Uncovered: Tryptique Pianist Fern Lindzon Discusses the Band’s Self-Titled Album Artwork

Tryptique is a collaboration that goes way beyond prerequisites or rules. Composed of three close friends, they describe their music-making as being more like a conversation than a recording process with expectations. They stand for exploration, taking chances, and following musical intuition. And it shows, with compositions that aren’t confined to any particular classification. Tryptique describes their sound as chamber music with a jazz soul. Their sound ranges from Baroque to jazz, to classical, and beyond. They take their name from the word triptych which is a work of art divided into three sections hinged together. The word really gets at the heart of the type of collaboration they are seeking.

Pianist Fern Lindzon, flutist and saxophonist Colleen Allen, and bassist George Koller have been longtime friends. They have also played together in various capacities but it was during the global pandemic when their collaboration really took off. They started playing together socially distanced and during those sessions, they began to develop a diverse musical chemistry. The result of these collaborations is their self-titled album, released earlier this month via ZSAN Records. Featuring 12 tracks and plenty of collaborators, the record represents their varied musical landscape coming together and meshing as one.

A true work of art in every respect, the album features some impressive cover artwork. For our latest UnCovered interview, Fern Lindzon joins us to discuss the album’s cover art, the collaboration with the visual artist, the importance of the artwork, and more.

Please help us understand, what are you trying to convey with the cover’s imagery? Give us details on the concept.

Fern Lindzon: “Tryptique is a chamber jazz trio. The name of the band is derived from the visual arts world (triptych) which refers to three works intended to be shown together, or a single work of art divided into three parts. The cover art features a painting titled ‘Mythology’ by Canadian artist Rose Lindzon, my late mother. I love how the cover shows the three components of the artwork, and we utilized the three panels separately inside the package for our individual statements about the band.”

When in the album’s creative process did the concept for the artwork come to you?

“It was George Koller, our bass player who came up with the name for our band. As soon as he said ‘tryptique’ it felt totally right for our trio. We all have individual careers, but when we play together something truly magical happens. I knew exactly where to look for album artwork.”

How did the artwork’s image and/or concept come to you?

“Rose Lindzon created either very large, abstract acrylic paintings, or smaller works on paper. After her death in June 2023, we discovered a shoebox filled with slides and colour transparencies, as well as many digital images. I took the time to catalogue the 296 slides while searching for all her triptychs. I had a digital image of ‘Mythology,’ the piece I really wanted to use, but I couldn’t find a slide or colour transparency for it. Fortunately, the quality of the digital image was excellent, allowing us to use it for the album artwork.”

Tryptique ‘Tryptique’ album artwork

How did the collaboration come about when it came to the making of the album art?

“I chose Yesim Tosuner to design the CD package using my mother’s artwork. She loved the paintings, and our collaboration was super smooth. Yesim presented several creative ways to use the material, and she explored a few other paintings. My bandmates, Colleen Allen, George Koller, and I then met to discuss the options. We all unanimously loved ‘mythology’ and felt it truly represented our music; it has rhythm, dynamics, movement, texture, interaction, and a beautiful sense of space. The colours are vibrant, but there is a lovely quietness to it. We all agreed that it reflected our music beautifully.”

Did Yesim get a chance to listen to any of the music before creating the artwork?

“Yes, she loved the music. It was incredibly important for her to hear the album before starting the project. Yesim collaborates with many wonderful jazz artists and has a deep understanding of the art form, which really enriched our work together. She felt it was important to convey the depth and breadth of our material as well as its chamber music quality.”

Are there any symbols or stories hidden in the artwork?

“The painting we used is titled ‘Mythology.’ I think of myths as ancient stories with universal truths. Yet there is something truly mysterious about them. It was a mystery how I found this painting, as it wasn’t among the 296 slides and transparencies I discovered. It was a digital image I had somehow come across.

“So too, there is something mysterious about the way George, Colleen, and I communicate as a band. We share a willingness to experiment and explore repertoire that isn’t typically associated with a jazz trio, creating a rich tapestry of stories and experiences in our performances.”

Who are some of your favourite visual artists?

“I grew up surrounded by art. While my mother’s contemporaries were abstract expressionists, I believe she truly resonated with impressionism. Through her, I developed a love for artists like Matisse, Monet, and Cézanne, as well as figures from the New York art scene, such as Jackson Pollock and Robert Rauschenberg.

“Currently, I’m working on a musical inspired by an iconic painting by Diego Velázquez, created in 1656. Picasso’s series from 1957, which was based on that painting, prompted me to explore using Baroque music as a foundation for improvisation. Two tracks on the CD, ‘Canarios’ and ‘Do Look,’ stem from that creative exploration.”

How has the response to the artwork been so far?

“Everyone I’ve shown it to loves it. I’m thrilled with how beautifully Yesim put it all together.”

What were the partnership’s dynamics like? For example, was a specific look given to Yesim, or did she have full free range?

“I sent Yesim the music files and I gave her access to all the artwork that I could find either online or digitally. I also sent her a rough draft of the text. Yesim had free reign to choose the paintings and lay them out however she felt worked.

“‘Mythology’ was a file I had sent her very early on in the process. We had a few meetings about the concept of the recording and ideas I had for the layout. She came up with the idea of having three panels that opened and simply inserting the CD into one of the panels to give us room to show the three paintings separately along with our individual thoughts about the trio and the music.”

With the increasing popularity of digital music, most fans view artwork as just pixels on a screen. Why did you feel the artwork was important?

“There is nothing like a physical CD or vinyl package. I really appreciate the creativity it takes to come up with a concept and design. I also enjoy considering the order and the space between songs, as it contributes to the overall listening experience. George, Colleen, and I not only took a lot of time to consider the order, but we also had to eliminate some tracks we loved to keep the CD a reasonable length, so it would feel like a performance.

“The physical product holds a special significance for me, much like the experience of reading a good book.”

What’s your favourite thing about this album cover?

“I adore the painting. The three panels reflect our name, our music, and our band identity. I also love how Yesim was able to separate the panels on the inside of the CD cover, allowing us to express ourselves as individuals. Each painting is beautiful and complete on its own, yet they relate to each other in a way that creates an entirely new whole when combined. It’s just perfect!”