PEGGY LEE
LET'S LOVE
(Wounded Bird Records)
Peggy Lee had been a successful jazz vocalist for 33 years before
she went into the studio to cut LET’S LOVE for Atlantic Records in
1974. With a career dating back to 1941, Peggy was still a respected jazz
vocalist even though her albums weren’t selling as well as they once had. When Capitol Records dropped her in 1972
after 15 years of continuous service (2-3 albums per year), some may have
thought that Lee would have spent the rest of her career playing nightclubs and
appearing on Jerry Lewis telethons,
but luck was always on Peggy’s side. And this time, her lucky charm was the
cute Beatle, Paul McCartney, who
penned and produced the album’s title track. By this time, Peggy was in her
mid-50s and her vocal performances were far more subdued and intimate, which
lent themselves perfectly to this lovely, lilting melody. Sounding like something penned for the McCARTNEY
or RAM
album, the song is a haunting gem and definitely worth the price of the album
alone. Thankfully, there are plenty of
other great tracks to enjoy on LET’S LOVE. Melissa Manchester’s “He
Is The One,” the Stylistics’ classic
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” (penned by Thom
Bell and Linda Creed), Irving Berlin’s “Always” and the Dave Grusin/Peggy Lee co-write “The
Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” are other highlights.
While the album might be classified as Jazz, there are definitely
elements of Soul, Funk and Pop spread evenly over the tracks. Unlike many
modern Jazz artists, Lee was open to taking chances and working outside the box
during her career. In fact, her next album would consist of Leiber and Stoller
covers! With musical assistance from Lee
Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Harvey Mason,
Chuck Rainey and others, LET’S
LOVE is a fine addition to Lee’s vast catalog and certainly of interest
to McCartney/Beatles collectors!
NOTE: This Wounded Bird reissue reproduces the Rhino Handmade edition and
includes four bonus tracks from the same sessions including an alternate
version of the title track.
Peace, love and pancakes,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee
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