A reissue that is miles ahead of any previous version of the album. When originally released in 1959, it was described as a "live" album. However, the actual live recording was unusable due to technical problems, so the songs were re-recorded in a studio and the audience reaction was artificially created. This reissue uses the original studio session tapes, eliminating the phony audience and the announcements before each song, so it's pure music. Ron McMaster, an engineer respected by many Peggy Lee fans, remastered this album using 24-bit super mapping. Blue Note is so happy with the results that the Beauty and the Beat! CD album presently being sold in the U.S. and Europe will be deleted from EMI's catalog (and thus may eventually be a collector's item). This version, being released first in Japan, is tentatively set for a U.S. release in September of 2003.

Please note: If ordering from HMV/Japan via the above link, be sure to order the 2002 version (listed under "Peggy Lee") rather than the 1992 version (listed under "Peggy Lee/George Shearing").