Search - Peggy Lee :: Black Coffee / Sea Shells

Two very different albums from Peggy

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 08/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first album making up this twofer, Black coffee, is typical of Peggy's music - a jazz-pop collection featuring both famous and obscure songs from the Great American Songbook. The first eight tracks were originally released on an LP in 1953 and featured Peggy backed by trumpet, piano, bass and drums. Later, the LP was re-issued with four additional tracks - these are tracks 9 to 12 on this CD. Those four tracks were recorded at a later date and featured similar backing but with vibes and celeste instead of trumpet.Among the songs on Black coffee, the title track remains one of Peggy's most famous songs despite never having been released as a single, while There's a small hotel i. Perhaps, the best of the other tracks on what can only be described as an outstanding collection - one of Peggy's finest albums. There are several classic songs here, usually associated with other singers, including I've got you under my skin, My heart belongs to Daddy, Love me or leave me, It ain't necessarily so and You're my thrill.As a total contrast, the other album, Sea shells, is far removed from Peggy's normal style. A harp and a harpsichord provide the musical backing and most of the songs are folk songs. Furthermore, all the songs are slow - no upbeat songs to break the tempo. Some of the tracks are instrumental while the two tracks featuring Chinese love poems are narrated, not sung. The liner notes describe Sea shells as an intensely personal album.I enjoy many different kinds of music including folk, but even I find that Sea shells is a difficult album to get into. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating album and if you can give it the dedicated attention that it demands, you may find it to be a very rewarding experience.I notice that the Black coffee album has been made available on a CD by itself. You may find that to be a more suitable purchase, especially if you don't like folk music. For those who can appreciate both albums, this twofer shows just how versatile Peggy Lee was."

Contrasting Pearls: One String Black, One Strand White

Mark D. Prouse | Riverdale (Bronx), NY | 07/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first album here, BLACK COFFEE, is representative of the Peggy Lee most listeners are familiar with, and it is available as a CD by itself, at a more affordable price. One of her very best albums, it is also one of her most purely jazz oriented efforts. Featuring Peggy's understated vocals in a small combo setting, I consider these performances to be "Essential Peggy Lee." There isn't a throwaway in the pack, including the four songs that were later added to the original BLACK COFFEE album.



SEA SHELLS is a little-known album of folk music. Strange to hear "the female Sinatra," as she's been called, do folk songs, and this is not an easy record to love, even for folk fans like me. It does, with patience (because there are no uptempo tracks here), reward repeated listening. Some of these musty old songs benefit from Lee's hushed reading. "White Birch And The Sycamore" and "Nine Thorny Thickets" are especially lovely. The arrangements are sparse; a couple of the "songs" are spoken (there are a couple of Chinese poems), and some are brief instrumentals. This record created a mood that stuck with me for a long time after I first listened to the entire album; my SEA SHELLS record was originally bought used, and is fairly beat up, so the pristine sound quality of this CD is most welcome. Of all Lee's records, this one sounds the most like Peggy singing to me in my living room, with her soft, intimate tones complimented by harp strums and delicate flourishes of harpsichord. Most unusual.



Because the first album is a 5-star essential, I can't give this collection anything less than that. Honestly, though, because of its limited appeal and its glacial pace, SEA SHELLS by itself would only get two, or three stars at most. If you are a major Peggy Lee fan who has somehow managed to get through life without hearing BLACK COFFEE, and you are curious about SEA SHELLS, by all means buy this collection!"

A jazz vocal masterpiece!!!

Mark D. Prouse | 09/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply one of the best jazz vocal albums ever recorded. Highly recommended!"