Ann Gilbert

We now have a set of standard songs sung by a classy singer that I've not heard of before so off I go to "Wikie" to see what I can find.

Discovered on Chicago's South Side, Ann Gilbert emerged briefly in the mid-'50s on the Groove label, RCA's blues/jazz subsidiary. She'd begun singing in church at the age of four and by ten, she was a regular on the radio program Young America Sings. She acted and sang in summer stock musicals and seemed destined for a career in classical music when jazz beckoned.  She began improvising at the piano and found that she preferred experimenting with music rather than the formality of classical study. Gilbert began singing in clubs, working as her own accompanist, and began building a reputation at clubs in Indianapolis and Chicago. In 1956, she got her big chance to record when she was signed to Groove Records by a talent scout passing through Chicago. 

In a Swingin' Mood pairs singer Ann Gilbert with arranger Elliot Lawrence, whose bold, buoyant charts keep the session every bit as lively as its title promises. Stock selections like "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Makin' Whoopee," and "Lover Come Back to Me" may not look particularly impressive on paper, but Gilbert's vocals are never anything less than heartfelt, yet remarkably free of pathos. A crack supporting unit featuring tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, altoist Hal McKusick, trumpeter Nick Travis, and trombonist Eddie Bert also contributes mightily to the album's effervescent spirit......(AllMusic Review by Jason Ankeny)

1. Lover Come Back To Me

2. What'll I Do

3. Someone To Watch Over Me

4. Makin' Whoopee

5. What Can I Say Dear After I Say I'm Sorry

6. Two Sleepy People

1. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street

2. Imagination

3. You Took Advantage Of Me

4. Back In Your Own Back Yard

5. Sweet And Lovely

6. Love Is Just Around The Corner

          10. Back In Your Own Back Yard