Angel Eyes
More Of The Great Lorez Alexandria
Produced by Tutti Camarata
Cover Design: Robert Flynn/Viceroy
Cover and Liner Photos: Roger Marshut
Liner Design: Joe Lebow
Impulse STEREO A-76
Impulse Records, a product of ABC-Paramount Records, Inc.
From the inside cover: The transformation of Dolorez Alexandria Turner, a 15-year-old religious singer of spirituals in a choir, to Lorez Alexandria the Great (see Impulse A-62), a mature song stylist, has ben taking place for almost ten years. Like her male counterpart, Johnny Hartman (another recent acquisition of Impulse's), Miss Alexandria has worked hard and learned well in the school of experience. Her work today is excitingly individualistic.
Lorez Alexandria has a rare ability of taking a wide range of material – here we have song from France and Brazil, a tune written expressly for the late Billie Holiday, a number composed by an artist identified with rock 'n roll, two Broadway show melodies, a couple of lead songs from motion pictures scores, and a hit tune by television's Steve Allen – and lending her own interpretation to the songs without disturbing the originally intended moods. She makes no attempt to imitate any singer who might have become identified with a particular number. Yet, when she sings No More, the listener is reminded of Miss Holiday without really hearing her. Lady Day's feeling is present, but the reaction to that feeling is Miss Alexandria's.
Two over-all factors contribute considerably to the pleasing results of this vocalist's latest recordings: One is the careful selection of songs with interesting words and music. The other is the high caliber of her accompanists. This writer is sure Miss Alexandria will understand if I say the album is worth getting for Wynton Kelly's piano alone. Kelly, who once spent around three years as accompanist for the late Dinah Washington, beautifully paraphrases Miss Alexandria's ideas – ideas that sometimes make her sound as though she were using her voice as a horn.
More important than the above-mentioned factors is that Lorez Alexandria possesses a well-rounded talent. Besides the firm foundation built from her early training in choral work, she has been endowed with a good contralto vice, tonal control, perfect dictation, and a musicianly approach to the interpretations of lyrics.
Miss Alexandria is married to her manager, Dave Nelson, a native of Georgetown, British Guiana, and is a full-time resident of Los Angeles, California. These tracks, as were the previous album's (Impulse A-62), were recorded during 1964 on the West Coast. They were produced by longtime conductor-arranger Tutti Camarata and were intended for a projected new label that failed to materialize. Tutti contacted his old friend, Bob Thiele at Impulse and, after hearing the unissued tapes, he decided that they were an ideal introductory release for the label's "new find." – George Hoefer, Contributor, Down Beat, Associate Editor, Jazz Magazine
From Billboard - May 27, 1965: A bright new find! A sophisticated singer supported by superior musicians. Miss Alexandria's lucid style is shown to great advantage, thank to the production of the venerable Tutti Camarata. As an added attraction, Wynton Kelly (with Dinah Washington for about three years) plays the sort of piano all vocalists hope for but seldom get.
But Beautiful
Little Boat
Dancing On The Ceiling
It Might As Well Be Spring
Once
The Wildest Gal In Town
Angel Eyes
This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
No More
That Far Away Look
