AMG Review of Spotlight on Peggy Lee [Great Ladies of Song]

Stephen Cook
All Music Guide

Peggy Lee spent a good many years with Capitol, and it was there that she cut some of her best sides. Save for a few years in the late '40s (and several early hits), Lee hit her stride with the label during the end of the '50s and throughout the '60s. Working in a variety of settings, from string orchestras to jazz combos, Lee applied her vocal talents to swing, blues, Latin, and cabaret. This edition of Capitol's classy Spotlight series rounds up 18 of Lee's best performances. And while many of the hits are missing ("Black Coffee," "Is That All There Is," etc.), the disc makes up for it with stunners like "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Plus, there's the charts and conducting work of such luminaries as Benny Carter, Nelson Riddle, Bill May, Quincy Jones, and even Frank Sinatra. A fine sampler from Miss Lee's prime.