js “Let’s Love” was supposed to be a sort of comeback album for Peggy Lee with an attempt to hook up with a more contemporary sound. To record this one, she switched to the Atlantic label which was well-known for its success with female singers and soul-pop crossover albums. Pop jazz arranger supreme Dave Gruisin was brought on board and even the great Paul McCartney wrote and produced the title song. This album has a diverse mix of pop, soul, gospel and ballads that sounds like a cross between Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin and The Pointer Sisters, but unfortunately, a lot of this material doesn’t really suit Lee’s usually remarkable voice. Peggy Lee was one of the finest cool jazz singers ever, her relaxed delivery and perfect timing and pitch made her a perfect fit for jazz’s ‘cool’ phase, but this sort of 70s pop is just too heavy and bland for her to do what she does best. There is nothing wrong with her singing on here, she’s on pitch and on time and she has a nice strong voice when she needs it, but just listen to a classic like “Black Coffee", where Lee effortlessly glides through songs with a relaxed cool like no one else and you will understand why this album just isn’t Peggy Lee at her best.

A couple songs on here work OK. As you would expect, the laid back ones and the ballads work best. Her rendition of the soft soul classic “Don’t Let Me be Lonely Tonight” is very nice, but even better, the beautifully orchestrated Mancini number, “Sometimes”, almost sounds like the Peggy Lee we miss when we hear the other songs. The worst songs are the attempts at gospel and corny funk mishaps that sound like outtakes from Sanford and Sons. Peggy just doesn’t have the right voice for all that and the funk doesn’t sound very convincing. Add to this, the McCartney song is Sir Paul at his most dreadful and corny.

I would not recommend this album for someone wanting to check out what Peggy Lee is all about, get “Black Coffee” instead, no one else in the world can sing like that.

js Not only is ‘Black Coffee’ considered one of Peggy Lee’s finest records, it also gives us a unique snapshot of her development over a three year period. The first eight songs on this record were recorded in 1953 with a jazz trio plus trumpet and released on a ten inch record just a couple years before the twelve inch LP became the standard. Three years later in 1956 Peggy hit the studio again with a far different ensemble that included a harpist and a percussionist who would often switch from the trap set to the more unique sound of the vibraphone. The purpose of this second recording session was to provide enough additional material so that they could re-release the whole package as a twelve inch LP.

There is quite a difference between the two combos on here, and there is also a noticeable difference in Lee’s voice and presence on the two sessions as well. The songs recorded in 1953 are more extroverted and jazzy, the trumpet answers to Peggy’s vocals recall an earlier era in jazz, almost back to the time of Satchmo and classic New Orleans jazz. The trumpet adds an irreverent and sassy touch that was unusual for a vocal record at this time, but the icy cool sound of the 1956 combo with its exotic harp and vibraphone textures seems to bring out more of Lee’s unique vocal qualities.

Peggy is a great jazz singer, but at her best she elevates herself to something a little more personal, more like a modern cabaret singer with a personal tale of feelings that are hinted at rather than over stated. It’s the 56 combo that provides the air of mystery that really brings out the best and most memorable in Peggy Lee.