LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - Singing Songs Everyone Knows (1959-1988) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Just One of Those Things 2:52
Cole Porter
2     Then I'll Be Tired of You 2:53
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg / Arthur Schwartz
3     Lush Life 2:10
Billy Strayhorn
4     Sometimes I'm Happy 2:34
Irving Caesar / Clifford Grey / Vincent Youmans
5     Long Ago (And Far Away) 3:02
Ira Gershwin / Jerome Kern
6     But Beautiful 2:20
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
7     I'm Beginning to See the Light 4:23
Duke Ellington / Don George / Johnny Hodges / Harry James
8     I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me 3:07
Clarence Gaskill / Jimmy McHugh
9     Spring Is Here 3:40
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
10     Angel Eyes 4:23
Earl Brent / Matt Dennis
11     Better Luck Next Time 3:06
Irving Berlin
12     I Didn't Know What Time It Was 3:36
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers 

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - Alexandria the Great (1964-2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lorez Alexandria has not received her due as a jazz singer, probably due in part to her long layoff from recording (11 years) for nationally distributed labels following these 1964 studio sessions for Impulse! But the vocalist is in top form throughout each of these three sessions, each with a different group of musicians. Her soulful singing also hints at her gospel background in places, though her clear enunciation, ability to swing, and touch of charm make her a delight to hear. Most of the arrangements are fairly concise, so the longer tracks shine just a bit brighter. Her swinging take of "Get Me to the Church On Time" is playful, while her soulfulness comes across in the snappy take of "I'm Through With Love," the latter featuring guitarist Ray Crawford. This is an excellent introduction to a fine vocalist worthy of much wider recognition. Ken Dryden
Тracklist :
1. Show Me (4:05)
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
2. I've Never Been In Love Before (2:21)
Frank Loesser
3. Satin Doll (2:48)
Duke Ellington / Johnny Mercer / Billy Strayhorn
4. My One And Only Love (4:31)
Robert Mellin / Guy Wood
Bass – Paul Chambers
5. Over The Rainbow (3:59)
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
6. Get Me To The Church On Time (4:03)
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
Piano – Victor Feldman
7. The Best Is Yet To Come (2:46)
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
8. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face (4:07)
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
Piano – Victor Feldman
9. Give Me The Simple Life (2:23)
Rube Bloom / Harry Ruby
10. I'm Through With Love (5:24)
Gus Kahn / Fud Livingston / Matty Malneck
Bass – Paul Chambers
Credits :
Arranged By – Billy Marx (faixas: 1, 6, 8)
Bass – Al McKibbon (faixas: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Drums – Jimmy Cobb
Flute – Bud Shank (faixas: 1, 6, 8)
Guitar – Ray Crawford (faixas: 3, 4, 95)
Piano – Wynton Kelly (faixas: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
Saxophone – Paul Horn (faixas: 3, 4, 7, 9)
Vocals – Lorez Alexandria

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - Early in the Morning + Deep Roots (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The two albums included on this spectacular double-disc collection were recorded for the Argo label in Chicago in 1960 and 1962, respectively. The first five cuts all feature Lorez Alexandria in the company of the Ramsey Lewis Trio (with Redd Holt and Eldee Young), plus guitarist John Gray. The last five tracks on disc one feature this quartet plus Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Joe Newman, Al Grey, and Freddie Green from Count Basie's group of the time. Ultimately, Early in the Morning is the most sophisticated kind of blues recording. The musical arrangements are both groove-laden and wonderfully impressionistic, allowing Alexandria's unusual delivery line plenty of space to play with on tracks such as "Trouble Is a Man," "I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues," and "Rocks in My Bed." Deep Roots is the latter of these LPs; it was recorded with a killer group including trumpeter Howard McGhee, pianist John Young, guitarist George Eskridge, bassist Israel Crosby, and drummer Vernel Fournier (all members of Alexandria's performing group). The material is made up mostly of standards. It features Alexandria's readings of "Nature Boy," "I Want to Talk About You," "Trav'lin' Light," and "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" in her signature style. As a bonus, the compilers included two different versions of her most famous cut, "Baltimore Oriole." There's the 1957 original version and the smash from 1963. Both feature Ronald Wilson's fluttering flute, and the latter includes bassist Jimmy Garrison from John Coltrane's quartet. The material has been remastered from analog tapes and issued by Lone Hill's Phoenix imprint, making for an indispensable collection for Alexandria fans. Thom Jurek
EARLY IN THE MORNING
1     Early in the Morning 2:58
Jordan / Hickman / Bartley        
2     Don't Explain 3:13     
Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog, Jr.
3     So Long 3:28
Little Miss Cornshucks    
4     Good Morning Heartache 3:19
Fishcher / Drake / Higginbotham        
5     Trouble Is a Man 2:44     
Alec Wilder    
6     I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues 2:22
Duke Ellington / Don George    
7     Baby Don't You Cry 2:15
Buddy Johnson    
8     Rocks in My Bed 2:42     
Duke Ellington    
9     I'm Just a Lucky So and So 3:02
Mack David / Duke Ellington    
10     Almost Lost My Mind 3:03     
Ivory Joe Hunter    
DEEP ROOTS
11     Nature Boy 2:49
Eden Ahbez    
12     I Was a Fool 3:23
Johnny Pate    
13     No Moon at All 2:11
Redd Evans    
14     Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year 3:03
Frank Loesser    
15     Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise 2:36
Oscar Hammerstein II    
16     Detour Ahead 3:39     
Carter / Ellis / Frigo
17     It Could Happen to You 2:45
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen    
18     Trav'lin' Light 3:27
Johnny Mercer    
19     Almost Like Being in Love 2:22
Lerner    
20     I Want to Talk About You 2:53
Billy Eckstine    
- BONUS TRACK -    
21     Traveling Down a Lonely Road 3:45
Galdieri / Raye / Rota
22     Love Look Away 3:49
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
23     The End of a Love Affair 2:50
Edward C. Redding    
24     Baltimore Oriole (1963) 3:11
Hoagy Carmichael    
25     Baltimore Oriole (1957)
Hoagy Carmichael    
Credits :
Bass – Eldee Young (pistas: 1 to 10), Israel Crosby (pistas: 11 to 20), Jimmy Garrison (pistas: 21 to 24), Russell Williams (pistas: 25)
Bongos – Audrey Jones (4) (pistas: 25)
Drums – Philip Thomas (pistas: 21 to 24), Issac "Redd" Holt (pistas: 1 to 10), Vernell Fournier (pistas: 11 to 20, 25)
Flute – Ronald Wilson (pistas: 21 to 25)
Guitar – George Eskridge (pistas: 11 to 24), John Gray (pistas: 1 to 10), Wilbur Wynne (pistas: 25)
Piano – John Young (pistas: 11 to 24), Ramsey Lewis (pistas: 1 to 10)
Piano, Arranged By – King Fleming (pistas: 25)
Rhythm Guitar – Freddie Green (pistas: 6 to 10)
Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (pistas: 6 to 10), Ronald Wilson (pistas: 21 to 24)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess (pistas: 6 to 10)
Trombone – Al Grey (pistas: 6 to 10)
Trumpet – Howard McGhee (pistas: 11 to 20), Joe Newman (pistas: 6 to 10)

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - The 60's Pzazz Sessions (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This two-fer combines a pair of rare late-'60s LPs recorded by Lorez Alexandria for producer Paul Gayten's Pzazz label after her brief but memorable tenure with Impluse! came to its close. The lovely Didn't We heralds a shift away from the traditional torch song jazz of her previous efforts in favor of a moody, evocative West Coast sensibility perfectly matched to her sumptuous vocals. While legendary tenorist Teddy Edwards is the marquee sideman here, Alexandria is also joined by pianist Ronnell Bright, who handles arranger duties and contributes several original compositions. Bright's pop leanings further underscore the session's shift away from jazz conventions, but it's an evolution that complements the natural soulfulness of Alexandria's voice. Given the deep gospel roots that inform her pure, powerful vocals, Lorez Alexandria was always as much a soul singer as a jazz singer anyway, regardless of where record stores racked her albums. In a Different Bag emphasizes and expands her pop possibilities, borrowing songs and sounds from the mainstream to create a richly nuanced session that's wonderfully accessible yet true to Alexandria's immense talents. Produced by Gayten and arranged by Jack Scott, the album boasts an organic intimacy that underscores its R&B-inspired approach: Alexandria excels on unlikely covers like the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Randy Newman's "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore," wrapping this daring and unconventional album on a perfectly poetic note with a reading of "My Way." The CD also includes two bonus cuts, "Santa Is Here" and "Help Me." Jason Ankeny  
Tracklist :
DIDN'T WE (Pzazz LP-320, 1968)
1     Didn't We 4'05
Jimmy Webb
2     Play Me the Blues 2'48
Teddy Edwards
3     Comet in the Sky 4'42
Ronnell Bright / Johnny Mercer
4     Endless 3'30
Lynn Brown    
5     I Didn't See You 3'10
Ronnell Bright    
6     Psychedelic Bag 2'45
Ronnell Bright    
7     I'm Wishin' 2'54
Lynn Brown
8     The One Who Loves You 2'10
Lynn Brown
9     Nonchalantly 2'50
Teddy Edwards
10     Talk About Cozy 2'10
Ronnell Bright    
IN A DIFFERENT BAG (Pzazz 324, 1969)
11     Hey Jude 5'15
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
12     Confessin' the Blues 3'22
J. McShann / W. Brown
13     Deacon Jones Daughter 2'00
Freddie Kober
14     I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore 3'17
Randy Newman
15     I'll Never Be Free 3'18
B. Benjamin
16     Just One More Chance 2'54
A. Johnston / S. Coslow
17     Trust in Me 3'36
Weaver / Ager / Schwartz
18     Vibrations 2'32
Arthur Hillary
19    I've Got a Right to Cry 2'55
Joe Liggins
20     My Way 4'58
Paul Anka / Claude François / Jacques Revaux / Gilles Thibaut
- BONUS TRACK -
21     Santa Is Here     3'17
Unknown
22    Help Me 3'46
Leonis McGlohan   

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - How Will I Remember You? (1978) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Late '70s material with Alexandria essentially sounding the same as she did in the late '50s and early '60s, except that her voice has a weary, wavering quality. She still does pre-rock pop and is backed by another good group of session professionals. Ron Wynn
Side A :
1    Make Someone Happy 2:35
Written-By – Green, Comden, Styne
2    How Will I Remember You ? 5:22
Written-By – Sigman, Gross
3    Perhaps 2:51
Written-By – Howlett Smith
4    You Light Up My Life 2:54
Written-By – Carole King
5    I'll Buy You A Star 2:26
Written-By – Schwartz, Fields
6    The Greatest Love Of All 5:50
Written-By – Creed, Masser
Side B
1    Until It's Time For You To Go 4:40
Written-By – Buffy St. Marie
2    While We're Young 5:50
Written-By – Wilder, Palitz, Engvick
3    Baltimore Oriole 3:13
Written-By – Carmichael, Webster
4    He Was Too Good For Me 3:52
Written-By – Lorenz Hart/Richard Rodgers
5    Little Boat 2:36
Written-By – Menescal, Bosscoli
Credits :
Bass – Allen Jackson
Drums – Jimmie Smith
Flute, Oboe – Charles Owens
Guitar – Grant Geisman
Liner Notes – Leonard Feather
Piano – Gildo Mahones

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA WITH THE GORDON BRISKER BAND - Dear To My Heart (1987) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

If one had to pinpoint Lorez Alexandria's most essential work during the 1980s, the obvious choice would be her impressive three-volume tribute to composer Johnny Mercer. But the vocalist is also quite appealing on Dear to My Heart, which was recorded at two sessions in L.A. in 1987 and was mostly arranged by tenor saxman Gordon Brisker. Alexandria, who was 57 at the time, is in fine form on well-known standards like "Speak Low," "Falling in Love with Love," and "Spring Is Here." Because these songs have been recorded so many times over the years, a singer who embraces them could easily end up sounding generic unless he/she has something personal to add. But Alexandria does, and it's a joy to hear her put her spin on these famous, if overdone, classics. Much to her credit, Alexandria also unearths her share of solid material that hasn't been recorded extensively, including "Zanzibar" and "Without a Friend." Dear to My Heart is among the many Alexandria albums that's well worth obtaining. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1     Dear to My Heart 3'09
Walter Gross / Ashton Stanley
2     Everytime We Say Goodbye 4'13
Cole Porter
3     As Long as I Live 3'30
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
4     When the Sun Comes Out 5'41
Harold Arlen
5     Without a Friend 3'25
Louis & Monique Aldebert
6     Spring Is Here 5'24
Richard Rodgers    
7     Speak Low    4'31
8     Love Is Like an Old Man 6'50
9     Falling in Love with Love 4'47
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
10     Why Was I Born 4'33
Jerome Kern
11     Zanzibar    3'32
Weaver Copeland
12     Yellow Days    3'05
Álvaro Carrillo / Alan Bernstein
13     Where Have You Been    6'34
14     Ill Wind 5'31
Harold Arlen

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - I'll Never Stop Loving You (1993) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is one of singer Lorez Alexandria's finest recordings of her later years. Alexandria has an expressive style and improvises thorugh her phrasing and placing of words. Backed by a particularly attentive quintet featuring Herman Riley (on tenor and flute) and pianist Gildo Mahones, Alexandria is in particularly fine form on nine superior standards that are highlighted by "Love Walked In," "No Moon at All" and a ten-minute version of "For All We Know." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    I Should Care 3:32
Sammy Cahn / Axel Stordahl / Paul Weston
2     Love Walked In 6:06
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
3     I'll Never Stop Loving You 7:39
Nicholas Brodszky / Sammy Cahn    
4     No Moon at All 4:05
Redd Evans / Dave Mann    
5     In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 5:26     
Bob Hilliard / David Mann    
6     All My Life 4:46
7     Like Someone in Love 4:39
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
8     For All We Know 10:25
9     I Could Write a Book 3:23
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits :
Bass – Andy Simpkins
Drums – Sherman Ferguson
Guitar – Grant Geissman
Piano, Arranged By – Gildo Mahones
Producer – Houston Person
Tenor Saxophone – Herman Riley
Vocals – Lorez Alexandria

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - For Swingers Only (1963-2008) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 

Originally released in 1963, For Swingers Only is singer Lorez Alexandria's tenth album and her fourth for Argo. While Alexandria is best known to ardent jazz fans, she was one of the great interpretive vocalists of her time, and this set is proof of that. Alexandria was a Chicago native who had established her reputation there. That said, she was successful enough to relocate to Los Angeles in 1960 to lend her voice work to soundtracks, television commercials, and recordings, and to hold a club gig as a headliner. Unlike some of her previous Argo dates, this one was recorded in Chicago at Ter-Mar Recording Studios. Her band for the session included some regulars like guitarist George Eskridge and drummer Phil Thomas. The great Chicago pianist John Young and the amazing reed and woodwind studio player Ronald Wilson were also on the date. Her bass player for the session was Jimmy Garrison from the John Coltrane Quartet. The material is ambitious. Alexandria had cut Hoagy Carmichael's "Baltimore Oriole," before on the Deluxe label, but this version -- with its slippery, slightly Latin rhythm and popping flute -- is more sultry and atmospheric, and carries within it a loneliness that the earlier one doesn't touch. Her reading of Rodgers & Hart's "Little Girl Blue" is, though this may seem blasphemous, every bit the equal of Nina Simone's -- especially with its deeply soulful a cappella opening. The flute adds exponentially as it softly winds through the ends of lines, filling the space between the rhythm section and the singer. The sadness literally drips from her mouth, saturating the listener. These aren't all sad songs, however. The strutting "All or Nothing at All" is a finger-popping swinger with gorgeous work by Garrison, Young, and Wilson. Given that there are only eight cuts on this set, each one counts -- though these are far from one or two-minute selections, and they dig into their grooves and allow Alexandria to stretch out. The beautiful guitar work on "Traveling Down a Lonely Road" gives the listener the feeling that the protagonist doesn't mind so much. It is the first known vocal recording of the song -- it originally appeared as an instrumental in Federico Fellini's La Strada. Eskridge and drummer Thomas, with his subtle breakbeat style in the intro, set up a beautiful transaction for the piano, bass, and lilting flute work. The true highlight of the set is "Mother Earth," a 12/8 blues with Wilson blowing a gritty tenor and Garrison strolling the bassline in full gutbucket mode. Alexandria allows some of that large throaty range of hers out of the box and lets it rip. This is simply among Lorez Alexandria's most stylized, disciplined, soulful, and satisfying recording sessions, and is highly recommended. [While this fine album had been out of print in the United States for decades, Chicago's own Dusty Groove imprint licensed the master from Universal and had it remastered for release on compact disc for the first time in 2008.]  by Thom Jurek   
Tracklist:
1 Baltimore Oriole 3:09
2 Little Girl Blue 3:31
3 All Or Nothing At All 4:50
4 Travelling Down A Lonely Road 3:43
5 Mother Earth 4:54
6 Love Look Away 3:47
7 The End Of A Love Affair 2:48
8 That Old Devil Called Love 3:53
Credits :
Contrabass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Phil Thomas
Guitar – George Eskridge
Piano – John Young
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Ronald Wilson
Voice – Lorez Alexandria

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - More of the Great Lorez Alexandria (1964-2001) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 
Tracklist
1 But Beautiful  4:18
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
2 Little Boat (O Barquinho)  2:17 
Ronaldo Bôscoli / Roberto Menescal
3 Dancing on the Ceiling  1:32 
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
4 It Might as Well Be Spring  6:58
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
5 Once (It S'Aim Aient)  2:20
Norman Gimbel / Guy Magenta
6 The Wildest Gal in Town  2:54
Sammy Fain / Jack Yellen
7 Angel Eyes  4:53
Earl Brent / Matt Dennis
8 This Could Be the Start of Something Big  2:20
Steve Allen
9 No More  3:09
Tutti Camarata / Bob Russell
10 That Far Away Look  2:25
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Paul Horn
Double Bass – Al McKibbon
Drums – Jimmy Cobb (tracks: 8)
Guitar – Ray Crawford (tracks: 8)
Piano – Wynton Kelly