Lorraine “Lolo” Gervais is a jazz and R&B singer whose warm and soulful vocals, stage presence and warm relationship with her audiences have made her a favorite on both the local scene and when playing different venues up and down the west coast and beyond. She’s known for being a consummate and versatile entertainer who brings a quirky elegance and contemporary feel to any genre she sings. Whether performing Jazz, Vintage R&B and Soul, partying with her disco group, or any other genres with her featured guests in her Lolo’s Lounge series, performing has been a constant influence in her world. Singing onstage since childhood, Lorraine has truly lived her life in music. Whether sharing the stage with other featured singers or singing solo as front woman, she loves being a part of the shared space of performer and audience.
Lorraine is currently in her 3rd year of hosting and performing in “Lolo’s Lounge”, a Cabaret series sponsored by Center for the Arts in Grass Valley, Ca. Each show features different guests and genres of music backed by Lorraine’s core group of regular musicians. The series has been very successful in showcasing locally known artists and performers in ways that are unique and fun to both the audience and the players onstage. Nevada County has been named 1 of 16 "Culturally Designated Districts" by the State of California for it's rich and diverse representation and community involvement in the arts. Lorraine has been a recipient of Best Local Performing Artist in the area 3 years in a row.
Lorraine (Lolo) Gervais started singing at public events when she was 5 along with her mother, a classically trained singer, and then moved on to follow in the footsteps of her jazz and blues singing, piano playing grandmother who began performing in the 1930’s, playing roadhouses and nightclubs around the country.
After living in Europe for some years, Lorraine began performing in nightclubs throughout the West Coast—LA to Seattle and everywhere in between. Clubs, festivals, galas, non-profit benefits, house concerts, parties, touring and recording have been the mainstays of Lorraine’s professional life since the age of 15.
In addition to being a performer and band leader, and opening for headliner artists such as Mavis Staples, Tower of Power, Rachelle Ferrelle, Charlie Hunter, Wesla Whitfield, John Hammond, and many others, she has also sung on many commercial projects and has released 7 albums (4 with her band Lolo Gervais), along with a Christmas album partnered with guitarist Tony Unger.
In her role of concert producer and mentor throughout the years, Lorraine has showcased many regional artists and vocalists who live in Northern California and beyond. Her large vintage style tribute shows, co-produced with The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley, have highlighted music in many genres—from jazz to country to R&B and soul to rock and pop, and have successful brought audiences of different musical tastes into each experience. In these productions she has mentored less experienced singers into the world of professional stage performance by bringing them in as both background and lead vocalists, guiding them in how to interact with professional musicians, how to build stage confidence and the ways to develop their own stage presence and style. Lorraine also served as the Music Mentor Program Coordinator for a free community music mentoring program with The Center for the Arts, funded with a 2 year grant from the Irvine Foundation, The California Arts Council, and other entities. This groundbreaking program brought 50-60 members of the community together every Monday night for 40 weeks in creating a safe, supportive, and fun environment for people to participate in making music together in a band setting with professional musicians to guide them.
Photographer: Kim Sayre