February 2008

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.