After her brief but memorable tenure with Impluse! came to its close,
Lorez Alexandria essentially spent more than a decade off the grid, save for a pair of barely noticed but excellent LPs for producer
Paul Gayten's fledgling Pzazz label. 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. [This long out of print LP was finally reissued in 2001 alongside its 1969 follow-up In a Different Bag via the two-fer The 60's Pzazz Sessions.] ~ Jason Ankeny