AMG Review of Miss Peggy Lee

John Bush
All Music Guide

Except for four hit-making years for Decca in the middle of the '50s, Peggy Lee spent the balance of her career with Capitol. And though her many LPs were among the best recorded at the label, most still lay unreleased by the late '90s. Capitol rectified the situation somewhat with the release of its four-disc treatment, Miss Peggy Lee. Including well over one hundred songs spanning the early '40s through the early '70s and a heavy booklet (with an extended interview/reminiscence written by Gene Lees plus extensive track notations by Jim Pierson), the box set frames Lee as one of the most distinctive vocalists of the era, able to transform herself from coquettish to impassioned to utterly destitute with no lack of conviction. Though her voice was less strident and not as wide-ranging as other female vocalists of the time, Lee frequently proved herself equal to Billie Holiday for her ability to use her vocal limitations to even better effect on her songs. Miss Peggy Lee may be a tad confusing for neophytes -- it skips around through her career with little chronological order -- but the selections and flow are impeccable.