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Description
Peggy Lee's *Things Are Swingin'* arrives in 1959 as a crystalline snapshot of Capitol's post-*Big Spender* ambitions. The album, arranged and conducted with characteristic economy by Jack Marshall, finds Lee trading her late-'50s big-band frock coats for something leaner, more introspective. Recorded in Hollywood during spring 1958, the record captures a woman who has already tasted world wealiness and knows her worth. The title track-co-written by Lee and Marshall-becomes a signature standard, its swing feel understated rather than showy, a deliberate pivot away from the glitz that had previously defined her public persona.
Track selection reveals Lee's catholic taste and uncanny ear. She deftly interpolates Cole Porter's *Ridin' High* and Duke Ellington's *I'm Beginning to See the Light*, flanking them with self-composed offerings like "It's a Good, Good Night." The horn section-featuring a stellar trumpet quartet including Uan Rasey, Pete Candoli, and Don Fagerquist-provides textural warmth without overwhelming Lee's crystalline vocals. As *AllMusic* noted, "Scattered moments of brilliance abound," and indeed the album's quieter numbers like "Life Is for Livin'" demonstrate why Lee remains indispensable to the jazz canon. The 2004 CD reissue includes "Fever" as a bonus track, but purists would argue the title cut alone justifies the purchase.
Though it reached the top 20 on the Billboard 200 alongside *Jump for Joy* and *Beauty and the Beat!*, *Things Are Swingin'* is the lesser-known gem from this productive Capitol run. Its restraint is precisely what distinguishes it: a mature Lee, unburdened by commercial pressure, exploring the spaces between arrangements. For collectors of vinyl and vinyl's ghosts, this record represents a pivotal moment in her evolution from supper-club chanteuse to enduring jazz icon.
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**Citations:**
1. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_Are_Swingin%27">Wikipedia: Things Are Swingin'</a>
2. <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/things-are-swingin-mw0000338602">AllMusic: Things Are Swingin'</a>
3. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Lee_albums_discography">Wikipedia: Peggy Lee albums discography</a>
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