PEGGY LEE - A Natural Woman + Is That All There Is? (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The compilers of British EMI's extensive "two on one" reissue series have made some questionable choices in combining two albums originally issued on LP into a single CD, but it's hard to second guess this one, which contains the two albums Peggy Lee released in 1969, A Natural Woman and Is That All There Is? Not only are the collections chronologically sequential, but it sounds like the second one employs tracks recorded for the first one. By the late ‘60s, Lee, like many other veteran pop singers, was attempting to keep current and keep selling records by incorporating current trends in pop/rock into her music. A Natural Woman alternates efforts by two prominent Los Angeles session musicians serving as arranger/conductors, pianist Mike Melvoin and trumpeter Bobby Bryant. This is one of those albums that sounds like these guys (and perhaps Lee, too) came up with the set list by listening to their AM radios, tuned to the local Top 40 station, on the freeway on their way to the session. They hear, say, Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," Sly & the Family Stone's "Everyday People," and Blood, Sweat & Tears' "Spinning Wheel," and, by the time they pull into the parking lot, they've got the gist of the arrangement down and proceed to re-create it, more or less, with their fellow session pros, as Lee gamely approximates the hit vocals. When they do use a vintage piece of material, such as "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings," or come up with an original ("Lean on Me"), they are still keeping in mind what they heard on the radio, so that the former sounds like watered-down Motown and the latter has the modified R&B funkiness of Frank Sinatra's "That's Life."

The atypical last song on A Natural Woman leads right into Is That All There Is? It's Randy Newman's introspective ballad "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today," and since Newman arranged and conducted Lee's surprise comeback hit with Leiber & Stoller's European-style art song "Is That All There Is?" (inspired by a Thomas Mann short story), and that song leads off the second LP, the mood stays constant. And that mood continues with the next track, "Love Story," another Newman composition, even if Lee, the disillusionment of "Is That All There Is?" notwithstanding, cannot bring herself to sing Newman's fatalistic final couplet, "We'll play checkers all day/Until we pass away." Instead, she substitutes "We'll play checkers in the sun/Playing checkers can be fun." Unfortunately, Is That All There Is? doesn't turn out to be a complete album of similar material. In fact, it is actually a cobbled-together rush job that was assembled on the fly to have an LP in the record racks while "Is That All There Is?," which had been released as a one-off single, was still in the charts. Capitol Records thought nothing of recycling previously released tracks including Lee's 1963 hit "I'm a Woman" (also written by Leiber & Stoller) to pad the collection out to LP length. Toward the end, there are some good songs and arrangements in the art song style of "Is That All There Is?," however, notably Newman's "Linda," which has had its gender switched and is called "Johnny (Linda)." But the Is That All There Is? LP remains a patchwork Peggy Lee album, even suitably paired with A Natural Woman. by William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist :
Natural Woman    
1    (All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings 2'50
Written-By – Harold Rome, Henri Herpin, Jamblan
2    Don't Explain 3'57
Written-By – Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday
3    Can I Change My Mind? 2'51
Written-By – Barry Despenza, Carl Wolfolk
4    Lean On Me 2'42
Written-By – Mike Melvoin, Mundell Lowe, Peggy Lee
5    (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay 2'37
Written-By – Otis Redding, Steve Cropper
6    (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman 3'01
Written-By – Goffin And King, Jerry Wexler
7    Everyday People 2'38
Written-By – Sylvester Stewart
8    Please Send Me Someone To Love 4'05
Written-By – Percy Mayfield
9    Spinning Wheel 2'35
Written-By – David Clayton-Thomas
10    Living Is Dying Without You 3'27
Written-By – Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn
11    I Think It's Gonna Rain Today 3'15
Written-By – Randy Newman
Is That All There Is?    
12    Is That All There Is? 4'19
Producer – Lieber & Stoller
Written-By – Jerry Lieber-Mike Stoller
13    Love Story 3'27
Written-By – Randy Newman
14    Me And My Shadow 3'04
Producer – Lieber & Stoller
Written-By – A. Jolson, B. Rose, D. Dreyer
15    Sing A Rainbow 2'46
Written-By – Arthur Hamilton
16    My Old Flame 4'24
Written-By – Arthur Johnston, Sam Caslow
17    I'm A Woman 2'07
Producer – David Cavanaugh
Written-By – Jerry Lieber-Mike Stoller
18    Somethin' Stupid 2'31
Written-By – C. Carson Parks
19    Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show 3'00
Written-By – Neil Diamond
20    Something 3'14
Written-By – George Harrison
21    Whistle For Happiness 2'25
Written-By – Jerry Lieber-Mike Stoller
22    Johnny (Linda) 2'47
Written-By – Randy Newman
23    I Can Hear The Music 1'56
Written-By – Gene Di Novi, Spence Maxwell
24    Don't Smoke In Bed 3'31
Written-By – Willard Robison
25    You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby 2'18
Written-By – Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – Bobby Bryant (pistas: 1 to 11), Mike Melvoin (pistas: 1 to 11)
Vocals – Peggy Lee

PEGGY LEE - Let's Love (1974-2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota had turned out to be the final album of Peggy Lee's lengthy tenure at Capitol Records, and 16 months after its release the 54-year-old singer returned to the record racks on Atlantic Records with Let's Love, touted as a comeback assisted by a former Capitol labelmate, former Beatle Paul McCartney, who wrote and produced the title song especially for her. That may have been the headline grabber, but the LP that was bookended by the song "Let's Love" and its reprise actually was more the product of Lee and Dave Grusin's efforts, under the auspices of Atlantic executive Nesuhi Ertegun. Lee and Grusin co-produced the rest of the tracks, adopting a sophisticated contemporary pop/jazz sound. Grusin was an expert at this sort of fusion style, incorporating elements of gospel, R&B, and funk, and Lee was very much on board with the approach. As on her later Capitol albums, she presented her versions of recent hits like James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and the Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New." When she and Grusin did essay a standard like the ones she had been singing for 30 years, they made a point of transforming it. Irving Berlin's "Always" may have a 1925 copyright, but here it sounds like the Pointer Sisters' "Yes We Can Can." The co-producers also included a couple of string-filled ballads to make old fans welcome, however, with Lee adding lyrics to Grusin's movie theme "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" and doing Karen Carpenter one better on Henry and Felice Mancini's "Sometimes." As for "Let's Love" itself, it's a fairly typical McCartney effort of the period, not as bombastic as "My Love," but in the same vein with some obvious arranging tricks that do not detract from its appeal, and Lee, as she does with all the material here, sings it effectively. by William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
1    Let's Love 2'55
Written-By – Paul McCartney
2    He Is The One 4'24
Written-By – Melissa Manchester
3    Easy Evil 4'37
Written-By – Alan O'Day
4    Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 4'06
Written-By – James Taylor
5    Always 3'51
Written-By – Irving Berlin
6    You Make Me Feel Brand New 5'58
Written-By – Linda Creed, Thom Bell
7    Sweet Lov'liness 3'53
Written-By – Max R. Bennett
8    The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter 3'06
Written-By – Dave Grusin, Peggy Lee
9    Sweet Talk 3'25
Written-By – Don Sebesky
10    Sometimes 2'26
Written-By – Felice Mancini, Henry Mancini
11    Let's Love (Reprise) 1'19
Written-By – Paul McCartney
12    I Am His Lady 4'04
Written-By – Morgan Ames
13    I Wanna Be Seduced  2'35
Written-By – Peggy Lee
14    The Nickel Ride 4'50
Written-By – Dave Grusin, Peggy Lee
15    Let's Keep Dancing 3'15
Written-By – Bobby Troup, Clifton T. Crofford, John Durrill, Snuff Garrett
16    Let's Love (Alternate Version) 3'55
Written-By – Paul McCartney
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Jerome Richardson
Arranged, Conductor By, Electric Piano, Percussion – Dave Grusin
Bass Guitar – Chuck Rainey
Concertmaster – Erno Neufeld
Congas – Bobbye Hall
Drums – Dick Borden (pistas: 4, 5), Harvey Mason
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Peter Christlieb
French Horn – Vince DeRosa
Guitar – Dan Ferguson, David T. Walker, Dennis Budimir, Lee Ritenour
Oboe – Gene Cipriano
Percussion – Harvey Mason
Piano – George Gaffney (pistas: 4, 5)
Trombone – Frank Rossolino
Trumpet – Charles Findley

PEGGY LEE & BENNY GOODMAN - The Complete Recordings 1941 - 1947 (1999) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although the whole collection ranges across six years, 32 of the 35 cuts on this two-CD set were recorded within a year of Peggy Lee's joining Benny Goodman's band, and the vast majority within a six month period through the winter of 1942. It is possible during that span to hear Lee evolve from a competent but scarcely confident vocalist ("Elmer's Tune") into a bold interpreter, equally adept at blues ("Blues in the Night"), ballads ("When the Roses Bloom Again"), rhythm numbers ("My Little Cousin," "I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean"), and everything in between. Aside from an improvement in sound over 1993's Best of the Big Bands: Benny Goodman Featuring Peggy Lee, the real beauty here is in the material that wasn't on that earlier disc, most notably the small-group sides "Where or When" (perhaps the most beautiful rendition of that song ever cut), "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and "Blues in the Night," the latter one of Lee's earliest blues numbers. Equally important, the band is captured in a nice, close rich sound, which goes double for the solos by Goodman, Mel Powell et al. Speaking of Powell, the timing of recording of the songs on this set makes it one of the best showcases of Powell's piano playing and arranging. Lee's 32 sides with Goodman on Columbia and OKeh have been augmented by three additional numbers, cut by the two as part of Goodman's postwar Capitol Records contract -- they're brighter and fuller, but not outrageously superior to his early Columbia sides; but they show off the work of a fully mature artist with five years' more confidence and skill. by Bruce Eder  
Tracklist 1 :
1     Elmer's Tune 2'51
Elmer Albrecht / Sammy Gallop / Dick Jurgens
2     I See a Million People (But All I Can See Is You) 2'42
Una Mae Carlisle / Robert Sour
3     That's the Way It Goes 3'09
Sydney Robin / Alec Wilder / Alexander Wilder
4     I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) 3'14
Duke Ellington / Paul Francis Webster
5     My Old Flame 3'08
Sam Coslow / Arthur Johnston
6     How Deep Is the Ocean? 3'04
Irving Berlin
7     Shady Lady Bird 2'45
Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin
8     Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) 3'16
Cole Porter
9     Somebody Else Is Taking My Place 3'09
Bob Ellsworth / Richard Howard / Russ Morgan
10     Somebody Nobody Loves 3'20
Seymour Miller
11     How Long Has This Been Going On? 3'16
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
12     That Did It, Marie 2'29
Irene Higginbotham
13     Winter Weather 3'00
Ted Shapiro
14     Ev'rything I Love 3'05
Cole Porter
15     Not Mine 3'18
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
16     Not a Care in the World 3'22
Vernon Duke / John Latouche
17     My Old Flame 3'16
Sam Coslow / Arthur Johnston
18     How Deep Is the Ocean? 3'20
Irving Berlin
19     Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) 2'01
Cole Porter
Tracklist 2 :
1     Blues in the Night 3'15
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
2     Where or When 3'21
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
3     On the Sunny Side of the Street 3'11
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
4     The Lamp of Memory (Incertidumbre) 3'17
Gonzalez Curiel / Al Stillman
5     If You Build a Better Mousetrap 3'02
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
6     When the Roses Bloom Again 2'52
Nat Burton / Walter Kent / Traditional
7     My Little Cousin 3'17
Peggy Lee feat: Benny Goodman          
8     The Way You Look Tonight 4'18
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
9     I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean 3'00
Irving Berlin
10     We'll Meet Again 3'17
Hughie Charles / Ross Parker
11     Full Moon (Noche de Luna) 3'17
Gonzalez Curiel / Odette and Ethel / B. Russell
12     There Won't Be a Shortage of Love 2'40
John Jacob Loeb / Carmen Lombardo
13     You're Easy to Dance With 3'15
Irving Berlin
14     All I Need Is You 3'22
Benny Davis / Peter DeRose / Mitchell Parish
15     Why Don't You Do Right? 3'12
Kansas Joe McCoy
16     Let's Say a Prayer 3'10
Charles Farrow
17     The Freedom Train 3'10
Irving Berlin
18     Keep Me in Mind 2'50
Benny Goodman / Al Zink
19     For Every Man There's a Woman 2'46
Harold Arlen / Leo Robin

PEGGY LEE - Miss Wonderful (1958-1992) MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Mister Wonderful 3'18
2    They Can't Take That Away From Me 2'57
3    Where Flamingos Fly 2'27
4    You've Got To See Mamma Every Night 2'45
5    The Come Back 3'01
6    Take A Little Time To Smile 2'36
7    I Don't Know Enough About You 2'57
8    Joe Sings; Joe, Joe, Joey 2'43
9    Crazy In The Heart 2'54
10    You Ought To Be Mine 3'05
11    We Laughed At Love 3'12
12    That's Alright, Honey 3'08
Credits :
Orchestra – Sy Oliver And His Orchestra