Question about Peggy Lee-June Christy set.

[Bol]

Vocal jazz is usually not my thing, but Peggy Lee has been an exception. I really like the tracks that she sings on in the Benny Goodman small group sessions. So, I've been thinking about getting the Lee-Christy set. Now, I've just read that Derek Bailey really liked Dave Barbour, and that Bailey was sorry that Barbour left the music scene and stopped playing altogether when he and Lee became a wild success. So, I was wondering, how prominent is Barbour's guitar in this Mosaic set? Thanks in advance for your answers.

[jazzbo]

Bol, pretty prominent really. A lot of it is small group stuff centered on his guitar. . . other guitars present too. . . I think you'd dig it, especially if you like those Benny appearances by Peggy. She's just such a wonderful singer. . . I resisted her a long time but now I've become sort of a nutty Lee completist. . . .

In the Mosaic set there's nice stuff by Christy too, another singer I've come to love.

(I'm tipping my hat to Rob Green, infrequent poster here, who has helped me navigate through the recordings of Peggy and June!)

[Dave James]

Wasn't Barbour married to Lee at the time? That would make it a family affair. Seriously, though, he's on a all the Lee cuts, even those with the Frank DeVol orchestra. Certainly less prominent there than on the quartet sessions where he, necessarily, plays a larger role. All of discs III-V fall into the smaller group category.

It took me awhile to warm up to this set, as I'm not one who's all that much into jazz vocals, but this one is definitely a keeper.

Up over and out.

[Larry Kart]

Wasn't Barbour married to Lee at the time?

Yes.

[Randy Twizzle]

Here's a Peggy and Dave scandal from 1950.

[Brad]

Tomorrow's NYT Book Review has an article about a new book about her.

[Jazzmoose]

I would imagine it's hard to even find new tricks once you've been spayed...

[ghost of miles]

Wasn't Barbour married to Lee at the time?

Yes.

Very sad story, too--they were very much in love, but Barbour supposedly asked her to divorce him because he could not overcome his alcoholism, and he did not want their child to see him struggling with it. Barbour eventually did manage to become sober and stayed that way for the rest of his life. According to Lee, they had just decided to re-marry when he died of a heart attack in 1965.

I second Lon's remarks about the box--and it's mostly Peggy, btw (the Christy, which I also enjoy, accounts for less than one and a half CDs, if I recall correctly.)

[jazzbo]

Yes, just one and a half cds of June on that set.

If you want just a taste or a teaser of the Lee material, there's a short cd with some of these great sides. . .

[Jazzmoose]

This is one of the Mosaics I just couldn't part with, and it's purely on the strength of the Peggy Lee sides. The Christy stuff leaves me cold for the most part, but I just can't give up this Peggy Lee stuff!