Walking up in brown, travel-worn corduroys, a blue-collared shirt and an entanglement of Jesus-hair, local musician James Goodhand’s look is more than a little attached to the creative artist cliché.

The 20-year-old environmental economics major plays bass in two bands, bringing the sweet sound of jazz to gigs at various spots around town.

Goodhand has been playing electric bass for six years and what he calls “real bass” – that of the upright variety – for two years. He cites Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers and Scott LaFaro as his bass heroes.

Goodhand is one member of the jazz quartet “Sonny Got Blue,” whose name references the James Baldwin short story “Sonny’s Blues.”

“I’ve been playing with them for a year. I am actually working with a few University officials.”

In fact, “Sonny Got Blue” has two University-affiliated musicians – professor of Japanese history, Karl Friday, on drums and printmaker for the University press, George Davidson, on the saxophone. Graduate student Andrew Murdison contributes with a trumpet.

With Sonny Got Blue, Goodhand translates classic jazz standards, making them his own with painterly bass solos.

“Our music consists of blues/bebop drumming and highly stylized improvisation over jazz and Latin standards,” Goodhand said.

Goodhand is also a central member of the jazz-fusion trio, Walter. The two other members are University students like Goodhand.

Guitarist Andrei Mihailovic has a metal background “with a jazz mind” – and an increasing deference to 19th century Russian classical composers.

Drummer Gregory Callas of Roswell keeps the rhythm as the self-proclaimed Ringo-esque “dumb drummer.” Nonetheless, his musical commentary on his band-mates’ playing is instrumental.

“As a band, we come up with a groove, expand on it, jam on the motif. Then, Greg will switch dynamics, forcing us to lather, rinse, repeat,” Mihailovic said.

According to Goodhand, Walter’s musical touchstones include Vince Guaraldi [of "Charlie Brown" fame] and Medeski, Martin, and Wood. The group’s music also references “West Coast diasporic Eastern European gypsy jazz,” Goodhand said.

“Walter is a Nietzschean mix of Apollo and Dionysus. Our synthesis of classic form and tradition with youthful abandon and drunken debauchery makes our sound,” Callas said.

Goodhand’s economics background gives the group a theoretical manifesto, based in Goodhand’s self-created “data theory of music.”

“Andre as lead guitarist is the raw data playing the fundamental notes and chords. Greg’s drum maps that data on an axis by plotting out linearity with time signatures. I am the derivative. My bass notes tell you where the song is going as every notes pushes either up or down.”

Goodhand hopes to reignite interest and bring jazz to the larger Athens music scene.

“In Athens, there’s two musical extremes – singer-songwriters and textured rock postures. Jazz puts these two together, initiating a musical lyricism without lyrics. Imagine walking into one of the many bars downtown and instead of hearing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ again, you get live jazz.”

Goodhand is a wordless troubadour making autobiographical statements through his floor bass.

“Like any good musician, James speaks with his instrument. Bass is perfect for his style of speaking. When he plays bass, James sings,” Mihailovic said.

Whether songs borrowed, new or blues, James Goodhand plays bass as if his last name predestined his own skill.