Among the notable guitarists who performed at various points in vibraphonist Gary Burton’s ensembles—alongside Larry Coryell, John Scofield, and Pat Metheny—Mick Goodrick chose to emphasize a career as a jazz educator, which kept him from attaining the same level of recognition reached by his contemporaries. Even so, he cultivated a highly personal tonal identity. He first took up the guitar at age twelve, prompted by an interest in jazz kindled at Stan Kenton’s summer camps, and completed his studies at Berklee College in 1967. Goodrick subsequently joined the Berklee faculty before serving with Burton from 1973 to 1976, appearing on numerous recordings by the vibraphonist. He later established himself as an instructor in the Boston area, most prominently at the New England Conservatory, toured with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra in 1985, and performed with Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition in the late 1980s. Goodrick led his own sessions only sparingly—an ECM date in 1978 and further recordings for CMP, Novus, and Ram in the 1990s. He died on November 16, 2022, at the age of 77 from Parkinson’s Disease.
