Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too) - Peggy Lee

Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too) - Peggy Lee
2:28
single, 1942
Written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Herb Morand, 1936

Irresistibly fun fact about this song: it is a rewritten version of a song by the Harlem Hamfats jazz band called "The Weed Smoker's Dream."  Here it's a chastisement of a man who can't get his act together.  "If you had prepared twenty years ago / You wouldn't be a-wanderin' from door to door."  Backed here by Benny Goodman's ace band, Lee gives us a vocal of cool, controlled seduction.  It's a torch song, but delivered with a playful yet steely vocal.  She delivers the lines with a mix of sultry restraint and quiet authority, not belting it out, but insinuating.  The phrasing is jazz-perfect: slightly behind the beat, full of nuance.

Jump For Joy - Peggy Lee

Jump For Joy - Peggy Lee

2:05

Jump For Joy, 1958

Written by Duke Ellington, Sid Kuller, and Paul Francis Webster

Title trax!

This is a hard-swinging pop-jazz track, carried along by bright brass, Nelson Riddle's exuberant arrangements, and Lee's own joyful, confident, smooth vocals.  In Lee's hands, the song is a playful yet sophisticated celebration of happiness and resilience. The arrangement is light and breezy, with a laid-back rhythm that complements her effortless phrasing.  It feels celebratory, upbeat, and absolutely timeless.

C'est Magnifique - Peggy Lee

C'est Magnifique - Peggy Lee

2:04
Latin ala Lee!, 1960

Written by Cole Porter, 1953

Lee's breathy vocals give this lesser Porter composition some Gallic oomph.  I like the way she puts on French airs, giving the otherwise silent e at the ends of "tragique" and "magnifique" their own syllables.  It's set to a loosely Latin beat.  Lounge jazz given a bit of pep in its step and a wink in its eye.