Track Listing

1. I Love Being Here With You
2. Some Cats Know
3. I Wanna Be Loved
4. He's A Tramp
5. Black Coffee
6. It's A Good Day
7. Why Don't You Do Right
8. Fever
9. I Don't Know Enough About You
10. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
11. Where Can I Go Without You?
12. Is That All There Is?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #95587 in Music
• Published on: 2002-08-09
• Released on: 1999-03-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Fever: A Tribute to Peggy Lee is an album representation of the show of the same name that jazz vocalist Connie Evingson created for the Illusion Theatre in Minneapolis. It collects a variety of songs associated with Lee, from her early days with Benny Goodman ("Why Don't You Do Right") to her signature song, "Fever," to some of the many songs she wrote herself ("I Love Being Here with You," "It's a Good Day," "I'm Gonna Go Fishing," Lady and the Tramp's "He's a Tramp"). A solid vocalist, Evingson won't make anyone forget Lee, but that's not the point here. Fever is nothing less than a pleasure. --David Horiuchi

About the Artist
same as item #1

Performers
Connie Evingson: vocals Sandford Moore: piano Terry Burns: bass Phil Hey, Nathan Norman: drums Reuben Ristrom, Joan Griffith: guitar Dave Karr: tenor saxophone, flute

Customer Reviews

Connie delivers...
Connie offers up a good selection of Peggy Lee songs on this tribute album, and puts her own spin on the songs without being disrespectful to the image or style of Lee. In short, that is what a tribute album should be all about, and Connie delivers in spades.

"Some Cats Know" is the title track of another Connie Evingson album, and again here she offers up the tune in a slow and sizzling (and sexy), way. "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" is done in a more sprightly, but no less smoky way. "I Don't Know Enough About You" is again, typical of Connie's style.

"He's A Tramp" and "Fever" are of course Peggy Lee standards. She owned these songs in a way few artists can ever hope to own a song as their signature tune. Dino had "Return to Me", for example, and it just sounds wrong coming from someone else. Connie does quite well on both tunes here, again, putting her own spin on the Lee classics while not straying too far from the sound Lee fans remember.

The only poor choice here would have to be "Is That All There Is?" Peggy Lee could make it work perfectly. I've never really cared for the song anyway, but Connie is too young, and perhaps even too innocent, to pull off the world-weary sound required for this song.

Other than that, the CD is rich with Connie's wonderful vocals, and the accompaniment is great. Don't listen to the naysayers. Try this one out.

Tribute to Miss Lee falters
Miss Evingson's lithe, restrainted, clear voice is a nice listen, but she falters in this tribute to Peggy Lee , who was a perfectionist when it came to just about everything on her recordings. Everything from the song selection to orchestrations seems off on this outing. "Is that all there is?" comes across as a plodding hokey reworking of Lee's life long question and it lacks Lee's ambivalence. "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" included here is also out of place and the Peggy-penned "I Love Being Here with You" comes complete with a clunky clarinet solo and lacks Lee's easy going sultry styling. Evingson, however, should not be faulted for paying tribute to Miss Lee, though her attempt, while admirable, doesn't measure up.

A Well-Crafted Tribute
Connie Evingson's cd, Fever, is truly a tribute to Peggy Lee that foregoes the notion of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. While not straying far from the jazz style used by Ms. Lee, Ms. Evingson puts her own stamp on these classic tunes, singing them with the high level of craftsmanship they deserve. Evingson does an excellent job in enunciating the lyric and bringing across the mood of the song whether it be soulful, sultry, or sunny. Her musicians provide excellent backing, in particular Dave Karr on the reeds.