Lorez Alexandria SWINGS!

For some reason my brain generally doesn't wrap itself around Jazz. I appreciate it, and enjoy seeing it played live but a lot of music that I should love in principle just hasn't stuck with me. But over the years a few artists have gotten through and made me sit up and take notice.This week I'll be posting some of my favorites.

Only in the last two hours have I discovered the first artist I am going to feature today, Lorez Alexandria. How I have never heard of this amazing singer before now is beyond me, but WOW can this lady SING! She seems to be almost criminally obscure. Using Google Play Music as an example, out of 20 albums released over a 36 year career they have a total of only 5! 

This is curl up and mellow out music, emotional and definitely intended for internal consumption. She seems to concentrate on standards and "Torch Songs" but her phrasing and the quality of her voice are both dead on.

This seems to be a good place to start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK4_-zMIGCo&list=PLFj4nHM46kU03xsRf2kmXau0VWTFkzXVd

You want entertainment? Big Name Hollywood Entertainment? We've got ENTERTAINMENT right here in the Basement! Tonight we are proud to present Hollywood Palace, April 17, 1965. Shecky Green! A truly funny Scottish comic! Gordon and Sheila  MacRae! Spanish Dancers! Danish acrobats The Four Kents! And none other than Rufus T. Firefly himself, the inimitable Groucho Marx as your host! Including the final number, a little dittycalled "Captain Spaulding" with Margaret Dumont in her final stage appearance!

Hard to get much better than Groucho and Margaret together. Margaret was nearly the Marx Sister. She did seven films and several stage shows with the boys, playing the High Society foil to the Brothers. And she was brilliant doing it. Groucho said many times that Margaret never understood ANY of the jokes the Marx Brothers were doing. Harpo said the same in his fantastic biography "Harpo Speaks".

Margaret's career began in 1917 in silent films and ended with this performance. 57 films in total over 48 years! She was one of the best "straight men" that ever lived.


And without further ado, on with the show!