Peggy Lee & June Christy - The Complete Peggy Lee & June Christy Capitol Transcription Sessions (5 CD, 1998/FLAC)

Mosaic, the Rolls-Royce of record companies, has produced another of its limited-edition gems (5,000 copies and no more). This five-CD boxed set highlights the early work of two of the more famous vocal graduates of the swing era -- Peggy Lee and June Christy. Recently signed by Capitol, they were the company's attempt to break into the transcription business. Transcriptions were records provided to radio stations to fill a constant need for music that regular commercial releases were unable to meet. Most of the songs on this album, cuts from 1945 through 1949, were never before or since recorded by Lee and Christy, so they are a nice addition to their respective discographies. Of the two, Peggy Lee's style is clearly the most advanced. She had a successful tenure with Benny Goodman in the early '40s. After completing a hiatus as a homemaker for her husband, Dave Barbour, who accompanies her on several of these cuts, she started recording with Capitol in 1946. Her languid, laid-back approach that was to characterize her singing for the next 50-plus years was pretty well-developed by this time. In contrast, June Christy, who had just joined the Stan Kenton band, was still searching for her singing personality. The early cuts reveal she was still very much bound to Billie Holiday's style. But, by the time of the 1946 sessions on this album, the voice that was to become one of the most recognized by popular song fans, with Kenton and, later, with Pete Rugolo, Lou Levy, and others began to unfold. One surprise on the Christy sides is the valve-trombone work by Gene Roland. Noted more for his arranging skills than his soloing, his trombone work glistens on such cuts as "How High the Moon." Like all Mosaic releases, this album comes with complete annotations and an informative booklet.

 

Disc I

01. Make Love To Me (4:01)

02. How High The Moon (1:45)

03. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (2:12)

04. Can't Help Loving That Man (3:10)

05. Sweet Lorraine (2:34)

06. Don't Worry 'Bout Me (1:59)

07. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (1:38)

08. June's Blue (2:43)

09. Mean To Me (1:58)

10. September In The Rain (3:45)

11. You Took Advantage Of Me (2:32)

12. Stompin' At The Savoy (2:44)

13. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance (4:26)

14. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else (2:58)

15. Moonglow (3:01)

16. Get Happy (2:54)

17. I Got A Guy (3:26)

Disc II

01. Lullaby In Rhythm (2:35)

02. This Is Romance (3:17)

03. Supper Time (3:35)

04. I'm Thrilled (3:09)

05. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (1:59)

06. How Long Has This Been Going On (3:07)

07. You're Blase (3:01)

08. Prelude To A Kiss (3:01)

09. What's New (3:14)

10. Wherever There's Me There's You (2:15)

11. All The Cats Join In (2:18)

12. A Nightingale Can Sing The Blues (3:13)

13. Come Rain Or Come Shine (3:18)

14. The Best Man (2:24)

15. If You Were The Only Boy (2:15)

16. Love Doesn't Grow On Trees (2:31)

17. I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home (2:12)

18. My Sugar Is So Refined (3:02)

Disc III

01. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (1:46)

02. Lonesome Road (4:06)

03. Them There Eyes (2:28)

04. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me (2:56)

05. The Glory Of Love (2:19)

06. Melancholy Lullaby (3:08)

07. Taking A Chance On Love (2:18)

08. A Cottage For Sale (3:27)

09. Fools Rush In (3:09)

10. Sometimes I'm Happy (2:24)

11. The Way You Look Tonight (4:37)

12. Love Is Just Around The Corner (2:04)

13. Porgy (3:27)

14. Blue Skies (2:07)

15. I've Had My Moments (3:51)

16. Blue Moon (2:32)

17. Don't Be So Mean To Baby ('Cause Baby's So Good To You) (3:59)

18. Can't Help Lovin' That Man (3:25)

19. Mean To Me (2:08)

20. I'm Confessin' (3:23)

21. Summertime (3:30)

Disc IV

01. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (2:08)

02. Georgia On My Mind (2:56)

03. Rockin' Chair (2:08)

04. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (2:12)

05. Just Like A Gypsy (2:21)

06. Somebody Loves Me (2:07)

07. Lullaby Of Broadway (2:47)

08. In My Solitude (2:35)

09. I Get A Kick Out Of You (3:11)

10. Lover, Come Back To Me! (3:44)

11. I Don't Know Enough About You (3:07)

12. Oh, Look At Me Now (1:55)

13. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (3:44)

14. Someday, Sweetheart (1:59)

15. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight (1:59)

16. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (2:31)

17. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (2:34)

18. Birth Of The Blues (1:55)

19. Careless (2:06)

20. Then I'll Be Happy (2:16)

21. I Only Have Eyes For You (3:09)

22. Back In Your Own Backyard (2:21)

23. How Long Has This Been Going On (3:43)

Disc V

01. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (2:57)

02. As Long As I'm Dreaming (2:10)

03. Swingin' On A Star (2:47)

04. Aren't You Glad You're You (2:11)

05. Trav'lin' Light (3:01)

06. Save Your Sorrow For Tomorrow (1:52)

07. Oh! You Crazy Moon (2:16)

08. 'S Wonderful (2:33)

09. Imagination (2:36)

10. This Can't Be Love (2:20)

11. You're Driving Me Crazy (2:21)

12. Goody Goody (2:25)

13. I Ain't Got Nobody (2:16)

14. Molly Malone (3:34)

15. This Little Piggie (2:35)

16. But Beautiful (2:37)

17. Fine And Dandy (2:14)

18. 'T Ain't So, Honey, 'T Ain't So (2:27)

19. When A Woman Loves A Man (2:12)