Shall We Swing a Little?

Beegie Adair: I Love Being With You - A Jazz Tribute to Peggy Lee (2011)

Beegie Adair's latest album is I Love Being Here With You: A Jazz Piano Tribute To Peggy Lee. The album contains 13 tracks which include both well known and lesser known selections from Lee's work.

Adair describes her motivation in recording the CD in her Amazon.com product description saying:

"One of my favorite memories from my childhood is listening to my parents' favorite recordings and watching them dance on the kitchen floor. I heard Peggy Lee on my mother's phonograph when she was with Benny Goodman, and then with Dave Barbour, and I always knew she was special. I followed her career throughout my college and professional years, and I kept learning more and more. There was Peggy Lee the songwriter, raising the bar very high for future singer-songwriters. There was the Oscarnominated actress, playing the sad and wonderful Rose in "PETE KELLY'S BLUES", swinging hard with "Sugar" one minute, then breaking our hearts with "He Needs Me", about love that never was. There was Peg, the Veronica Lake-styled Cocker Spaniel, singing "He's A Tramp", from "THE LADY AND THE TRAMP", for which she wrote several tunes. And always the pivotal albums, lots of hits and lots of success, but each time breaking boundaries, like "Black Coffee", which proved to everyone that she was one of the great jazz singers. Then there was the superb "Beauty And The Beat", recorded live in Miami with the electrifying George Shearing Quintet, possibly the most descriptive collection of songs that say "Peggy Lee" If I have to leave in a hurry for a tropical isle, Peggy Lee's music will be in my carry-on!

On a personal note, I was delighted when I actually got to meet and work with Peggy Lee when she was a guest on the JOHNNY CASH SHOW on ABC, and I was the pianist. We spent a nice afternoon between takes, chatting about mutual musician friends. She was gracious and kind to me, and very regal.

So this is my tribute, and I hope, a portrait of the many facets of Peggy Lee. Some of her less well-known material turns out to be some of herbest, so we've tried to include those along with some of her hits. I know that she had to believe in every song she sang or the song didn't get recorded. When you look at the tune list, I hope you'll think "Peggy Lee". I know I do.

And now, as Miss Lee said to Mr. Shearing, a little sentence I repeat to my rhythm section right before we step out on stage; "Shall we swing a little?"

-Beegie Adair
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