Sandra Lawrence
Label:
Silva Screen Records
Bio
Sandra Lawrence is a singer specialising in the jazz standards of the 1940s and 50s. Why? Well, it could be the classic evergreens of the era, the drama of the lyrics or the purity of the melody, but mainly it’s the frocks…
As her alter-ego Miss Volare, Sandra recorded two albums with her nine-piece band, The Vendettas, one with the semi-legendary Sugar-Ray Ford’s Flying Fortress, and went onto spend seven years touring with the French Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Sandra has recently found success as a solo artist, investigating her first true love, the Femme Fatale of the classic Film Noir era.
NOIRESQUE – a collection of linked projects around that most luscious of stereotypes, saw a critically-acclaimed album release in the United States and a theatre show with Julian Clary regular, the much-missed Russell Churney.
Sandra works regularly with renowned accompanists Phil Mead and Gary Baldwin, singing a variety of jazz classics, cabaret drama and lush latin. She specialises in “Dinner Jazz,” playing for many corporate clients including, among many others, Alfa Romeo, O2, Canon, The Financial Times and Mini…
Sandra started singing professionally whilst still an actress, when she worked on a show about the Andrews Sisters. This led to her co-founding The SWING SHIFT, with whom she joined RAY McVAY’S ORCHESTRA traveling to places as far flung as Europe and the Middle East as well as completing three six-week tours of Japan.
Sandra soon went solo, founding her own 9-piece lounge band, VOLARE AND THE VENDETTAS - the band’s not currently active but the website remains for nostalgia purposes…)
“MISS VOLARE” and her band became regulars on the British swing circuit, appearing many times at the 100 Club, Notre Dame Dance Hall and various clubs, enjoying a long residency at Dover St Wine Bar – as well as countless corporate functions for big name brands – from the Penguin Book Awards, Times Awards and the Peugeot Design Awards to appearances for O2, Miramax, Mini and many others.
Their finest hour was the day Miss Volare roared through reception into the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel on a Harley Davidson, peeled off her leathers to reveal a black satin gown and played for Graham’s Port’s 100th anniversary. Later that day, the band rushed up to Camden to play for the first night party of the film Swingers.
Around this time, SUGAR RAY FORD, star of the British swing scene, was putting together his famous/notorious/legendary FLYING FORTRESS, and invited Miss Volare to become the female singer.
The Flying Fortress worked all over Europe – including stints at Paris’s Bar Pigalle, Amsterdam’s Paradiso Club and Basel’s Atlantis. The album BIM BAM BABY is still available on ACE RECORDS.
Sandra was still working with both bands when she was recruited for the French GLENN MILLER MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA, with whom she toured for seven years, during which she reckons she played pretty much every town on the Michelin map. Highlights included The Casino de Paris, the Arsenal at Metz, the Casino at Deauville, the Amphitheatre at Carthage, scores of festivals in the South and the enormous, 5,000-seater (sold out) Palais de Congres in Paris. She left the band in 2002.
Sandra had been working for many years on one of her personal passions, film noir, and in 2002 finally got a record deal for her dream project, NOIRESQUE. It is an ongoing project (there is currently a book in the pipeline) but the critically-acclaimed album, THE LONELY FATE OF THE FEMME FATALE, featuring songs from the original movies, was released on SILVA SCREEN RECORDS in 2003. Although it was recorded with the Vendettas, Sandra used this opportunity to return to her real name, leaving her “Miss Volare” alter-ego behind forever.
As her alter-ego Miss Volare, Sandra recorded two albums with her nine-piece band, The Vendettas, one with the semi-legendary Sugar-Ray Ford’s Flying Fortress, and went onto spend seven years touring with the French Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Sandra has recently found success as a solo artist, investigating her first true love, the Femme Fatale of the classic Film Noir era.
NOIRESQUE – a collection of linked projects around that most luscious of stereotypes, saw a critically-acclaimed album release in the United States and a theatre show with Julian Clary regular, the much-missed Russell Churney.
Sandra works regularly with renowned accompanists Phil Mead and Gary Baldwin, singing a variety of jazz classics, cabaret drama and lush latin. She specialises in “Dinner Jazz,” playing for many corporate clients including, among many others, Alfa Romeo, O2, Canon, The Financial Times and Mini…
Sandra started singing professionally whilst still an actress, when she worked on a show about the Andrews Sisters. This led to her co-founding The SWING SHIFT, with whom she joined RAY McVAY’S ORCHESTRA traveling to places as far flung as Europe and the Middle East as well as completing three six-week tours of Japan.
Sandra soon went solo, founding her own 9-piece lounge band, VOLARE AND THE VENDETTAS - the band’s not currently active but the website remains for nostalgia purposes…)
“MISS VOLARE” and her band became regulars on the British swing circuit, appearing many times at the 100 Club, Notre Dame Dance Hall and various clubs, enjoying a long residency at Dover St Wine Bar – as well as countless corporate functions for big name brands – from the Penguin Book Awards, Times Awards and the Peugeot Design Awards to appearances for O2, Miramax, Mini and many others.
Their finest hour was the day Miss Volare roared through reception into the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel on a Harley Davidson, peeled off her leathers to reveal a black satin gown and played for Graham’s Port’s 100th anniversary. Later that day, the band rushed up to Camden to play for the first night party of the film Swingers.
Around this time, SUGAR RAY FORD, star of the British swing scene, was putting together his famous/notorious/legendary FLYING FORTRESS, and invited Miss Volare to become the female singer.
The Flying Fortress worked all over Europe – including stints at Paris’s Bar Pigalle, Amsterdam’s Paradiso Club and Basel’s Atlantis. The album BIM BAM BABY is still available on ACE RECORDS.
Sandra was still working with both bands when she was recruited for the French GLENN MILLER MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA, with whom she toured for seven years, during which she reckons she played pretty much every town on the Michelin map. Highlights included The Casino de Paris, the Arsenal at Metz, the Casino at Deauville, the Amphitheatre at Carthage, scores of festivals in the South and the enormous, 5,000-seater (sold out) Palais de Congres in Paris. She left the band in 2002.
Sandra had been working for many years on one of her personal passions, film noir, and in 2002 finally got a record deal for her dream project, NOIRESQUE. It is an ongoing project (there is currently a book in the pipeline) but the critically-acclaimed album, THE LONELY FATE OF THE FEMME FATALE, featuring songs from the original movies, was released on SILVA SCREEN RECORDS in 2003. Although it was recorded with the Vendettas, Sandra used this opportunity to return to her real name, leaving her “Miss Volare” alter-ego behind forever.
North & South America: doug@silvascreenusa.com
Europe, Asia & Australia: david@silvascreen.co.uk
Latest Tracks
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Big Band Swing, Easy Listening
Mood: Romantic, Chilled, Sexy, Seductive, Relaxed, Intimate
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Blues, Big Band Swing, Easy Listening, Smooth Jazz
Mood: Sexy, Romantic, Chilled, Seductive, Relaxed, Intimate
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Big Band Swing
Mood: Chilled, Romantic, Happy, Sexy, Seductive, Bright, Relaxed
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Big Band Swing, Contemporary Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Mood: Sexy, Chilled, Romantic, Seductive, Relaxed, Cool
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Easy Listening, Smooth Jazz
Mood: Romantic, Chilled, Sexy, Sentimental, Relaxed, Loving, Intimate
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Big Band Swing, Contemporary Jazz, Latin Jazz
Mood: Happy, Sexy, Chilled, Bright, Cheerful, Energetic, Seductive, Playful
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Mood: Romantic, Sexy, Chilled, Seductive, Intimate, Relaxed
Genre: Cabaret, Film Music, Film Noir, Jazz, Big Band Swing
Mood: Happy, Chilled, Cheerful, Bright, Playful, Energetic
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