The fifth episode of Emmet Cohen's 2020 Quarantine Jams series, featuring Lea DeLaria performing George Gershwin's Nice Work If You Can Get It. Taken at 130 BPM in B-flat with a swing feel, the 34-bar AABA' form receives a straightforward treatment. DeLaria delivers a one-chorus vocal solo, while Cohen contributes a half-chorus piano improvisation. DeLaria, widely known for her acting career including her role in Orange Is the New Black, is also an accomplished jazz vocalist and comedian who has been performing jazz since the late 1980s. Her vocal style combines a robust, resonant tone with rhythmic assurance rooted in the swing tradition. The Gershwin standard's witty lyrics and appealing melody provide a vehicle well suited to DeLaria's direct, engaging performance style. This episode illustrates the range of guests Cohen assembled for the Quarantine Jams series, drawing from across the jazz and entertainment worlds to create sessions with distinct personalities while maintaining a consistent musical standard.
