The engaging 2021 compilation
Something Wonderful: Peggy Lee Sings the Great American Songbook features performances culled from the iconic vocalist's radio shows. One of the most distinctive and influential vocalists to emerge out of the big band era,
Lee was renowned for her warm, sultry style and intimate delivery. She made each song her own, even when interpreting one of the many American Popular Songbook standards that are the focus of
Something Wonderful. The Peggy Lee Show ran from June 1951 to November 1952 and featured
Lee, along with both a small group and big band directed first by
Russ Case in New York and then
Sonny Burke after the production moved to Los Angeles. The two-disc collection focuses on
Lee's renditions of standards and even finds her joined on the show by several of the composers themselves, including
Johnny Mercer,
Hoagy Carmichael,
Frank Loesser, and
Matt Dennis, several of whom offer wry and amiable duet accompaniment.
Lee's work with
Mercer is particularly enjoyable and the longtime friends offer smiling renditions of beloved hits like "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "That Old Black Magic." A gifted songwriter in her own right,
Lee also sings several of her own songs here, many that she wrote with her first husband, guitarist
Dave Barbour, including classics like "It's a Good Day" and "I Don't Know Enough About You." While often characterized as a cool '50s chanteuse,
Lee was an inviting presence in concert, ably wrapping herself in velvet balladry one minute, only to spark with bright swinging energy the next. It's that openhearted sense of fun that pervades all of
Something Wonderful. ~ Matt Collar
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