The Sofia Goodman Trio

November 9, 2025 at 7:30PM

$25

The Sofia Goodman Trio concludes their "Presence Tour" with a special performance at the Nashville Jazz Workshop, presented in thanks to South Arts. Led by Sofia Goodman on drums, the trio will be performing original music, featuring Matt Twaddle on piano and Leland Nelson on bass.

Sofia Goodman is a drummer, composer and bandleader residing in Nashville, TN. Her work has been internationally recognized in the press from sources like DownBeat and JAZZIZ. Since 2017, her group has toured the U.S and Canada, appearing at many notable venues and festivals, including USM Jazz & Blues Festival, where her quartet was the headliner. As a bandleader and arranger, she has developed repertoire for her trio, quartet, septet, octet and more. Her work has been called “mesmerizing and compositionally rich” by DownBeat and she has been called a “splendid composer and drummer” by All About Jazz. The Nashville Scene noted Goodman is “something to be excited about in the evolution of jazz in Music City.” 

Goodman started playing drums in middle school. In high school she was placed in Esperanza Spalding’s student ensemble at Berklee College of Music, where she was encouraged and inspired by the Grammy award-winning artist. Goodman has released three albums on Joyous Records. In 2024, The Sofia Goodman Group won the NIMA award for Best Jazz Group. Goodman has also won the Pathways to Jazz Grant and the CMA Performance Plus Grant and has received several nominations from NIMA. As a sidewoman, Goodman has performed with blues legend Bobby Rush, The Music City Big Band, trombonist Altin Sencalar, world folk group HuDost and many more. Outside of performing, Goodman is a passionate educator and mentor, and she is also involved in groups like This is A Movement and Nashville Women in Jazz.