Lorez Alexandria
| Lorez Alexandria | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dolorez Alexandria Turner |
| Born |
August 14, 1929 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | May 22, 2001 (aged 71) Gardena, California |
| Genres | Vocal jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1950s–1990s |
| Labels | King, Argo, Impulse!, Pzazz, Discovery, Trend, Muse |
| Associated acts | King Fleming, Ramsey Lewis |
Lorez Alexandria, born Dolorez Alexandria Turner (August 14, 1929 – May 22, 2001), was an American jazz and gospel singer, described as "one of the most gifted and underrated jazz singers of the twentieth century".
She became established in the midwest before moving to Los Angeles in the mid 1960s. Jazz critics have compared her to Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, and Ella Fitzgerald. She released twenty albums over the course of 36 years before retiring.
Dolorez Alexandria Turner was born on August 14, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up she began singing gospel music in church choirs and traveled throughout the Midwest with a traveling Baptist a cappella group. Later, when she entered the Chicago club circuit, she became a regular performer at venues like the Brass Rail and the Cloister Inn. In Chicago, Alexandria became a local favorite and recorded for the first time for several independent local labels, most notably King Records, and later Argo Records. During this early part of her career, she was closely connected with the Chicago pianist, composer and bandleader Walter "King" Fleming who would go on to provide the accompaniment for her debut album This is Lorez.
In 1957, Alexandria was signed to King Records. That year she released her first album This is Lorez with the King Fleming Quartet, followed by Lorez Sings Pres: A Tribute to Lester Young, which was an homage to the legendary tenor saxophonist. Her second album was received quite well and achieved widespread popularity. Featured on the LP were trumpet players Paul Serrano and Cy Touff, with King Fleming providing the accompaniment. The album featured a number of tunes from the songbook of Billie Holiday, a close friend of Lester Young. On the track "No Eyes Blues" Alexandria effortlessly scats with the ease of Ella Fitzgerald, as Serrano and Touff jump in to accent her rich melodic line.
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