever. I’ll let you name it by the song. Even though my music spans a number of genres, I think I have a recognizable sound and solid compositions. It’s really all about songs, no matter who you are. No matter the style of music, the artist and the musicians involved must all bow down and serve the song. I like what Jimi once said, that there’s only two kinds of music, good and bad. I’m just trying to be true to my name and make each song a little piece of beloved goodness. My goal is to create a lifetime full of sublime, soulful, lush, funky, transcendent music, share it with audiences all over the world, and be the soundtrack to the Pan African Revolution and the spiritually evolved, environmentally sustainable, and economically just new historical epoch. If I can play my little part in helping people be the best version of themselves and work towards creating the best version of this beloved world, then I've played my position. 

 Ashe!”

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