Search - Peggy Lee :: Trav'Lin Light

In 1949, her stardom established, Peggy Lee and husband-guitarist Dave Barbour's Quartet recorded the last of an ongoing series of transcriptions (recordings made solely for radio airplay) for Capitol Records. Drawing from her onstage repertoire, the loose, easygoing performances that comprise Trav'lin' Light reflected her total familiarity with the material. Gently caressing the title tune--taken from her idol Billie Holiday's book, Lee gave it a light, wistful touch unlike Holiday's original. While she simply had fun with the 1920s chestnuts "Save Your Sorrow for Tomorrow" and Sophie Tucker's "I Ain't Got Nobody," on other performances much was going on beneath the surface. Consider "Oh! You Crazy Moon." A model of sensual vulnerability? Certainly. But Lee's ability to relax the rhythm as she sang remains fascinating to hear, as does her interplay with Barbour on "You're Driving Me Crazy" and the bouncy, economical "Fine and Dandy." This delightful collection provides not only an intimate glimpse at Lee in her ascendancy, it serves as overdue homage to Barbour, whose tangy, inventive solos and tasteful accompaniment ratify his status as her ultimate musical collaborator. --Rich Kienzle