In praise of Florence Quivar

Whoa!  Two posts in the same month?  What is happening to me?  Am I getting motivated again?

I recently gifted a friend with a copy of this recording, only to later find the entire thing is on YouTube.  (Shhh! Don't tell them!)

But then I kept finding more and more links to amazing performances like this one:

And this one:

I first heard of this amazing singer when she was part of a recording of Porgy and Bess I had acquired. But her singing legacy goes far beyond that opera.  According to Wikipedia, that paragon of accurate sources of information, "Florence Quivar ...is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who is considered to be "one of the most prominent singers of her generation." She has variously been described as having a "rich, earthy sound and communicative presence" and as "a distinguished singer, with a warm, rich voice and a dignified performing presence." From 1977-1997 she was a regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera, where she gave more than 100 performances.

I think she's marvelous. What do you think?