Her husky, sensual voice and exquisitely cool readings of pop standards distinguished her singing, but Lee Wiley went on to earn notice as one of the best early jazz singers by recognizing the distinct qualities of American popular song and organizing a set of songs around a common composer or theme -- later popularized as the songbook or concept LP. She was also a songwriter in her own right, if one more respected in the jazz community than the popular one. While her career spanned several decades, her most prolific recording period was in the '50s; Wiley appeared on record just once between the end of the decade and her death in 1975.