Search - Peggy Lee :: Jump for Joy

Jump For Joy: finally in stereo!

Rick | Sydney Australia | 07/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For many reasons, the stereo version of an album isn't necessarily an improvement on the mono version. One should be apprehensive of a fifty year-old album recorded essentially for a mono analog market, featuring a non-belting vocalist pitched against a very showy orchestra. As a mono album "Jump For Joy" will always pale in comparison to the Sinatra / Riddle collaborations of the same era, but as a stereo album on CD it's nothing short of a revelation. Apart from some sweet serendipity, why should this be so?



"Stereo" is simply defined simply as spatial placement of instruments within a sound-field. "Width" and "separation" should not be evident in good stereo because they're irrelevant; and Capitol's engineers scored a coup with the stereo recording of "Jump For Joy". The largish orchestra is placed and recorded intelligently across the entire right/left spectrum, with the vocals upfront, and beautifully centered.



The picture is as true stereo as I've ever heard. Balance is admirably achieved by centering the mainstay of Riddle's band - the brass - in the center, with percussion slightly left, and horns slightly right. Strings are not obviously panned, and this works extremely well. The configuration is absolutely consistent across the entire album, which is vital in creating an album for listening to as an album, rather than a collection of recordings. Alan Silverman's mix and master of "Jump For Joy" is outstandingly excellent, and doesn't err on the side of being "too tasteful", or too modernly compressed. Peggy Lee's forward vocals have rarely sounded so natural, and obviously meticulous care has been taken to ensure near-perfect pitch has been restored with very careful transfers. The few technical glitches are only notable inasmuch as there are so few.



"Jump For Joy" in stereo is a revelation because it represents a great vocalist confidently collaborating with a great orchestra. It's a delight to listen to both parties wittily breeze their way through a set of breezy tunes. In mono however, "Jump For Joy" is merely a good band backing a good singer. The first-time CD release of "Jump For Joy" in stereo features an excellent Will Friedwald essay which draws concusions about the Lee / Riddle partnership I disagree with, bonus tracks and comprehensive discographical information from Ivan Santiago."

A GENUINE REASON TO JUMP FOR JOY

Kenneth V. Barnes | Benfleet, Essex. U.K. | 07/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This new stereo mix of Peggy Lee's "Jump For Joy" is a long overdue pleasure that shouldn't be missed. While I agree with almost everything that Rick ( from Sydney,Australia ) has said about the sound balance and the placement of Nelson Riddle's fine orchestra, there are some tracks where the audio is decidedly lacking. Why, for example, is the front line so far in the background in "Four Or Five Times ?" And why make a secret of Harry Edison's muted trumpet on certain other tracks ?



I don't mean to sound churlish because this, in all other respects, is a truly gorgeous CD and DRG are to be congratulated for finally bringing it onto the market. Speaking as a musician and record producer myself, my criticisms of the audio balance are based on modern day digital standards. Had this album been made today, the singer and orchestra would be recorded on at least 24 tracks and with a wider choice of microphone placements which would afford the producer a greater variety of options when preparing a final mixdown. Since this album was recorded in 1957 - the year that stereo first appeared - and was captured "live" on just three tracks, it is a masterpiece of its time. Why ? Because some labels in that period - and Capitol were often guilty of this - offered albums where the singer was placed ( in isolation ) on the left and the entire orchestra on the right resulting in a dreadful hole-in-the-middle effect. Listen - if you can find them - to such albums as the original stereo release of the "High Society" soundtrack LP or the even more clumsy stereo mix of Count Basie's "The Atomic Mr. Basie" where some fool made the decision to place the rhythm section in one speaker and the rest of the orchestra- no kidding - in the other. Thank God we still have the mono version to give us a proper appreciation of those wonderful Neal Hefti charts which showed the Basie band at its best.



By these standards "Jump For Joy" is a revelation and is certainly one of the best examples extant of early stereo reproduction. I agree with Rick that Riddle's arrangements for Sinatra were more successful than his work here with Peggy Lee. With Sinatra he offered a springier and sprightlier quality that drove the singer to more dynamic results. This is not to say that his charts for Peggy are less appealing, but from time to time - though not too often - there is a "heaviness" that derives more from his attention to orchestral textures rather than to out-and-out swing.No one admires Riddle more than I and this effect is entirely intentional on his part, but it gives certain tracks more of a Las Vegas feel than the exciting jazz quality that I was hoping for.Of course, this is purely personal and jazz musicians-even those who played for Riddle -generally agree with this point.But Nelson Riddle was a unique artist, a perfectionist and a law unto himself. He took great pride in his work and it certainly shows. Who else but Riddle would think of taking "Just In Time" at such a leisurely tempo with such a large orchestra and elicit one of Peggy Lee's sexiest vocals ?



As for Peggy, she too was a law unto herself, and a natural swinger under any circumstances. She could hold an audience spellbound with her rhythmic poise even if the musicians failed to turn up. Her work on this album is perfection from start to finish. Perhaps, due to Rick's review, I have overstated the case, but - slight criticims not withstanding - I am delighted to see this album back in circulation, as it should be, in perfect period stereo.



One last major criticim - not of the recording but of the packaging - is that, while we have full details of the personnel and recording dates there is no mention anywhere of the composers and lyricists. Does this matter ? To me it does - and, I suspect, to everyone who loves quality popular music.



So there you have it. A genuine reason to jump for joy. A delightful teaming of two great artists in a great album restored to its former glory. I urge you to buy it.



"

About time!! - The Stereo Jump For Joy

R. GRACE | England | 07/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have to say I'm a little disappointed here in the remastering.



Take away the crackles from my own Stereo LP and that sounds much better. This new release and first release of Nelson & Peggy's masterpiece on CD in Stereo, subdues Nelson's wonderful counterpart saxophone writing on many of the tracks notably on the title track Jump For Joy.



The Bass is a touch heavy and Peggy's voice sounds a touch brighter than on the mono cd and my own Stereo LP.



Nevertheless, Its great to see this wonderful album in Stereo. Nelson was at his peak writing this album and ideas were pouring out of him.



How about of a release of Nelson's work on the TV series The Rogues (1964), with his wonderful composition "Latin Lady"."