Medium Story on Mick Goodrick's "In Pas(s)ing"

[maxsmith]

I posted a story on Medium today about one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite players, In Pas(s)ing by Mick Goodrick - it's a combination review and personal reflection.

Medium - Mick Goodrick - In Pas(s)ing, by Max Smith

Hope you enjoy!

[Jimmy blue note]

Thank you for a lovely and thoughtful article maxsmith. I'll share this with Mick when I see him later this morning. Maybe I'll ask him to share some of his thoughts on the album, recording and that session and offer them on this thread.
I do know that he was a very active member of the Gary Burton Band prior to the era in which he recorded this. He had worked closely with Manfred Eicher, head of ECM through those years and Manfred, by recent admission, had always considered Mick one of his favourites.
Mick's time with Gary began with some game changing recordings with him in the forefront taking the guitar chair at a time when harmonies, writing and a singular band chemistry with Steve Swallow and Bob Moses incubated a revolutionary new modern approach to the music at the time. Mick said he credits the writing, 'the book', with great changes that propelled the band into new melodic and harmonic territory.
The band was joined by a young Pat Metheny and in the course of that two guitar configuration, Pat's playing grew from a young player's hit or miss experimentation to being a major player with a strong voice. Mick felt his place in the band was redundant and Pat's time had arrived. He quit the band and stopped playing jazz for a year.
During this time, he studied and played classical guitar (having become a fingerstyle player during his GB time) and with a record of Julian Bream's Lute Suites he immersed himself in Bach.
One day, out of the blue, he got a phone call from Manfed. "You still have a record with ECM in your contract. Would you like to do a solo?"

So Mick quickly assembled a band he'd never worked with. Jack and he were old friends and bandmates so he was a natural pick. Jack recommended Eddie Gomez who had worked with Bill Evans, and with whom Mick had never played but certainly admired, and John Surman who had played with John McLaughlin in Europe.
They showed up, introduced themselves, and Mick offered some tunes. They did one day rehearsal in the Oslo studio and the next day recorded the tunes. All first takes. One collective improvisation. It was mixed and Mick flew home.
He didn't listen to that album again for over a decade until a neighbor next door to him invited him for dinner and asked if he could play In Pas(s)ing. Mick initially said No. But as the evening progressed, he quietly said "You can play it." Daisuke put the record on and we listened to the entire record in silence. After which Mick's only comment was "That was pretty good. I didn't remember it that way."
Of course Daisuke and I knew every single note of that record, and it was quite freaky to know a recording better than the man who played it; sitting on the floor in front of us.

I don't know whether he's heard it again after that though. I'll be sure to ask him when I see him later!

By the way, when I asked him about that unusual title. He said it was Manfred's idea. Pasing is a town in Germany, he thought it was kinda clever. Mick had nothing to do with the album's title, packaging or mastering. The session was done. He finished playing and when he returned to the states, he began taking work again.
That's the story.

[Christian Miller]

“bebop guitar dark woody thudding murk”?

*gets popcorn*

[Alter]

A great player and teacher! I love this album..

[Jimmy blue note]

maxsmith. I just saw Mick and shared your article with him, he really liked it. I asked if he had any memories of that session and he said:
No rehearsals, we just went in and did it. If you listen to Feebles, you'll hear some 'wrong' notes when John plays the head in. That's because there isn't a head, I brought that piece and it was just changes. Manfred said to John, Just play it in. Then he leaned into me and said "Play a good solo on this one." and I hated it when he did that, but it worked. I played a good solo.
Afterwords we had a kind of Thanksgiving dinner, Norwegian style, with Reindeer and these big gooseberries that were kind of like cranberries. It was really good. Everybody had a good time.

So there are your personal Mick Goodrick liner notes. The article really made him happy. He thanks you.

[ronjazz]

Great take on Mick's style and that recording, also an entrance into a new world for me. I met with Mick for coffee every week before my lessons with Bill Leavitt, and heard him play in a variety of contexts, from duos with other guitarists and bassists to the Jack DeJohnette group and even big band stuff, including an evening with the Louis Bellson band that was truly ear-opening. Like Max, I found myself exploring the Unitar (one-string guitar) concept as well as really working to stitch together the voice-leading when comping for others. I took a couple of lessons with Mick, and sold him an Ovation classical guitar I disliked for his stint with the Charlie Haden big band recording and tours. Truly an independent, dynamic, (albeit quiet and understated) and highly influential artist leading us into the 21st Century!

[RobbieAG]

That's a very nice article and tribute to one of your major influences. I still have this LP along with most of Mick's recordings with Gary Burton. I can't say I've listened to it that much over the years and will need to give it another listen. I really do like his harmonic approach and use of legato.

[maxsmith]

Wow, Jimmy, that was unexpected. I am very glad that Mick liked the article. I’m sure that he has a lot of “students” out here who never sat across from him in his teaching studio - he certainly taught me, many things. I thank him, too.

And thanks to you for sharing the article with him and pas(s)ing along his reminiscences of the recording.

All the best!

maxsmith. I just saw Mick and shared your article with him, he really liked it. I asked if he had any memories of that session and he said:
No rehearsals, we just went in and did it. If you listen to Feebles, you'll hear some 'wrong' notes when John plays the head in. That's because there isn't a head, I brought that piece and it was just changes. Manfred said to John, Just play it in. Then he leaned into me and said "Play a good solo on this one." and I hated it when he did that, but it worked. I played a good solo.
Afterwords we had a kind of Thanksgiving dinner, Norwegian style, with Reindeer and these big gooseberries that were kind of like cranberries. It was really good. Everybody had a good time.

So there are your personal Mick Goodrick liner notes. The article really made him happy. He thanks you.