ABOUT THE GOODWIN BROTHERS:

The nucleus of the band is Jonathan & William Goodwin (vocals, guitar & mandolin) along with Kenneth (Chase) Bush on vocals. They have collectively assembled an all-star cast of musicians that accompany them on their new self-titled album, and in their live shows. The Goodwin Brothers comprising the eastern Kentucky-born band are anything but newcomers: Jonathan & William Goodwin began their musical journeys playing together in the early 90’s, Jonathan was 8 and William 6. Prior to that they spent time singing separately for the most part in church, school plays and events. It wasn’t long thereafter the young talents released their first studio album (1999). Jonathan was 14, William 12. They began singing on the bluegrass festival circuit across the eastern US, a tenure that had refined their sound to a level typically reserved for older players with bigger discographies. Jonathan has spent the last 2 decades working full-time in the music business as a label owner; head of an artist management company, and as an award-winning producer (2-time Grammy Award nominee & multiple DOVE Award nominees). While most of his work can be heard on the hundreds of Christian recordings he has produced or appeared on, he continues to be a regular “first call” having crossed over into nearly every genre of music and now even film. His productions consist of top-tier musicians in the best studios in the world. Being a vocalist and musician, himself has garnered him one of the most respected song and vocal arrangers in gospel music today. He has served as the keynote speaker for Music-Business conferences across the globe. It started at the age of four when he began playing piano. Within a decade he was an accomplished musician mastering multiple instruments. Jonathan has been a guest musician and/or vocalist sharing the stage with award-winning artists in almost every genre of music. As we dig more into the history of The Brothers, we find that this isn’t William’s first rodeo either. After serving in the Kentucky National Guard out of high school, he then attended Morehead State University where he became a vocal-major and was an often-featured soloist with the MSU Black-Gospel Ensemble (Talk about diversity and being able to adapt). He graduated in 2013 with a degree in Political Science and then began traveling as the lead singer of the, then popular, Christian music band (ASSEMBLED). Their projects were produced by his older brother, Jonathan, and within that ensemble, they garnered multiple awards within the gospel music community. Not sure about their current live shows, but on this project, William is the featured lead singer on 80% of the songs and the shoe certainly fits. He also plays mandolin for the group. To round off the three-part harmony, (that seems to be a staple for the brothers) is Kenneth Chase Bush. Not a Goodwin, (yes, I noticed too) however you would never know it listening to their phrasing and harmonies. You would be safe to assume that although Kenneth (goes by Chase) isn’t a blood brother, the three have undoubtedly been singing together for many years. Jonathan says the ‘Goodwin’ boys first met Bush at a church gathering as young teenagers in the small town of Winchester, KY. While he may be new to the bluegrass scene, Bush has certainly had his fair-share of time spent on stage. In 2006 he left the small town of Richmond, KY and landed on stage in Hollywood as a top contestant on American Idol. Even then he was being prepped for ‘group singing’ as he was paired with Idol’s eventual season 5 winners, Taylor Hicks. Randy Jackson says of Bush, “You remind me of a young Wayne Newton.” In a genre that prides itself in fast picking and hard driving instruments, you better have more than just a typical voice to keep this crowds’ attention without an instrument in hand. Bush certainly fits the bill.

​Though bluegrass still tends to be characterized as staid and traditional, it has a long history of drawing from traditions other than itself. As Bill Monroe himself once said of the style, “It’s got a hard drive to it. It’s Scotch bagpipes and old-time fiddlin’. It’s Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It’s blues and jazz and it has a high lonesome sound. It’s plain music that tells a story. It’s played from my heart to your heart, and it will touch you.”

Despite releasing an album in a genre known to spark arguments over what counts as “authentic,” The Goodwin Brothers seem far more concerned with realizing their own vision than hewing to hard-line conventions — like sticking to a strict repertoire of mostly traditional bluegrass songs and standards. The arrival of this project seems to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life.

That makes The Goodwin Brothers and their debut album a critical point along a storied timeline, one whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre’s origins and its future. We can only hope that this project, these harmonies, and this music hints at what they’ll be doing in the coming years.