With help from producer
David Cavanaugh and a variety of top-rate arrangers (
Quincy Jones,
Ralph Carmichael,
Bill Holman,
Johnny Mandel),
Peggy Lee reprised 11 of her greatest performances (including several of her own compositions) on the 1967 album
Extra Special! Though the sound is a bit polished and pop-oriented,
Lee shines on this mix of ballads ("The Shining Sea," "Oh! You Crazy Moon," "When He Makes Music") and playful numbers ("So What's New?," "A Doodlin' Song," her own "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'").
Lee's voice isn't quite as strong as it had been earlier in the decade, and the uptempo numbers are padded with organ and other effects, but
Extra Special! is a solid, enjoyable album by a vocalist entering her fourth decade of performance. ~ John Bush