Chris Godber

Biography

Chris Godber (born July 13, 1985) is a saxophonist, producer and multi instrumentalist from Panama City, Florida. He plays soprano, alto and tenor saxophones in addition to the piano, keyboards, and acoustic guitar. He can be heard playing most of the background instruments and drum programming on his first three albums. His music is heavily influenced by Contemporary Jazz, R&B and Gospel and by elites such as Grover Washington Jr., Boney James, Kenny G, Kirk Whalum, Brian Culbertson, Chris...

Chris Godber (born July 13, 1985) is a saxophonist, producer and multi instrumentalist from Panama City, Florida. He plays soprano, alto and tenor saxophones in addition to the piano, keyboards, and acoustic guitar. He can be heard playing most of the background instruments and drum programming on his first three albums. His music is heavily influenced by Contemporary Jazz, R&B and Gospel and by elites such as Grover Washington Jr., Boney James, Kenny G, Kirk Whalum, Brian Culbertson, Chris Tomlin and the likes of Michael W. Smith’s piano work and composition.

Chris's latest album “My Offering” is his 4th album to date garnering praise and reviews the world over. Patrick Van de Wiele of smoothjazz.eu says of Chris's music, “Sometimes he makes me think of Kenny G…you can easily situate him between those other more famous smooth jazz sax players!"

Unlike those “other more famous sax players”, however, Chris suffers from asthma. When starting middle school in Charleston, SC he aspired to start playing the saxophone, but his doctors told him he wouldn’t be able to because it may aggravate his symptoms. Chris didn’t take no for an answer and took to the sax anyway! Though he struggled with it more so than other students at the time, he soon overcame the hurdle that was holding him back and used the saxophone as a form of self treatment for his asthma symptoms. Chris gives God all of the credit for allowing him to play and saying, “That’s why I play for Him. He’s the one that allows me to do so in the first place.”

Though Chris still has asthma, God has allowed him to overcome it. It's only one of many miracles God has blessed Chris and his family with. His sister, Sarah was born 3 months premature in Bonn Germany back in 1990. Because of the complications with delivery and her stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the doctors didn't give much hope of survival to Chris's family. However, through much faith and prayer God blessed them with Sarah and after 4 months she was able to come home from the hospital! Today she is a huge asset to Chris's ministry helping in various areas of marketing and web updates!

In early 2011 Chris signed with LA Sax to endorse their saxophones. Chris started playing these horns earlier this year and has nothing but great things to say about them. "From the first note I was in awe at how well they played and capturing my voice in the sax. I like them so much I recorded the new album with them, and the songs I had already recorded with my other horns I then re-recorded!" -Chris Godber.

Chris has worked with various other musicians both in the studio and on the stage. He was a National Finalist in GMA’s (Gospel Music Association) 2005 Music in The Rockies, Estes Park, CO. He’s performed with T. Graham Brown and has also been an opening act for various Gospel Artists such as, “Seventh Day Slumber”, “KJ 52” and has performed for “Dancing With The Stars” on two occasions. Chris also recently caught the attention of saxophone legends Kirk Whalum and Gerald Albright during the 2011 Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Pier Park, Panama City Beach, FL where they came by after one of Chris’s performances telling him how much they enjoyed his music and his inspirational message! Chris continues to travel and perform leaving audiences breathless and inspired wherever he goes!

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