# New CD – 2026: Mick Goodrick, Fred Hersch – Feebles, Fables and Ferns։ Review, Video, CD cover

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2026/06/19/new-cd-2026-mick-goodrick-fred-hersch-feebles-fables-and-ferns%d6%89-review-video-cd-cover/
- Published: 2026-06-19T09:53:57+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**There are albums that arrive with fanfare, announcing themselves through grand
gestures and dazzling displays of virtuosity. **

And then there are recordings like Feebles, Fables and Ferns, a work that seems 
to emerge from somewhere quieter and far more mysterious – a place where music is
less concerned with spectacle than with discovery.

In this intimate meeting between guitarist Mick Goodrick and pianist Fred Hersch,
listeners are invited into a landscape of subtle conversations, unfinished thoughts,
fleeting memories, and profound musical trust.

From the very first notes, the album unfolds not as a collection of compositions
but as a living ecosystem. Every phrase feels organic, as though it has grown naturally
from the one before it. Goodrick’s guitar does not dominate the space, nor does 
Hersch’s piano seek to lead.

Instead, both musicians inhabit a shared territory where ideas drift, intertwine,
dissolve, and reappear transformed. Their dialogue resembles two master storytellers
exchanging fragments of tales around a fire, each completing the other’s sentences
while simultaneously opening new paths for exploration.

The title itself, Feebles, Fables and Ferns, hints at the character of the music.
There is fragility here—the “feebles” suggesting vulnerability and imperfection.
There are stories—the “fables” evoking imagination, allegory, and wisdom hidden 
beneath simple surfaces.

And there is nature—the “ferns” symbolizing quiet growth, resilience, and beauty
that reveals itself gradually. The music embodies all three qualities. Nothing feels
forced. Every note seems carefully placed, yet entirely spontaneous.

Mick Goodrick has long been revered among musicians as one of jazz’s most profound
thinkers. His influence extends far beyond his recordings, shaping generations of
guitarists through his teaching, his writings, and his singular approach to harmony
and improvisation.

Throughout this album, his guitar speaks with remarkable clarity. He avoids unnecessary
flourishes, choosing instead to explore the emotional weight of individual notes
and intervals. His lines often feel suspended in midair, inviting listeners to lean
closer and hear the silence surrounding them.

Fred Hersch proves an ideal counterpart. Few pianists possess his ability to balance
intellect and emotion so seamlessly. His touch is extraordinarily nuanced, capable
of transforming a simple melodic fragment into something deeply moving.

Hersch understands space as well as sound, allowing melodies to breathe and harmonies
to linger long after they have been played. His accompaniment never merely supports;
it illuminates, challenges, and enriches the unfolding conversation.

What makes this recording so compelling is the absence of hierarchy. Neither musician
seeks the spotlight. The music evolves through listening rather than assertion. 
At times the guitar appears to pose a question that the piano answers with another
question. Elsewhere, both instruments seem to discover a shared thought simultaneously.
The resulting interplay feels less like performance and more like collective meditation.

The harmonic language throughout the album is rich and sophisticated, yet it never
becomes academic. Complex voicings emerge naturally from the flow of the music, 
creating moments of wonder without drawing attention to their complexity. Goodrick
and Hersch navigate these harmonic landscapes with the ease of travelers who know
every hidden path yet remain excited by every new turn.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Feebles, Fables and Ferns is its patience.
In an era often defined by immediacy, this music asks listeners to slow down. Themes
develop gradually. Emotional revelations arrive quietly.

The album rewards repeated listening because its deepest treasures are rarely found
on the surface. New details emerge with each encounter: a subtle rhythmic exchange,
an unexpected harmonic shift, a brief melodic gesture that suddenly takes on profound
significance.

There is also a strong sense of reflection running through the recording. The music
often feels as though it is contemplating its own existence, examining memories,
experiences, and possibilities from multiple perspectives.

Some passages evoke nostalgia without sentimentality, while others suggest curiosity
about unexplored horizons. The emotional range is broad but always understated, 
expressed through nuance rather than drama.

The recording’s intimate atmosphere enhances these qualities. Every note feels close,
personal, and unguarded. The listener becomes less an observer and more a participant
in the conversation. One can almost imagine sitting in the room with the musicians,
witnessing ideas take shape in real time.

For admirers of modern jazz, chamber improvisation, and deeply interactive music-
making, Feebles, Fables and Ferns offers a masterclass in artistic communication.
Yet its appeal extends beyond genre boundaries. At its heart, this is music about
listening—listening to another musician, listening to silence, and listening to 
the subtle emotions that exist beneath everyday experience.

Mick Goodrick and Fred Hersch have created a recording that resists easy categorization.
It is contemplative without being distant, sophisticated without being inaccessible,
and deeply personal without ever becoming self-indulgent.

Like the ferns of its title, the album reveals its intricate beauty slowly, unfolding
leaf by leaf, phrase by phrase. And like the finest fables, it leaves listeners 
with the sense that something meaningful has been communicated, even if its full
message remains wonderfully elusive.

Feebles, Fables and Ferns stands as a testament to the enduring power of musical
conversation—a quiet, elegant work in which two master improvisers transform sound
into reflection, reflection into story, and story into art.

![Mick Goodrick / Fred Hersch 'Feebles, Fables and Ferns' CD (ECM) 4/5 - ukvibe -
astral travelling since 1993](https://i0.wp.com/ukvibe.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/
05/mick-goodrick-fred-hersch.jpg?resize=640%2C640&ssl=1)

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