Peggy Lee

Peggy Lee’s 1953 Black Coffee album will forever remain a masterpiece of vocal jazz. With such a seminal release, she stood to define an era.


Discography:

  • Dream Street (1957) B+
    • The opening “Street of Dreams” is a mysterious and alluring career highlight for Ms. Lee. The rest of the album sorta follows suit: Dream Street is mysterious and alluring alright, though not necessarily a career highlight.
  • The Man I Love (1957) B+
    • Crafted, conducted by and cuckolded with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee’s The Man I Love is largely the creation of, well, another man. Yet Ms. Lee’s sophisticated persona still shines through. This is her record, after all.
  • Sea Shells (1958) A-
    • Out of nowhere, Peggy Lee transitioned from swingin’ pop to English folk. Accompanied by only a harp and a harpsichord — and featuring four instrumentals and two spoken word tracks — Sea Shells is by far the strangest (and most interesting) anomaly of Ms. Lee’s career.
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