News

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you’re enjoying the summer as much as I am. I’m taking some time to learn new material, write new arrangements and to listen to as much music as I can. There’s no end.

I had a couple of wonderful projects in June that gave me the opportunity to explore something new: being a musical director for a theatrical show – Jewish Radio Hour – written and directed by Theresa Tova, and I also performed an entire concert of Thelonious Monk tunes – ones that had lyrics added to them. Over the next several months I look forward to adding some of the Monk pieces to my repertoire. They’re truly wonderful!

I kick into high gear in the fall with concerts at the Old Mill, Lula Lounge and the Jazz Room in Waterloo. I’ll be the headlining the Merrickville Jazz Festival just outside of Ottawa and finish my mini tour at the fantastic Upstairs Jazz Bar in Montreal. Phew!

All the details can be found on my shows page.

Feel free to get in touch or just say hello. fern at fernlindzon.com

What an exciting month!

June 6 – Chalkers Pub. Chalkers is one of my favourite rooms. The Shigeru Kawai grand piano is top notch, and the sound in the room is fantastic! I’ll be playing a mostly Monk concert in preparation for my concert in Barrie on June 17. But not just Monk: Monk’s music set to words which I’ll be both singing and playing.

June 17 – Jewish Radio Hour. Theresa Tova wrote and will be directing and starring in this fantastic show at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. We begin rehearsals on June 4. I can’t wait to be the Musical Director! There are only a few seats left.

June 19 – Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival. “Carmen sings Monk”. This is a huge project. Monk continues to teach me a ton about the piano, playing jazz and just having fun. Carmen is an inspiration. The repertoire is amazing.

Details can be found on my shows page

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be playing with some of the finest musicians on the planet at one of the most beautiful jazz rooms in the world – The Jazz Bistro. The Bistro has fantastic sound, a wonderful (red!) Steinway piano, great food and it’s super comfortable. George Koller (bass) and I have been playing together for years. He plays on all of my records and produced the last two. Mark Kelso is an incredible drummer and they both sound amazing together. I’m tickled to be adding on the exuberantly fantastic Chris Gale (sax) on our second night. Please join us Wed April 8 and Thursday, April 9. I’ll bring the matzo! see my shows page for details.

I’m going to Alberta and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Bassist extraordinaire George Koller will be coming with me from Toronto and we’ll be adding fabulous drummer Mark Segger to the mix! Our first stop is Calgary, then on to Edmonton and Invermere, BC.
Please see my events page for deets!

Please join me, Brendan Davis and Nick Fraser on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14 at Chalkers Pub for a special evening of jazz and chocolate. Remember, it’s an early start at Chalkers. We’ll be playing from 6 PM – 9 PM. Details are on my shows page.
We’d love to see you!

A huge thank you to all of the radio stations across Canada who have been playing Like a Circle in a Spiral over the last few weeks. In particular, thank you to CILU, CFBX (#2 on the jazz chart), RadL, CJAM (#3) and of course, Jazz.FM and CBC. A huge thank you to Bill King for inviting me to be a guest on his show on CIUT. We had a delightful conversation about our favorite singers and influences. You can hear the whole show on mixcloud.

Warmest thanks to Stuart Broomer for his review in the September issue of TheWholeNote Magazine. Thanks also to Shelley Gummeson for reviewing the CD on !earshot–the go-to website for national campus and community radio. I am honoured. Thanks so much to Scott Yanow for his very kind words in the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and to Irwin Block for his review in The Senior Times, Montreal.

I was thrilled to perform at this year’s Ashkenaz Festival with two different wonderful artists. It was so much fun to be reunited with my “Barry sister” Lenka Lichtenberg to back up Cantor Simon Spiro with a rocking Moishe Oysher song.

And I loved performing Theresa Tova’s wonderful and evocative Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman repertoire for the finale of the Ashkenaz Festival! Here we are during our sound check.

Thank you, Kathryn Kates and The Canadian Jewish News, May 28, 2014

Please click on the link below to read the feature article about my new CD, how I think about lyrics and arranging and about my chance encounter with Ron Sexsmith aboard the JUNO train….

Thanks also to all the radio stations that have played selections: Jazz.FM91, CBC, CHUO & CKCU Ottawa, CKUA Alberta, CFUV Victoria, VirginiaMusic internet radio, Amsterdam

Thank you, Kerry Doole and New Canadian Music for reviewing Like a Circle in a Spiral.

“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. Lindzon launched the disc at Toronto’s Jazz Bistro this week, and has upcoming Toronto shows at The Rex (May 18, in the Rhythm and Jews concert) and Home Smith Jazz Bar (May 22).”
Kerry Doole

Thanks also to Sarah Greene and Now Magazine for the review and for recommending our CD Release concert at the Jazz Bistro.

Juno-nominated pianist and vocalist Fern Lindzon takes an unusually eclectic, international approach to jazz. On her third album, Lindzon samples from Israeli and Yiddish songs as well as jazz classics and contemporary Canadiana. (Album opener Jazz At The Bookstore, by Ron Sexsmith, arranged by Lindzon and producer/bassist George Koller, is a natural fit.)

The ensemble, which includes drummer Nick Fraser and Michael Davidson on vibraphone, paints a whimsical, often slow backdrop for Lindzon’s exploratory vocals, but the music isn’t without tension: the title track mimics a spinning mind, and the songs often sound imploring or intentionally cluttered.

That tension is released on danceable Shashado/Loro – based on Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti’s Loro – which features lots of Bill McBirnie’s flute playing, and on fluttery, light and brief album kicker This Little Love.”
Sarah Greene

You can now preview the entire CD over here

I had a really fun chat with Ted Woloshyn and Bill King on Talk Radio 1010 today. We chatted about my new release, bookstores, arranging, silent movies and teaching. They even played a few excerpts. Have a listen over here.