Press & Praise
“The mood is intimate as her duo accompaniment of keyboardist George Mesterhazy and bassist Fred Randolph help her keep it quiet and subtle. An album full of love songs, ‘The Nearness of You’ sets the pace with a lazy cadence and rhythm; Lindsley’s simple delivery is delicate and unaffected. Other gems delivered straight-on include the Billie Holiday Classic ‘Don’t Explain’ and Cole Porter’s title track.”
John Ephland, Downbeat
“She takes her time and seems to know what the lyrics mean, rare these days. Her use of verse of ‘Nearness of You’ is delightfully old-fashioned; her brisk ‘Don’t Explain’ moves away from Holiday; she handles ‘Very Thought’ with tenderness, ‘Why Don’t You Do Right?’ with gentle assertiveness. She doesn’t overact but she comfortably inhabits each song…A model CD, simple and without pretense.”
Michael Steinman, Cadence
“There’s nothing big about this recording. In fact, it’s charm is in its smallness;just a piano (George Mesterhazy), a bass (Fred Randolph), and Lis Lindsley, who manages to bring a mature edge to a very young-soundign voice…Ms. Lindsley says she’s exploring ‘the moments of stillness between the lines.’ And while there’s no driving force behind the tracks, there is that space that she fills so well. And that allows her to take some time with the lyrics, infusing them with that bright sincerity that I’m sure will be her unique mark..Very hightly recommended.”
Girl Singers (blog)
“The most impressive thing about Lindsley’s first album is her way with a lyric. She gets to the heart of each song.”
Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz
“This is a most pleasant debut CD from a Bay Area singer who we need to keep an eye on-and ears wide open for years to come…She’s a relative neophyte as a singer, but her lifelong appreciation for jazz artistry is a considerable asset. She was no casual listener. Lindsley’s charming and expressive voice catches your ear because of her natural sense of phrasing, timing and expression.”
Ken Francklin’s Jazz Notes
“Jazz vocalist Lisa Lindsley may have a girlish voice, but she sings with the unhurried cadence of a mature woman. That shows best on her rendition of ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ which manages to be dreamy and world-weary at the same time.”
Rachel Swan, East Bay Express
Lindsley’s take on Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘The Nearness of You’ is so perfect, and Mesterhazy’s arrangement and support so certain and nuanced, that it is hard to believe that such a performance level can be sustained for an entire disc. But Lindsley manages to do exactly that. ‘The Very Thought of You.’ ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ and the title song all are delivered as in ‘Nearness,’ evenly measured, cool with a slight finish of melancholy…There is always room for more standards recordings, specifically when they are as finely forged as Everytime We Say Goodbye.”
C, Michael Baily, AllAboutJazz.com
“Every Time We Say Goodbye: The sound of a piano, bass and an evocative blonde thrush is a sound that never gets old when done right. Jazz singer Lindsley and her well traveled compadres can knock off sweet versions the classics in a few takes and be spot on with a cabaret performance that’ll bring you back for more, often. Solid little gem that has all the right sparkle in all the right facets.”
Guido Crosetti – Mid West Record
“With the first few notes of her ravishing interpretation of “The Nearness of You,” Lindsley unveils a sound that’s impishly girlish yet forthrightly womanly, suffused with a lived-in sensuality that flows from an interesting life. In her former career as an actor, she learned the art of letting silences speak volumes. She brings the same kind of communicative power to a bewitched, bothered version of “The Very Thought of You,” while her interpretation of Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain” infuses the song’s masochism with almost cheerful defiance. She plays the sassy moll on “Why Don’t You Do Right” and suffers magnificently on “Everytime We Say Goodbye.” After nine tracks, Lindsley leaves her listeners wanting more, a true sign of a show biz professional.”
Andrew Gilbert – Andrew Gilbert
“Lisa’s light, fresh sound is, at times, reminiscent of Blossom Dearie, but mostly she sounds like herself! Her playful and humorous performances are delightful and highly recommended and her dedication to the music is paying off big time as she turns into a real jazz singer and band leader.”
Laurie Antonioli, director of the Jazzschool Vocal Jazz Studies program – Laurie Antonioli
