Peggy Lee - Blues Cross Country

One of Peggy Lee's most intriguing concept LPs of the '50s and '60s, Blues Cross Country teams her with the Quincy Jones Orchestra on a set of swinging blues set all over America, almost a continental version of Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me." She balances standards like "Basin Street Blues," "St. Louis Blues," "I Left My Sugar (In Salt Lake City)," and "Goin' to Chicago Blues" alongside collaborations with Jones on "Los Angeles Blues," "New York City Blues," and "The Train Blues." (She is also the lyricist of four other songs on the album.) Though Jones' arrangements are often a touch brassier than the blues standards can handle, Lee contributes just the right blend of vigor and feeling to the songs. Read More