Gotham was born in Eastleigh, England and grew up in Ancaster, Ontario where his family emigrated when he was four years old.
[2] He went on to form his own ensembles which were active in the Canadian jazz scene during the late 1980s and 1990s, including his first band "Gotham City", "Hemispheres" (a fifteen piece "big band" specialising in jazz and new music), and "40 Fingers" (an improvising saxophone quartet).
[3][4] In 1988 Gotham approached Canadian playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald to write the libretto for his first opera, Nigredo Hotel after having composed the incidental music and sound effects for her play Goodnight Desdemona.
[6] It was subsequently performed in several other Canadian cities and at the Glasgow Mayfest, revived in Toronto in 1995 and 2005, and received its Australian premiere in 2006.
[7] Gotham received the Freddie Stone Award, which honours a Canadian musician "who reflects musical integrity and innovation", in 1997.