by Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun, April 2008
Toronto singer-pianist Fern Lindzon’s debut disc divides her repertoire into 11 duets and one solo number, all of which are performed with great taste and musicality. During the pairings –four each with vibraphonist Don Thompson and bassist George Koller, and three with guitarist Reg Schwager — the musicians complement each other, never intruding on their partner’s space.
Lindzon and Schwager take a spare approach to Wayne Shorter’s ballad Infant Eyes, lending weight to the notes, and she and Thompson have the same modus operandi performing Oliver Nelson’s Stolen Moments.
As a vocalist, Lindzon has a clear voice that resonates in the lower register and makes direct hits on octave jumps without sliding her way up.
As a pianist, she plays in the comfort zone of someone used to accompanying her own vocals, but then she surprises you.
by Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene, April 08
A very talented pianist and singer from Toronto, Fern Lindzon has released a rather unusual debut CD. She is featured in duets with either guitarist Reg Schwager, bassist George Koller or vibraphonist Don Thompson. Duets, even more than solos, are particularly tricky because they leave each player very exposed, and the two musicians must work perfectly together or their missteps will be obvious. There is nowhere to hide.
But with musicians of this caliber, there is no reason for anyone to hide. Fern Lindzon, who takes vocals on eight of the 11 duets, is not shy to take chances yet she makes it all sound easy. She sings her own lyrics to Wayne Shorter’s Infant Eyes (which is retitled To See Through Infant Eyes) and her vocalese to Moments Like These which she uses as a prelude to her lyrics to Stolen Moments. She turns the Jewish piece Re’i into a haunting ballad, contributes the playful You Really Shouldn’t, But… (a thinly disguised Well You Needn’t), and takes Where Do You Start? as a solo piece. Everything works.
Clearly Fern Lindzon deserves to be better known on this side of the Canadian border. Moments Like These, which is available from www.fernlindzon, is a keeper.
by Addi Stewart, NOW, February 21, 2008
Fern Lindzon
Moments Like These: Duets With Don Thompson, Reg Schwager And George Koller (Iatros)
Interesting how such a basic set of instruments can create such divergent thoughts and feelings. A vibraphone, a guitar, a bass and a female voice add up to more than the sum of their parts on Lindzon’s debut.
Maybe her admitted admiration of Ella Fitzgerald explains why the first step isn’t so assured, but by track two, On The Street Where You Live, she settles into the crevices of the sound more comfortably. She challenges herself by singing in Hebrew one moment and inserting a few instrumental pieces the next, evening out the listening experience. The 12-tone-row used on TR7 intrigues the ear, even if it is a little abstract and heady. Lindzon’s voice may need more fleshing out to join the ranks of her idols, but her potential is evident, and the album is more inventive than might initially seem.
