Norma Deloris Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota
Capitol/Universal, 2022
8/10
Listen to Norma Deloris Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota
Originally released in 1972, this 50th Anniversary Edition of Peggy Lee’s 40th album comes with 7 bonus tracks that serves to enhance the experience of one of her most intimate records.
“Love Song” leads the listen with warm acoustic guitar and Lee’s poetic, soulful singing guiding the light brass and frisky drums, and “Razor (Love Me As I Am)” follows with a darker spirit that emits a timeless jazz demeanor with a unique rhythm and bright brass.
Further on in the original album, “Just For A Thrill” carries a romantic spirit that’s quite eloquent and benefits from gentle piano, while “The More I See You” flows with a dreaminess that’s packed with beauty and emotion.
Of the bonus tracks, “Pieces Of Dreams”, from a 45 single, benefits from stirring strings, twinkling percussion and well timed horns, and the alternate take of “Someone Who Cares” is particularly powerful and builds into a cathartic and soaring highlight.
Lee enjoyed a 7 decade career that included 13 Grammy Nominations and over 100 songs on the charts, the legend who was coined ‘the female Frank Sinatra’ paved the way for countless other female artists, and actually wrote songs, too, and this well received body of work sounds better than ever here.
Travels well with: Nina Simone- Little Blue Girl; Coniece Washington- Shades Of Shirley Horn