A Woman Alone with the Blues (Remembering Peggy Lee)

 (13 customer reviews)

Maria Muldaur does not sound at all like Peggy Lee. But imitation is not the point of this recording. The point is that this is a tribute album - and a first class one at that! Muldaur catches the essence of what Peggy Lee was with class and a bit of sass. From the opening cover of Lee's classic "Fever" one can tell that they're in for a treat. Backed by Harry Connick Jr.'s band Muldaur winds her way through a number of great songs associated with Ms. Lee. Most of them are not familiar. But not to worry, in the hands of Muldaur they feel as comfortable as an old shoe and illustrate just how versatile Peggy Lee was. Muldaur sounds better here than she has since her days at Warner Brothers. She's always been at her best vocally when she didn't push her voice and here she let's her instrument flow with ease. While listening to this I was immediately transported back to "Sweet Harmony" and "Sweet and Slow". This is a "must have" for any Muldaur fan,...Read more

This is my 14th album by Maria Muldaur; and she keeps getting better, creating a diverse body of work. With her exquisite last CD remembering blues greats like Memphis Minnie on "Richland Woman Blues" and this set remembering Peggy Lee, she's becoming an interpretive musical historian of significance like the late John Hartford. With 21st century technical support, this set could be a blast from the 1930's - 1940's jazz era. Maria reinvents the music through her personality and makes it come alive. Among the many highlights on the CD is Peggy Lee's signature song "Fever" which burns and aches with libidinous longing. Dan Hicks duets on the swinging "Winter Weather" with the horns and brass pulsing to perfection. The two tracks that have me reaching for "repeat" come smack dab in the middle of the CD: Peggy Lee's penned "Everything Is Moving Too Fast" is a loose jazz & jive that'll set your toe to tapping while "Waitin' for the Train to Come In" highlights Maria's coos and sighs...Read more

Back in the 70s, Maria Muldaur made a trio of fantastic albums for Reprise -- "Maria Muldaur," "Waitress In A Donut Shop," and "Sweet Harmony" -- that have grown better with age. They're essential and resonant music, as strong as any female interpretive singer in jazz or pop has recorded. Yet, a series of badly produced pop albums made this listener lose track of where the singer was headed. It's been years since I listened Maria Muldaur, and while her vocal timbre has changed -- losing her flexible sliding top notes -- her dexterous phrasing has only become more beautiful and playful with time. This an exquisite album, and a tribute to Peggy Lee -- not an imitation. It captures the spirit of the late great Ms. Lee, while remaining a unique and individual creation. The song choices, beyond the obligatory "Fever," are deep and surprising. Ms. Muldaur reveals herself to be a true fan and disciple, yet never subverts her own personality in the process. Like her early Reprise solo work,...Read more