Nothing musical did more to spread the allure and sensuality of coffee quite like
Peggy Lee's "Black Coffee," so it makes perfect sense that Starbucks should make a collection of her material available.
Come Rain or Come Shine, released in 2010 and available in their stores or through their website, shows
Lee at her best, in all her many guises. Prime among them is the torch song singer -- and she was one of the originals. "Black Coffee," "Fever," and "Why Don't You Do Right?" displayed, early in the age of vocal pop, that a despairing, lovelorn singer could be a commercial force, and the efforts of
Lee and
Billie Holiday were soon taken up by an army of imitators (
Julie London prime among them). But
Peggy Lee excelled with a bright and happy standard as well, and "It's a Good Day" is one of the brightest, allowing
Lee to show off her gorgeous voice, hitting high notes with gusto, but also with control. Later, during the '60s, she became more flamboyant and turned in a few standards of the world-weary or been-everywhere woman: "Is That All There Is?" and "Big Spender."
Come Rain or Come Shine doesn't include all of her biggest hits -- substituting a few interesting rarities like "I'm Lookin' Out the Window" instead -- but it's a lengthy compilation of excellent material by one of the 20th century's greatest voices: a voice that rings true in any age.