Like a Circle in a Spiral, The Whole Note, September 2, 2014
by Stuart Broomer

Fern Lindzon is a rare jazz singer, her strong identity based on nuanced expression, a clear, almost silky voice, and a freedom from the collections of mannerisms that many jazz singers use to distinguish themselves. Instead, her work seems to grow from her solid piano playing and the empathy that exists with her band. For her third CD, Like a Circle in a Spiral (iatros IMO3 fernlindzon.com), she moves deftly between languages and styles, singing songs in Hebrew (Mishaela) and Yiddish (A Malekh Veynt) with the same idiomatic comfort that marks the more familiar Windmills of Your Mind. The most striking piece may be her arrangement of alternative pop songwriter Ron Sexsmith’s Jazz at the Bookstore, a richly ironic rendition in which accomplished jazz musicians (saxophonist David French, bassist/producer George Koller, vibraphonist Michael Davidson and drummer Nick Fraser) get to “play” jazz musicians.

Like a Circle in a Spiral, !earshot, August 28, 2014
by Shelley Gummeson

Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, in her letters to R.H. Horne in 1839, “the luck of the third adventure is proverbial’.

Juno Award-nominated singer and pianist Fern Lindzon’s third recording Like a Circle in a Spiral is indeed an adventure in song. She reimagines classics and makes her original songs seem timeless.

In this recording Fern personifies a woman who lives confidently with her own instincts and artistry. She has taken 11 songs that span distance and time and made them personal with her vocal and musical arrangements. There are moments where she is smart and smouldering, sublimely elegant, and flowing in her interpretations. In addition to some originals, the album includes an eclectic grouping of the work of Michel Legrand, Mary Lou Williams, Cole Porter, Yiddish ballads, and a contemporary Israeli song sung in Hebrew.

The framework of the album rests on Lindzon but she has some wonderful accompniment with Michael Davidson on vibes, David French on sax, George Koller on bass, and Nick Fraser on drums. Flutist Bill McBirnie is like icing on the cake on two of the tracks.

Lindzon sets the stage for the album with the Ron Sexsmith tune “Jazz at the Bookstore”. The song lightly admonishes our habit of listening with half an ear in urban settings, but Fern makes it tres cool.

I haven’t thought about the song “The Windmills of Your Mind” in years, or “Night and Day” for that matter. Both are wonderfully renewed and inventive in Lindzon’s hands.

You’ll hear French or Spanish on many recordings but on Like a Circle in a Spiral you’ll hear Hebrew and Yiddish, which really makes ths album interesting to listen to. Language is a beautiful thing especially when it’s underpinned by music.

Fern Lindzon has really raised the bar with this album, and who knows, maybe third time will be the charm.

Like a Circle in a Spiral CD Review, Los Angeles Jazz Scene, Aug 2014
by Scott Yanow

Fern Lindzon is a major singer and pianist based in Toronto. She is an excellent harmonically-advanced pianist who has a haunting voice and a subtle but modern style. On her third CD as a leader, Like A Circle In A Spiral, she interprets all types of superior obscurities with only a reinvented “The Windmills Of Your Mind,” “Night And Day” and perhaps Mary Lou Williams’ “What’s Your Story, Morning Glory” being jazz standards. The other selections are just as worthy with lots of subtle surprises and unexpected twists and turns in her arrangements. The consistently thoughtful music features top-notch sidemen (David French on soprano and tenor, vibraphonist Michael Davidson, bassist George Koller and drummer Nick Fraser plus two guest appearances by Bill McBirnie on flute) who all make strong contributions. Whether it is “Even Divas Get The Blues,” Egberto Gismonti’s “Loro” or the witty “Jazz At The Bookstore,” Like A Circle In A Spiral (available from www.fernlindzon.com) will reward repeated listenings. Fern Lindzon is one of quite a few talented Canadian jazz performers who deserve to be much better known in the U.S.

Like a Circle in a Spiral, CD Review The Senior Times, Montreal
July 16, 2014
by Irwin Block

This 11-song collection reveals the growing confidence and expanded scope of singer/pianist Fern Lindzon. On this, the third CD by the classically trained Toronto artist, we hear a more nuanced vocal treatment than on previous recordings, with less emphasis on her own piano accompaniment, more reliance on clever and varied arrangements and excellent backing of her first-rate band.

Lindzon has chosen a repertoire that reflects her broad worldview, and delivered pristine rendering of songs in English, Yiddish and Hebrew, including several originals. The band – David French (saxophones), Michael Davidson (vibraphone), George Koller (bass), and Nice Fraser (drums) – shares credit for this loving and artful CD.

Like a Circle in a Spiral CD Review: newcanadianmusic.ca

May 08, 2014
by Kerry Doole
Fern Lindzon is one of the most adventurous and accomplished vocalists, pianists and songwriters on the T.O. jazz scene, and she has a JUNO nomination (in 2012, for the superb Two Kites) to prove it. She comes up with another winning effort in her third album Like A Circle In A Spiral, a title taken from the lyrics of “Windmills Of Your Mind”, an album highlight. We love her take on Ron Sexsmith’s “Jazz at the Bookstore”, while her originals are equally impressive.