Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons, The Savoy Orpheans - Her 26 finest 1932-1941 (Remastered 2022) (2023) [Hi-Res]

Lenner was a big-band singer in an era when big bands dominated the musical landscape. She was extremely popular with audiences who heard her live, on the radio or via one of the 150 records she made, mostly with Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Orpheans.

Born in Aylestone, a suburb of Leicester, in 1912 as Violet Green, she was one of eight children sired by Arthur Green, who played on variety bills as Tom Lenner, and saw five of his children follow him into the profession. By the early 30s Anne was singing in such London clubs as Jack’s, the Cabaret and Murray’s. It was in the latter that Carroll Gibbons heard her and was sufficiently impressed by her singing to invite her to make a record with him and the small group he called his Boyfriends, at which no one raised an eyebrow.

Gibbons was the US-born leader of the well-known Savoy Orpheans, and against the wishes of the hotel management he signed Lenner to a three-year contract (which turned into seven) calling for her to sing with the band in the Savoy hotel and on radio – the Orpheans broadcast on 2LO, which was transmitted by the BBC, but the Boyfriends (and Anne) also recorded on Radio Luxembourg, for both Hartley’s Jam and the Ovaltineys, where Lenner became famous as “Auntie Anne”.

So far as the voice goes, I confess total ignorance of Ms Lenner until I was assigned this CD. As a band singer in that era she had no control over her repertoire, performing strictly the songs of the day and it’s gratifying to note that of 26 selections, 22 proved durable, with only four being ephemeral. The arrangements are strictly stock, and lack only the measured tones of Victor Sylvester urging “slow, slow, quick, quick, slow”. All the same, there’s a definite charm about this album, redolent of a bygone day replete with Brief Encounter ambience, Boots Book-Lovers’ Library and the like. ~ Leon Nock

Tracklist:
1.01 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends - I’ll Never Be the Same (Remastered 2022) (3:02)
1.02 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (From "Roberta") [Remastered 2022] (2:50)
1.03 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends - Heat Wave (From "As Thousands Cheer) [Remastered 2022] (2:27)
1.04 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends - I’ll See You Again (From "Bitter Sweet") [Remastered 2022] (3:13)
1.05 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends - Dinah (From "The New Plantation Revue") [Remastered 2022] (3:05)
1.06 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Carroll Gibbons & His Boy Friends - Messengers (Remastered 2022) (4:07)
1.07 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Brian Lawrance, The Savoy Orpheans - I’ve Got a Feeling You’re Fooling (From "Broadway Melody Of 1936") [Remastered 2022] (2:44)
1.08 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Brian Lawrance, The Savoy Orpheans - Let’s Face the Music and Dance (From "Follow the Fleet") [Remastered 2022] (3:03)
1.09 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Take My Heart (Remastered 2022) (3:03)
1.10 - Carroll Gibbons, George Melachrino, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Shall We Dance? (From "Shall We Dance?") [Remastered 2022] (2:39)
1.11 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Whispers in the Dark (From "Artists and Models") [Remastered 2022] (3:14)
1.12 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Deep in a Dream (Remastered 2022) (3:10)
1.13 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Heaven Can Wait (Remastered 2022) (2:56)
1.14 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - And the Angels Sing (Remastered 2022) (3:04)
1.15 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Eric Whitley, The Savoy Orpheans - What’s New? (Remastered 2022) (3:05)
1.16 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Day In, Day Out (Remastered 2022) (3:03)
1.17 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - My Heart Belongs to Daddy (From "Leave It to Me") [Remastered 2022] (3:08)
1.18 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, Eric Whitley, The Savoy Orpheans - Scatterbrain (Remastered 2022) (3:25)
1.19 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - This Can’t Be Love (From "The Boys from Syracuse") [Remastered 2022] (2:31)
1.20 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - I Get a Kick out of You (From "Anything Goes") [Remastered 2022] (3:00)
1.21 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - My Heart Stood Still - With a Song in My Heart (From "One Dam Thing After Another") [Remastered 2022] (3:12)
1.22 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - All the Things You Are (From "Very Warm for May") [Remastered 2022] (2:49)
1.23 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Ferryboat Serenade (Remastered 2022) (2:58)
1.24 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Only Forever (From "Rhythm on the River") [Remastered 2022] (3:17)
1.25 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Do I Love You, Do I? (Remastered 2022) (2:45)
1.26 - Carroll Gibbons, Anne Lenner, The Savoy Orpheans - Goodnight, My Love (From "Stowaway") [Remastered 2022] (3:19)