ghost of miles Posted August 12, 2005 Report Posted August 12, 2005 This week on Night Lights it's "Alexandria the Great," a program devoted to the late 1950s and early 1960s recordings of the little-known singer Lorez Alexandria, who left a Chicago gospel background behind for the world of jazz, recording with Ramsey Lewis, Wynton Kelly, and others. Often compared to Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae, Alexandria also liked to lag behind the beat, assuring nervous bandmates, "Don't worry, I'll catch up at the end." We'll hear music from her two Impulse LPs, Lorez Alexandria the Great and More of the Great Lorez Alexandria, as well as two early King LPs and an Argo LP, Early in the Morning, done with Lewis' trio and members of the Count Basie band. "Alexandria the Great" airs at 11:05 p.m. (9:05 p.m. California time, 12:05 a.m. NYC time) this Saturday on WFIU; you can listen live, or you can wait until Monday afternoon, when the program will be posted to the Night Lights archives. Next week: "Count Basie: the 1950 Octet." Quote
Cali Posted August 14, 2005 Report Posted August 14, 2005 Luv Lorez. Luv ALEXANDRIA THE GREAT, a great, great album. The arrangement on "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face" is Gil Evans-es and an absolute masterpiece. I'll be listening! Quote
ghost of miles Posted August 17, 2005 Author Report Posted August 17, 2005 This program is now archived. Quote
Alfred Posted August 19, 2005 Report Posted August 19, 2005 Luv Lorez. Luv ALEXANDRIA THE GREAT, a great, great album. The arrangement on "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face" is Gil Evans-es and an absolute masterpiece. I'll be listening! ← The follow up release "More of the great Alexandria" is also recommended. I'm not sure if this one is available on CD. "This writer is sure Miss Alexandria will understand if I say the album is worth getting for Wynton Kelly's piano alone." (George Hoefer, liner notes) Excellent. Quote
ghost of miles Posted August 19, 2005 Author Report Posted August 19, 2005 Luv Lorez. Luv ALEXANDRIA THE GREAT, a great, great album. The arrangement on "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face" is Gil Evans-es and an absolute masterpiece. I'll be listening! ← The follow up release "More of the great Alexandria" is also recommended. I'm not sure if this one is available on CD. "This writer is sure Miss Alexandria will understand if I say the album is worth getting for Wynton Kelly's piano alone." (George Hoefer, liner notes) Excellent. ← Alfred, MORE OF THE GREAT... is available as a CD, or at least has been, in Japan... I found it for half-off in a local music store, which made it about the price of a standard domestic release. Hopefully Universal will eventually put it out as part of the LPR series. Quote
JSngry Posted August 20, 2005 Report Posted August 20, 2005 I have both Alexandria Impulse! LPs on a 1989 MCA/Impulse! single CD. 20 songs total, did anything get left off? Quote
ghost of miles Posted August 20, 2005 Author Report Posted August 20, 2005 I have both Alexandria Impulse! LPs on a 1989 MCA/Impulse! single CD. 20 songs total, did anything get left off? ← Nope--unless there's still something in the Impulse! vaults. The CDs I have have 10 songs apiece. I'm curious as to whether or not both albums came out of the same sessions; each CD simply states, "Recorded Los Angeles 1964." Judging from the personnel overlap, I'm guessing that they did. Quote
JSngry Posted August 20, 2005 Report Posted August 20, 2005 No specifics on the MCA disc. Geez, you know time is flying when a 1989 CD is "off the radar" of cats like you and Alfred! Quote
ghost of miles Posted August 20, 2005 Author Report Posted August 20, 2005 No specifics on the MCA disc. Geez, you know time is flying when a 1989 CD is "off the radar" of cats like you and Alfred! ← Back in 1989, I was listening to Sonic Youth & Public Enemy & had about 5-6 jazz records in my entire collection, all of them the result of recs from two jazz drummer friends of mine. (One of them had told me to buy "Miles Davis' KIND OF BLUE... make love to it, man.") I thought jazz was mostly for snobs. Uncouth, ignorant youth! And now back to my afternoon snifter... Quote
ghost of miles Posted August 20, 2005 Author Report Posted August 20, 2005 The irony, of course, is that Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth was already getting into free jazz, and Chuck D used to namecheck jazz musicians... but at that point jazz was still a music I could mostly only "respect." The love bug bit me about three years later. Quote
JSngry Posted August 20, 2005 Report Posted August 20, 2005 In 1992? Well, that was only..... DAMN, THAT WAS THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!!! AND I WAS ALREADY 36!!! Thanks, David, you just fucked up what's left of my afternoon... Quote
ghost of miles Posted August 20, 2005 Author Report Posted August 20, 2005 Move that walker over a bit, ol' friend, and I'll sit down and join you for a spell... After moving furniture for the past couple of weeks, I feel just about ready for my AARP card. Do they offer a middle-age pre-order special? Quote
JSngry Posted August 20, 2005 Report Posted August 20, 2005 Dude, they come after you as soon as you turn 50. How much more of a "preorder" do you want? Quote
Kalo Posted August 21, 2005 Report Posted August 21, 2005 In 1992? Well, that was only..... DAMN, THAT WAS THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!!! AND I WAS ALREADY 36!!! Thanks, David, you just fucked up what's left of my afternoon... ← Gee, I was only 31 back then, and I feel old, too. It's a one-way trip for all of us... Quote
Brad Posted September 8, 2005 Report Posted September 8, 2005 I had never heard of her until I listened to the show last night. What a dynamite show and performer. My hat's off to GOM for putting this on. Quote
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