Jazz guitarist, singer, and composer Torsten Goods was born Torsten Gutknecht in Dusseldorf, Germany on October 25, 1980. Influenced by iconic artists such as George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Stevie Wonder, Django Reinhardt, Freddie Mercury, and Kenny Loggins, Torsten Goods began his musical career when he was 14 but didn’t discover jazz until he was 17. In 1999 and 2000, he attended his first workshops in New York City, New York, studying under Jim Hall and John Scofield. Torsten Gutknecht became a member of the Federal Jazz Orchestra – a Bonn, Germany-based national youth jazz orchestra – in 2000. In 2001, while still attending high school, he released his debut album, Manhattan Walls. He received a scholarship and spent 2001 to 2003 studying at New School University in New York City. While living in New York City, he performed with various artists such as Reverend Run (from Run-DMC) and Seleno Clarke, who introduced him to both George Benson and Les Paul, who was responsible for giving him the stage name Torsten Goods. After returning to Germany, he released his second album, Steppin’ (2004), which was a critical success. Embracing the holiday season, he released Jazzy Christmas in 2005. That same year, he was one of ten worldwide semi-finalists in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Guitar Competition. Further releases include Irish Heart (2006), 1980 (2008), Love Comes to Town (2013) and Thank You Baby! (2015).
