Lawrence Sam Goldings (born August 28, 1968) is a Grammy-nominated American jazz pianist, organist, and composer. His music has explored elements of funk, blues, and fusion. Goldings has a comedic alter ego known as Hans Groiner.
Life and career Goldings was born in Boston. His father was a classical music enthusiast, and Goldings studied classical piano until the age of twelve. Through his father he met pianist Dave McKenna and studied with pianists Ran Blake and Keith Jarrett. Among his other influences were Bill Evans, Red Garland, Erroll Garner, and Oscar Peterson. After high school, he enrolled in the jazz program at New York's The New School, where he further honed his skills studying with Jaki Byard and Fred Hersch. It was during this period that pianist Roland Hanna invited Goldings to accompany him to Copenhagen for a three-day series of private concerts where Goldings performed with Sarah Vaughan, Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Al Cohn. Also prior to graduating, Goldings toured with singer Jon Hendricks, an association that led to an almost three year collaboration with guitarist Jim Hall.
After receiving his degree, he led a trio with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart. His debut album Intimacy of the Blues was released in 1991. Over the course of his career, he also has collaborated with many musicians including Joshua Redman, Maceo Parker, Idris Muhammad, Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Sanborn, Paul Motian, Larry Grenadier, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, James Moody, Mark Turner, John Sneider, Ben Allison, Matt Wilson, Harry Allen, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, John Pizzarelli, Charlie Haden, Robben Ford, Steve Gadd, Jim Keltner, Anthony Wilson, Pino Palladino, James Taylor, and John Mayer.
Record producers he has worked with include Russ Titelman, Larry Klein, Steve Jordan, Tommy LiPuma, Dave Grusin, Joe Henry, Blake Mills, Mike Viola, and T Bone Burnett. One of Goldings' first collaborations with Larry Klein includes the Madeleine Peyroux recording of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" with Goldings on Wurlitzer piano, pump organ, Hammond B3 organ, celeste, and piano solo.
Goldings is known for his gifts as a bass player on the Hammond organ, integral to his collaboration with Michael Brecker and Pat Metheny on Time is of the Essence and evident in the Pat Metheny composition "Extradition" during their 1999–2000 world tour. James Taylor's One Man Band 2007 live album and world tour draws heavily on Goldings' bass playing abilities, making the one man band concept possible. The album and tour also include Goldings' composition "School Song." Larry Goldings' Hammond organ is heard on John Mayer's song "Gravity," on the Grammy award-winning album, Continuum.
In 2007, Larry Goldings, Jack DeJohnette and John Scofield received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Jazz Instrumental Album Individual or Group for their live album, Trio Beyond – Saudades. In 2017, Goldings with the Steve Gadd Band received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Way Back Home.
In 2012 and 2013, Goldings was chosen to participate in both the Sundance Institute Documentary Film and Sundance Feature Film Composer Fellowship Programs. At the Documentary Film Lab in Sundance, Utah, Goldings scored scenes from filmmaker Johanna Hamilton's "1971." Goldings continued to work with the Sundance Institute in 2013, at the feature film lab held for the first time at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. There he collaborated with filmmaker Pamela Romanowsky, scoring scenes from her film The Adderall Diaries. Goldings' advisors in that program included noted film composers Mark Isham, Heitor Pereira, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Thomas Newman.
Style and influences Goldings' melodic style of organ playing has often been compared to that of Larry Young. On organ Goldings cites as his first inspirations the solo piano style of Dave McKenna "who walks his own bass lines better than anyone" and Billy Preston accompanying Aretha Franklin on "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Other musical influences cited by Goldings include the Wes Montgomery records which feature Mel Rhyne and Jimmy Smith; Shirley Scott; Chester Thompson; Joe Zawinul; and Jack McDuff. Goldings' 1990s collaborations with Maceo Parker provided an authentic understanding of the language of funk music, and the voicings and rhythmic comping on the Hammond B3 organ as passed down by James Brown to Parker.
Awards and honors Best Jazz Album of the Year, The New Yorker, Big Stuff (1996), Awareness (1997) Organist/Keyboardist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association, 2000, 2001 Grammy Award Nomination, Best Jazz Album of the Year, 2007 Grammy Award Nomination, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, 2017 Best Jazz Song, "High Dreams," John Lennon Songwriting Competition, 2019 Downbeat Critics Poll Organist of the Year, 2024 Downbeat Readers Poll Organist of the Year, 2024 Downbeat Critics Poll Organist of the Year, 2025 Downbeat Readers Poll Organist of the Year, 2025
Discography As leader/co-leader Year recordedTitle Label Year released Personnel 1991Intimacy of the Blues Verve 1991Most tracks trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums); three tracks quartet, with David "Fathead" Newman (tenor sax) 1992Light Blue Minor Music 1992Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 1993Caminhos Cruzados Novus/RCA 1994With Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums), Guilherme Franco (percussion); Joshua Redman (tenor sax) on three tracks 1995Whatever It Takes Warner Bros. 1995With Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums); plus guests Fred Wesley (trombone), Joshua Redman (tenor sax), David Sanborn and Maceo Parker (alto sax), Richard Patterson (bass) 1996Big Stuff Warner Bros. 1996With Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums), Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Idris Muhammad (drums), Bashiri Johnson (percussion), Guilherme Franco (percussion), John McKenna (tenor saxophone) 1996Awareness Warner Bros. 1997With Larry Grenadier (bass), Paul Motian (drums) 1999Moonbird Palmetto 1999Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2000?Voodoo Dogs Palmetto 2000With Bob Ward (guitarist) 2000As One Palmetto 2001Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2002Sweet Science Palmetto 2002Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2004Saudades ECM 2006As Trio Beyond; trio, with John Scofield (guitar), Jack DeJohnette (drums); in concert 2005?Quartet Palmetto 2006Most tracks quartet, with John Sneider (cornet, trumpet), Ben Allison (bass), Matt Wilson (drums); one track quintet, with Madeleine Peyroux (vocals) 2007?Long Story Short Sticky Mack 2007With Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2007, 2009When Larry Met Harry Café Society 2010Quartet, with Harry Allen (tenor sax), Doug Weiss and Neil Miner (bass; separately), Andy Watson (drums) 2010 –2011In My Room BFM Jazz 2011Solo piano 2011Live at Smalls Smalls Live 2011Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2013Ramshackle Serenade Pirouet 2014Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2014?Music from the Front Room Sticky Mack 2014Trio, with David Piltch (bass), Jay Bellerose (drums) 2016Toy Tunes Pirouet 2018Trio, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Stewart (drums) 2017?Radio Music Vol.1 Bandcamp 2018All music written and performed by Goldings 2018?Scary Goldings Scary Pockets 2018With Scary Pockets 2019?Scary Goldings: The Ego Trap Scary Pockets 2019With Scary Pockets 2020?Tie Me to You Monsoon 2020With Kathleen Grace 2021?Earthshine Colorfield 2021All music written and performed by Goldings 2021Perpetual Pendulum Smoke Sessions 2022 2024?Big Foot Colorfield 2024With Melinda Sullivan 2025?Scary Goldings: The Holy Enchilada Scary Pockets 2025With Scary Pockets
Main sources:
As sideman With Peter Bernstein Brain Dance (Criss Cross Jazz, 1996) Earth Tones (Criss Cross Jazz, 1998)
With Till Brönner Oceana (EmArcy, 2006) Rio (Verve, 2008) At the End of the Day (Bam Bam, 2010) The Good Life (Masterworks, 2016)
With Chris Minh Doky Listen Up! (Virgin, 2000) Cinematique (Blue Note/Capitol, 2002) Scenes from a Dream (Red Dot, 2010)
With Sia Colour the Small One (Astralwerks, 2004) Some People Have Real Problems (Hear Music, 2008)
With Robben Ford Truth (Concord, 2007) Soul on Ten (Concord, 2009) Bringing It Back Home (Provogue, 2013)
With Steve Gadd Gadditude (BFM, 2013) Steve Gadd Band 70 Strong (BFM, 2015) Way Back Home (BFM, 2016) Steve Gadd Band (BFM, 2018)
With Melody Gardot My One and Only Thrill (Verve, 2009) The Absence (Decca, 2012) Currency of Man (Decca, 2015)
With Jesse Harris Mineral (Secret Sun, 2006) No Wrong No Right (Dangerbird, 2015)
With Jim Hall Subsequently (MusicMasters, 1992) Something Special (MusicMasters/Limelight, 1993)
With Colin Hay Company of Strangers (Lazy Eye, 2002) Are You Lookin' at Me? (Compass/Lazy Eye, 2007) Next Year People (Compass/Lazy Eye, 2015)
With Adam Levy Buttermilk Channel (Lost Wax, 2001) Town & Country (Lost Wax, 2014)
With John Mayer Continuum (Columbia, 2006) The Search for Everything (Columbia, 2017)
With Jessica Molaskey Make Believe (PS Classics, 2003) Sitting in Limbo (PS Classics, 2007) Portraits of Joni (Ghostlight, 2017)
With James Moody Young at Heart (Warner Bros., 1996) Warner Jams Vol. 2: The Two Tenors (Warner Bros., 1997)
With Maceo Parker Roots Revisited (Verve, 1990) Mo' Roots (Verve, 1991) Life on Planet Groove (Verve, 1992)
With Rebecca Pidgeon Behind the Velvet Curtain (Great American Music, 2008) Bad Poetry (Toy Canteen, 2014)
With Madeleine Peyroux Careless Love (Rounder, 2004) Half the Perfect World (Rounder, 2006) Bare Bones (Rounder/Decca, 2008) The Blue Room (Decca/EmArcy, 2012)
With John Pizzarelli Double Exposure (Telarc, 2012) Midnight McCartney (Concord, 2015)
With Tim Ries Alternate Side (Criss Cross Jazz, 2001) The Rolling Stones Project (Concord, 2005)
With Lee Ritenour 6 String Theory (Concord, 2010) Rhythm Sessions (Concord, 2012)
With John Scofield Hand Jive (Blue Note, 1994) Groove Elation (Blue Note, 1995) Steady Groovin (Blue Note, 2000, compilation) That's What I Say (Verve, 2005) A Moment's Peace (EmArcy, 2011) Country for Old Men (Impulse!, 2016)
With Mark Sholtez The Distance Between Two Truths (Warner, 2010) The Edge of the Known World (Ambition, 2015)
With Bill Stewart Incandescence (Pirouet, 2008) Live at Smalls (Smallslive, 2011) Ramshackle Serenade (Pirouet, 2014) Toy Tunes (Pirouet, 2018)
With Curtis Stigers Baby Plays Around (Concord Jazz, 2001) Secret Heart (Concord Jazz, 2002) You Inspire Me (Concord Jazz, 2003) – also as producer I Think It's Going To Rain Today (Concord Jazz, 2005) – also as producer Real Emotional (Concord Jazz, 2007) – also as producer Lost In Dreams (Concord Jazz, 2009) Let's Go Out Tonight (Concord Jazz, 2012)
With Dave Stryker Blue Degrees (SteepleChase, 1993) – rec. 1992 Shades of Miles (SteepleChase, 2000)
With James Taylor October Road (Columbia, 2002) A Christmas Album (Hallmark, 2004) One Man Band (Hear Music, 2007) Other Covers (Hear Music, 2009) Before This World (Concord, 2015) American Standard (Fantasy, 2020)
With Matt Wilson As Wave Follows Wave (Palmetto, 1996) Arts and Crafts (Palmetto, 2001)
With Lazlo Bane All the Time in the World (self-released, 2002) Guilty Pleasures (Lookout Sound, 2007)
With Lisa Loeb The Way It Really Is (Zoe, 2004) Lullaby Girl (Furious Rose Productions, 2017) – also as producer
With Jane Monheit Home (EmArcy, 2010) The Heart of the Matter (EmArcy, 2013)
With Pomplamoose À Cabo (2023) Tu Peux Pas Savoir (2023) Valse d'Antan (2025) – originally recorded as instrumental composition on "When Harry Met Larry" Photogenique (2025) – as composer and perfomer
With others