Blues Cross Country

Blues Cross Country is a 1962 studio album by Peggy Lee, principally arranged by Quincy Jones, with some arrangements by Benny Carter. The album can be described as a concept album, consisting of a musical journey across the United States through swinging blues songs, many of which were written by Lee with other contributors.[1]

Blues Cross Country
Studio album by
Peggy Lee
Released1962
Recorded1962
GenreVocal jazz
Length36:24
LabelCapitol ST 1671
ProducerMilt Gabler
Peggy Lee chronology
If You Go
(1961)		 Blues Cross Country
(1962)		 Bewitching-Lee
(1962)

Blues Cross Country was the second of Lee's two albums featuring arrangements by Jones. He had also arranged her previous studio album, If You Go (1961).

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

Blues Cross Country received good reviews at the time of its release from both Billboard magazine in March 1962, and TIME magazine in May 1962.[3] Billboard wrote that "Peggy's back, and this time in a blues mood - with sad blues, happy blues and swinging blues. She sings them in her own delightful style aided muchly by the fine arrangements of ork [sic] leader Quincy Jones...The album's a gas".[4]

The Allmusic review by William Ruhlmann awarded the album four stars and commented that "Though Jones' arrangements are often a touch brassier than the blues standards can handle, Lee contributes just the right blend of vigor and feeling to the songs"[1]

Track listing
  1. "Kansas City" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:29
  2. "Basin Street Blues" (Spencer Williams) - 3:04
  3. "Los Angeles Blues" (Peggy Lee, Quincy Jones) - 2:38
  4. "I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City" (Johnny Lange, Leon Rene) - 2:53
  5. "The Grain Belt Blues" (Lee, Milt Raskin, Bill Schugler) - 1:52
  6. "New York City Blues" (Jones, Lee) - 3:21
  7. "Goin' to Chicago Blues" (Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing) - 2:37
  8. "San Francisco Blues" (Lee, Raskin) - 2:37
  9. "Fisherman's Wharf" (Lee, Raskin) - 3:11
  10. "Boston Beans" (Lee, Raskin, Schugler) - 2:05
  11. "The Train Blues" (Jones, Lee) - 2:42
  12. "Saint Louis Blues" (W. C. Handy) - 2:15
Bonus tracks issued on the 1999 CD release
  1. "Hey, Look Me Over!" (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) - 1:55
  2. "The Shining Sea" (Lee, Johnny Mandel) - 2:45

Personnel

References
  1. Ruhlmann, William. "Blues Cross Country". Allmusic. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Time Inc (11 May 1962). LIFE. Time Inc. ISSN 0024-3019.
  4. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (17 March 1962). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510.
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