This is a record about restraint and mutual attention: the result is an atmosphere of concentration rather than spectacle, and that suits both players perfectly. Goodrick’s playing is especially persuasive in this context—subtle, probing, and harmonically expansive, but never cluttered. Hersch meets him with equal poise, shaping the music with a lyric touch and a pianist’s gift for structuring space. They do not trade solos in any conventional sense; instead, they spin lines over, under, and through one another, instinctively vacating space the moment the other steps forward. […] The sound, though recorded outside ECM’s usual studios, fits naturally within the label’s aesthetic. Every micro-interaction is preserved: the briefest pause before a chord change, the ringing decay of a piano string, the metallic breath of guitar strings. It feels less like a polished stage performance and more like a beautifully preserved sketchbook. Goodrick died in November 2022, meaning he did not live to see this music finally reach the public. That makes ‘Feebles, Fables and Ferns’ all the more moving as a document—a testament to his genius as a collaborator and to the kind of musical intelligence that quietly shaped generations of players without ever seeking the headlines. Together with Hersch, he left behind a quiet, arresting masterpiece of jazz dialogue: graceful, understated, and endlessly absorbing. For listeners drawn to the inner skeins of jazz duet playing, or to ECM’s most intimate productions, this is an essential recording.
Jack Kenny, All About Jazz
Unusual to find a new release from ECM that features music recorded not at one of their chosen locations, but archival recordings made at the musician’s own studio and a very welcome album it is too. In the mid to late 1980s, pianist Fred Hersch had his own recording studio. In the summer of 1988 he invited the reticent Mick Goodrick to come and record some duets. Hardly known to be a prolific recording artist, the guitarist agreed and the results are simply a stunning and absorbing set that captures both musicians in excellent form. Right from the word go, Goodrick and Hersch seem to establish an immediate rapport that despite often being quiet and contemplative generates a fair amount of energy and passion. Kicking off with Goodrick’s composition ‘Feebles, Fables and Ferns’ recorded a decade earlier by the guitarist on his debut (and only) leader album ‚In Pas(s)ing‘ for the label the telepathic understanding is clearly heard. The level of invention is quite astonishing and continues with superb readings of a couple of Steve Swallow compositions in the evergreen ‘Falling Grace’ and ‘Amazing’ which is coupled with Goodrick’s ‘Away 10’ and in the surprise of the album, ‘Five Excursions’ which is, as the title implies, five spontaneously composed episodes that sit together seamlessly as a continuous piece of music making. […] In a world where there is possibly too much music available via streaming and downloads, it is a travesty when music of this quality is left unreleased and unheard. So after sitting in the vaults for 38 years, thank you to Fred Hersch for preserving the music and making it available for us all to enjoy.
Nick Lea, Jazz Views
Es ist Musik ohne Eitelkeit, ohne Überzeugungsdruck. Sie hat den Charme einer ersten Begegnung […] Die Instrumente umgarnen sich, Melodien ranken ineinander, das Zusammenspiel passiert auf einem mitfühlenden Niveau der Gegenseitigkeit. Das Duo selbst wird damit zum Instrument und im Flow mehr als die Summe der Einzelteile.
Ralf Dombrowski, Jazzthing
Weder Gitarrist Goodrick noch Pianist Hersch ging es um vordergründiges Solieren. Hier fanden zwei Seelenverwandte an unterschiedlichen Instrumenten eine gemeinsame Tonsprache. Sie ergänzten sich, reagierten spontan aufeinander, hatten ähnliche Beziehungen und Erfahrungen, was die Tradition betraf und sie beherrschten eine gewisse Coolness – weitab jedes jazzmusikalischen Fundamentalismus. […] Die jetzt veröffentlichten Aufnahmen von 1988 unterstreichen die jeweilige poetische Strahlkraft beider Solisten, die berührend mit ihrer gezügelten Virtuosität korrespondiert. Hier werden Klangräume erschlossen, die ebenso melodische wie leidenschaftliche Anteile beinhalten. Leider war es das einzige musikalische Miteinander von Mick Goodrick und Fred Hersch. Schätzen wir uns einfach glücklich, dass dieses Aufeinander überhaupt mitgeschnitten und jetzt veröffentlicht wurde.
Jörg Konrad, Kultkomplott
By pure chance, it was during the summer of 1988 when the pair were both active in Boston where they managed to meet at Hersch’s New York studio, and ‘Feebles, Fables & Ferns’ was born into existence. What is clear from the offset is the innate understanding both players have of each other and their musical language. It’s a fine example of two musicians who are clearly on one another’s level, and Goodrick’s opening title track more than proves the point. First heard on the guitarist’s album ‘In Pas(s)ing’, the tone is bright and light-hearted, and both players weave in and out of each other’s lines beautifully. It’s an incredible reminder of Hersch’s sublime elegance in his approach to playing, and feels like a total breath of fresh air. […] ‘Feebles, Fables & Ferns’ is a snapshot in time, capturing a unique crossing of paths of two fantastic jazz musicians and improvisers. Lovers of either artist are sure to want to add this particular release to their collection, but I’d urge even those unfamiliar to take a listen – it’s worth it just to listen to two masters conjure a rare kind of sparkling magic that can only emerge when two musicians listen as deeply as they play.
Maddy Allison, Presto (‘Recording of the Week’)
Den Auftakt macht die flott swingende und zuweilen durchaus zupackende Goodrick-Komposition ‘Feebles, Fables and Ferns’, in der sich Piano und Gitarre die Melodieführung teilen, sich kunstvoll verzahnen, aneinanderschmiegen, wechselseitig begleiten und kommentieren. Das gleiche Treatment erfährt der aus der Feder von Hersch stammende und von ihm schon in unterschiedlichen Konstellationen aufgenommene, eine enorme Lebensfreude ausstrahlende ‘Heartsong’ – ein höchst intensives Vergnügen, in dem sich die Akteure die musikalischen Impulse wie Ping-Pong-Bälle zuspielen. […] Aus dem gängigen Live-Repertoire des Gitarristen stammen der von den 1930ern bis in die 1950er von unzähligen Musikern interpretierte Song ‘Out of Nowhere’ von Johnny Green/Edward Heyman, sowie ‘Soul Eyes’, das der Pianist Mal Waldron 1957 – vom jungen John Coltrane inspiriert – geschrieben hatte. Beides respektvolle Rückgriffe auf die Jazz-Historie, mit denen Standards aus der Sicht zweier großartiger Improvisatoren Ende der 1980er Jahre frisch in Szene gesetzt wurden. Weit experimentierfreudiger – geräuschhaft, impressionistisch, zupackend, frei mäandernd – geht es in den ‘Five Excursions’ zur Sache, fünf vom Pianisten zu einem gut neun Minuten langen Stück zusammengefassten, höchst unterschiedlichen, freien Improvisationen. Fred Hersch hat Mick Goodrick mit diesem Album ein wundervolles Denkmal gesetzt – und sich selber gleich mit dazu.
Peter Füssl, Zeitschrift für Kultur und Gesellschaft
Mick Goodrick is a musician who deserved wider recognition during his lifetime, but there are multiple reasons why he is not better known. He recorded infrequently as a leader, but his gift as an innovative improviser made him an important mentor who influenced many guitarists, including Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Lionel Louke, Julian Lage and Wolfgang Muthspiel. This previously unissued duo session with Fred Hersch came about at the invitation of the pianist, recorded in the studio that Fred operated for a time in the mid-1980s. It was an informal date without a planned set list, coming together naturally. […] Goodrick’s intricate ‘Feebles, Fables and Ferns’ inspires great interplay between the musicians, with rich harmonies in a delightful musical conversation. Bassist Steve Swallow’s ‘Falling Grace’ has become a jazz standard over the years and the duo’s brisk setting expands its horizons without losing sight of its theme. The tantalizing ‘Five excursions’ is a brilliant series of free improvisations, often conveying a tense, mysterious mood, yet never losing its grip on the listener. […] It is a mystery as to why Mick didn’t release this session during his lifetime, as his partnership with a then-rising talent like Fred deserved to be heard long ago.
Ken Dryden, Hot House
‘Feebles, Fables & Ferns’ documents a one-time meeting between then Boston scene mainstays guitarist Mick Goodrick and pianist Fred Hersch in the latter’s studio in 1988 for no reason other than to have a good time. […] The title-cut opener was composed by Goodrick and appeared on his 1970 ECM debut album ‘In Pas(s)ing’. The players fold the melody in on one another before extrapolating harmonies in intertwining solos all while making use of the space afforded them — check the interlocking arpeggios at 2:50. Swallow’s ‘Falling Grace’ is introduced by Hersch, who offers the chord pattern with sprightly elegance and fills as Goodrick prods with melodic invention and counterpoint. The warm, intimate ‘Away 10/Amazing,’ credited to Swallow and Goodrick, easily reveals the intricate process the duo engages via deep listening and openness. They create a tender, liltingly beautiful performance complete with gorgeous soloing by the guitarist. […] The set closer is a reading of Mal Waldron’s classic ‘Soul Eyes.’ While Hersch enfolds Waldron’s harmonic chord voicings into his own elegant phrasing, Goodrick’s profoundly lyrical solo carries the melody first into the foreground, then extrapolates it on the changes into another harmonic dimension. ‘Feebles, Fables & Ferns’ is a compelling release; it offers a rare listen to the music-making process of two brilliant musicians encountering and really connecting with one another for the first time, embracing the many possibilities offered them as a duo. This is a welcome addition to both catalogs.
Thom Yurek, All Music
An den Stücken, die ursprünglich nicht zur Veröffentlichung gedacht waren, ist vieles erstaunlich: Etwa, wie geradezu telepathisch Klavier und Gitarre hier interagieren. Zuweilen, wie etwa im Titelstück ‘Feebles, Fables and Ferns’ oder in Johnny Greens ‘Out Of Nowhere’, wirkt das Zusammenspiel so eng verzahnt, als hätte man es hier nur mit einem Instrument zu tun. Goodrick und Hersch erweisen sich aber auch als zutiefst empathische Gesprächspartner, die in Nummern wie Steve Swallows ‘Falling Grace’ oder Herschs warm strahlendem ‘Heartsong’ die melodischen Ideen des anderen in Mikrosekundenbruchteilen kommentieren, ornamentieren und weiterdenken. Diese überragende Kommunikationsfähigkeit lässt sich auch in dem Zusammenschnitt von frei improvisierten Miniaturen beobachten, die unter dem Titel ‘Five Excursions’ subsumiert sind. Da verständigen sich Goodrick und Hersch in einer Geheimsprache mit fiependen Geräuschen und Morsecode-Signalen, der man dennoch fasziniert zuhört. Die größte Überraschung aber ist, wie frisch und aktuell die vor fast 40 Jahren spontan aufgenommenen Duette immer noch wirken. Ein weiterer Beleg für die enorme Musikalität des Gitarrenflüsterers, die der zehn Jahre jüngere Hersch als Bewunderer und kongenialer Spielpartner 1988 für die Ewigkeit festhielt.
Josef Engels, Rondo
Der 2022 verstorbene Mick Goodrick zählt zu den einflussreichsten Gitarristen – obwohl viele seiner Schüler wie Pat Metheny, John Scofield oder Mike Stern viel berühmter sind. Das Duo mit dem Pianisten Fred Hersch zeigt ihn in Topform. Beide lassen der Musik Raum zum Atmen und entwickeln gemeinsam ihre Ideen. Es ist die hohe Kunst des Zuhörens und der Interaktion.
Stefan Künzli, Luzerner Zeitung
38 years ago, Hersch invited Goodrick to come to his loft-studio in Soho, where they recorded this material, maybe (they thought) for commercial release, or maybe just to memorialize their friendship and their musical rapport. Goodrick always liked the session, and after his death three years ago, his executor urged Hersch to listen to those old tapes once again. Hersch and his home label, ECM, saw new timelessness in the music, and it has finally appeared on CD, with Goodrick getting top billing – an appropriate redress for an artist who stayed out of the spotlight for much of his life. […] Many listeners will be struck by the beauty of the duo’s exploration of Hersch’s ‘Heartsong,’ one of his most lyrical tunes – one that deserves to become a jazz standard, IMHO. And others will love the impressionistic meshing of the Goodrick original ‘Away 10’ (played by Hersch as a solo piano introduction) with Steve Swallow’s ‘Amazing.’ The two pieces are so harmonically compatible that their interweaving here cannot be untied. […] I also have to point to a tune that neither Hersch nor Goodrick has recorded elsewhere – pianist Mal Waldron’s ‘Soul Eyes.’ Since its original recording by Waldron with John Coltrane and trumpeter Idrees Suleiman in 1957 (‘Interplay for Two Trumpets and Two Tenors’, Prestige), it has not exactly been neglected. What we hear on Feebles is is an especially rewarding demonstration of Goodrick’s way with a melody. In the first chorus, Hersch provides a gentle rhythmic cushion and Goodrick plays the line with penetrating sincerity. His solo is a model of what might be called economic eloquence – there is not one extraneous note, and every note he plays seems ideal. In his solo, Hersch takes a richer approach harmonically, edging it toward impressionism, but Goodrick calls it home, reemphasizing the purity of the tune, and the two conclude in a misty cloud.
Steve Elman, Arts Fuse
Neben Eigenkompositionen der beiden Musiker interpretieren sie hier auch noch zwei Stücke von Bassist Steve Swallow (,Falling Grace‘ und ,Amazing‘), Komponist & BigBand-Leiter Johnny Greens ,Out Of Nowhere‘ und den Klassiker ,Soul Eyes‘ von Pianist Mal Waldron. Und mit Fred Herschs ,Heartsong‘ ist auch noch eine absolut an Pat Metheny erinnernde Nummer zu hören, fast zu konventionell und gut gelaunt, zu Dur-fixiert für dieses Album. Den stärksten Kontrast dazu liefert der Track ,Five Excursions‘ – hier wurden mehrere spontane und relativ freie Improvisationen zusammengefasst. Spannend!
Lothar Trampert, Guitar Player
In the hands of simpatico handlers of guitar and piano, those instruments can create delicious contrasts besides effecting blends of notes striking in their sonority. Mick Goodrick and Fred Hersch waste no time exploring those possibilities, staking out some fertile ground for themselves in this cryptic title song, then proceeding with no small amount of self assurance on ‘Falling Grace.’ As on ‘Away 10’/’Amazing,’ the two musicians carefully place the notes they play, yet without any of the overly correct approach that would render the performances stiff and antiseptic. On the contrary, these almost thirty-nine minutes, originally recorded in 1988 (then remixed by Chris Allen in 2025), exude an impeccable sheen matching the fluency of the duo’s musicianship: their interactions effortlessly dovetail. […] The distinct separation of the two instruments across the stereo spectrum is a constant but hardly intrusive reminder of the quiet and gentle but nevertheless kinetic instrumental relationship between Mick Goodrick and Fred Hersch.
Doug Collette, All About Jazz
The ECM record label still surprises and delights, digging out – I assume from Fred Hersch’s archive – this previously unknown set of duos he recorded in his own studio in New York with guitarist Mick Goodrick in August 1988. […] in 1988 both musicians were active in Boston, and on Hersch’s invitation, Goodrick came down to New York to record some duos together. Looking back at this music almost four decades later – Goodrick himself died in 2022 – Hersch notes ‘The highlight to me is just the level of ensemble playing. There was a lot of profound listening going on between both of us.’ […] To hear Goodrick’s lilting solo intro to the title track is to understand why he was always held in such regard, Hersch gently sliding in behind him before his more forceful lines take over. […] This subtle, often unassuming set is an unexpected treasure. Cherish it.
Simon Adams, Jazz Journal
Dass damals auch Mikros eingeschaltet und die Aufnahmen später nicht vergessen oder gar gelöscht wurden, kommt einer Fügung gleich, ermöglicht dies doch fast vier Jahrzehnte später, Hersch als erst 33-Jährigen bei seiner Erstbegegnung mit dem zehn Jahre älteren Goodrick (1945-2002) zu erleben. Und zu beobachten,wie angeregt, gewandt, bar aller Verlegenheit der Austausch über Eigenes, zudem über Standards wie Mal Waldons ‘Soul Eyes’ oder Steve Swallows ‘Falling Grace’ vor sich ging. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit verdienen jene ‘5 Excursions’ in der Mitte des Albums, in welchen Hersch und Goodrick Free Music praktizieren und dabei mit Neigung zu vergleichsweise experimentellem Interplay überraschen.
Wolfgang Gratzer, Jazz Podium
