May 26th 2020 marks the centenary of the birth of the great jazz and pop singer Peggy Lee, and Acrobat is celebrating the occasion with two special releases, this collections of album tracks and an anthology of selected A and B sides from her singles The Centenary Singles Collection 1945-62 (ACQCD7146). Peggy Lee was one of the finest interpreters of popular songs, whether performing in the big band idiom, in small group jazz environments or with solo piano accompaniment, or in the sophisticated pop style which brought her many chart hits. Her repertoire ranged effortlessly from Great American Songbook classics to the latest pop songs, and included many of her own fine compositions.
This great-value 109-track 4-CD set comprises selected titles from 25 of her albums released on Capitol and Decca during this era - My Best To You, Rendezvous with Peggy Lee, Lover, Black Coffee, Songs In An Intimate Style, Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues, Dream Street, Songs from Walt Disney's ""Lady and the Tramp, Sea Shells, Miss Wonderful, The Fabulous Peggy Lee, The Man I Love, Jump For Joy, Things Are Swingin', I Like Men! ,Beauty and the Beat!, Latin ala Lee!, All Aglow Again!, Pretty Eyes, Christmas Carousel, Olé ala Lee, Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee, If You Go, Blues Cross Country and Sugar 'N' Spice. It features performances with Nelson Riddle, Billy May, George Shearing, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Dave Barbour, Benny Carter, Gordon Jenkins, Hal Mooney, Victor Young, Sy Oliver, Joseph Lilley and Jack Marshall. Its a marvellous showcase for her talent and versatility working across a range of musical styles and concepts.