Reviews
Artist:Peggy Lee Album: From The Vaults Vol.1 & 2
Label: Capitol
Tracks: 12 + 12
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Lee
Born in 1920, Norma Deloris Egstrom, performing as Peggy Lee has one of the great voices of Popular Music and Cool Jazz. Singing professionally since 1936, she developed her understated purr, grabbing the attention of audiences through subtlety rather than ornamentation and volume. Asked to join the Benny Goodman Orchestra in 1940 to replace singer Helen Forrest, Lee had two hit singles with the band including their 1943 sultry and sassy masterpiece "Why Dont You Do Right". Marrying band guitarist Dave Barbour, Peggy's intended retirement didnt last long, signing to Capitol Records and from 1944 she recorded these FROM THE VAULTS sides.
Volume One opens with the tender "What More Can A Woman Do", a love song written for Barbour this is the first own composition Lee recorded, released on 78 in 1945 by Capitol. "I Can See It Your Way Baby" recorded Boxing Day 1946 is a punchier affair with a more confident but still compelling Peggy Lee delivering a fine vocal. Dave Barbour plays a decisive jazz lead guitar on these early recordings, following Lee's vocal alongside nimble brass and piano on "Baby You Can Count On Me" also from 46. Despite the surface noise on the shellac 78s these recordings are dubbed from, the sweet big band brass chorus and Lee's vocal on "He's Just My Kind" and mature sounding "She Didn't Say Yes" are just spot on. Similarly "Dont Be Mean To Baby" which crackled with the sultry tension of later songs like "Fever". "Speaking Of Angels" from 1947 has a bigger sound that cushions Lee's stunning vocal and Barbour's lead guitar. Frustratingly, other than it is the Dave Barbour Orchestra, i cannot find any detailed notes on session players, but the delicately smoky "Just An Old Love Of Mine" has bursts of subdued by lovely trumpet and saxophone around Lee's vocal. Similarly the beautifully warm but melancholy "Everybody Loves Somebody" and "So Dear To My Heart" are a triumph of cool jazz vocal and band arrangement. "Just A Shade On The Blue Side" with strings, guitar and piano to the fore is sliding towards pop, but still with lush brass accents. "Someone Like You" is punchier and up tempo.
FROM THE VAULTS VOLUME TWO, opens with the wonderful "Please Love Me Tonight" from 1948, with some great big band Milleresque muted brass wafts or accents and a great beat. Likewise the snappy "Save Your Sorrows For Tomorrow" and sassy "Rock Me To Sleep". With characteristic tight playing from The Barbour Orchestra "You Can Have Him" moves beyond the domestic bliss of "What More Can A Woman Do". There is beautiful space around Lee's alluring vocal on the sad and sentimental orchestral "Goodbye John", "Mill On The Floss" and "Once In A Lifetime". But listen to the way Peggy annunciates 'Dont Go', the chorus on "Helpless", or the slight vibrato in her voice on "Through A Long And Sleepless Night". "Cry Cry Cry" is a "Cry Me A River" like break up showcase for fine vocal, guitar and brass. "Happy Music" is an uptempo number with a jolly band vocal chorus. With promises of Volumes 3 and 4 to take us up to 1972 the end of Peggy Lee's tenure at Capitol, Volume 2 ends with the huge sounding "He's Only Wonderful".
'Music is the thing for me' sings Peggy, in it for the long haul, on "Happy Music" and these digital only volumes document the start of her solo singer and songwriter career. They stop before the more well remembered 50s and 60s which heralded enduring hits like "Fever", "He's A Tramp " or the brilliantly cynical "Is That All There Is". But all the ingredients are here, great arrangements, great accompaniment and that simply stunning voice, which together make these nearly 80 years on, great listens even through a little shellac crackle early on in Volume One.
Marc Higgins
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The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Corsair is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
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