Antar Goodwin: The Game
“If you’re gonna play the game, you better be the house or the dealer”.
Wise words from a man who’s been playing the game from the high hat side of a drum kit for over 25 years.
The debut of a veteran is always an interesting scenario in the music industry.
Specifically, when a musician who has been so close to some of the most iconic voices in modern music decides to take a step into the spotlight; it’s like having a pen pal for twenty years and then hearing them speak for the first time. Current resident of Philadelphia, Antar Goodwin was an unsung mainstay of the New York City music scene as a house bassist for legendary clubs like Prohibition, Red Lion, Groove, and Kenny’s Castaways. He would launch from that position to being a highly sought after “side man” 7 days a week, eventually playing bass for the likes of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Patty Smythe, performing on stages across the globe.
The stories a man like Goodwin can tell could fill The Morgan Library on Madison Avenue. The journey this man has been on tells a story of the power of perspective and the practical impact of a creative life hard fought with lessons learned through first hand experience.
Years on the road can take a toll. Years on the road carrying the low end for hundreds of incredible artists across countless genres can bury you. And Antar Goodwin came pretty close when an unanticipated health scare led to emergency heart surgery with extreme complications, a near death experience, and a grueling year of life altering rehabilitation. Antar Goodwin came out a different man. A man with perspective, purpose, and a second chance at life. This was all the motivation he needed to find his own voice and introduce it to us all.
On March 1st Antar Goodwin released his first solo album entitled “The Game”. The bassist who managed the low end for the likes of modern reggae legend Matisyahu and blues up and comer Katie Henry, picks up the acoustic resonator guitar and pulls as much from traditional folk, gospel, and Americana music as he does his past performing in the rock, reggae, funk, jazz, r&b, and blues circuits. As a performer, it’s obvious that Antar carries all the experience necessary to make a song connect. This time around, as the writer and the singer, Antar introduces us to a voice that is uniquely his.
After a few listens, it’s evident that Goodwin approaches his vocal with a Bowie-esque theatrical presence while speaking to the listener like a wise maternal grandfather weaving lessons into stories and leaving you with adages that’ll be passed down your family tree for generations to come.
Lyrics like -
“I let the devil drive the train and he drove me straight to hell”
“Gramma said everybody wants for heaven, she also said we’re all afraid to die.”
and “If the rain don’t reach me, I know the fire surely will.”
come from the perspective of a man who’s seen it all, felt it all, and can in an eloquently simple way, let you know you’re not alone on your own arduous journey.
That said, my favorite lyric on the record may be; “I will not follow you to hell, but I’m not sure the devil knows, cause I still dance with my demons sometimes”. This to me tied the record together as it reminds us all, just like your wise grandfather would, that he’s still human and he ain’t done squeezing everything possible out of this GAME called life.
For his first step into the spotlight, this album displays an artist with wisdom to share, a story to tell, and a musicality far beyond the norm. Creatively it’s evident that Antar is only beginning to explore his capabilities and influences which leaves great anticipation for what he will discover and share on future albums. As a performer, it’s obvious that a 90 minute show would leave the audience with a lot to think about and a spiritual connection akin to sitting down with a blues legend at a private campfire til the wee hours of the night until the last ember burns out.