Alice Babs Meets Erwin Lehn (CD, Jazzhaus)

Alice Babs, the famous Swedish singer and actress, was mostly seen in the industry as the hit song ‘Sweden Girl’, known for the film of the same name, which was very popular in post-war Germany. But following her true passion, the vocalist repeatedly dared to venture into swinging and jazzing realms. This was also thanks to Erwin Lehn, who invited them to the microphones of his legendary Südfunk-Tanzorchester from 1952. That this was a more than good idea can be heard from the recordings that were made between 1952 and 1955 on various occasions in the studio of the Villa Berg in Stuttgart. On the one hand you can hear Alice Babs’ roots in European vocal culture, but on the other hand the presence and clarity of her interpretations is impressive. In each of the songs there is the smile of one’s own enthusiasm, which Erwin Lehn’s orchestra also lets acoustically shine. For this reason alone, these finds from the SWR archives are jewels of European swing history.