Mick Goodrick
In Pas(s)ing

Our Mick is certainly not very famous. He is probably better known among those who study jazz guitar, being the author of various books (The Advancing Guitarist is said to be a classic) published also under the pseudonym Mr. Goodchord.

He started playing at twelve, graduated from Berkley in '67, from '73 to '76, he accompanied the great vibraphone master, Gary Burton before dedicating himself to teaching. Among his students are people of the caliber of Mike Stern, John Scofield, and Bill Frisell. Pat Metheny himself cites him among his influences. Engaged in his activity as a guitar educator, he did not release many works.

"In Pas(s)ing" came out in '79, and our Mick chose extremely reliable companions: Jack DeJohnette on drums, Eddie Gomez on bass, and John Surman on wind instruments. The choice of the latter, in my opinion, reveals the kind of atmospheres Mick seeks for this excellent work. John is quite a particular musician in the jazz realm, both for the choice of instruments — soprano and baritone sax, bass clarinet — and because he prefers to create melancholic and reflective atmospheres rather than impress with virtuosity. It must also be noted the magnificent performance of Eddie Gomez who, in this work, elevates his instrument to expressive spheres that impressed me, velvety in the accompaniments and touching in the solos. And Jack, as usual, is precise and moderate, but it goes without saying.

What might surprise is that although the album is in Mick's name, he rarely steps forward with solos, albeit magnificent ones; he often contents himself with accompanying the band, especially the wind instruments, which is not a limitation at all but a merit, a sign of humility from someone who perfectly controls his ego in favor of music and emotions. "In pas(s)ing" gives us many beautiful ones, with a perfect balance between the skillfully dosed ingredients. Of the five compositions, the first four are Mick's, while the last one is credited to all four musicians. Manfred Eicher's production is as always excellent, and the CD's graphics are minimal in ECM style, with Mick on the back with his thick beard and in front, a photo with inverted tones showing us the exit of a gallery, almost representing the end of this pa(s)sage, a dark silence.

Timeless!