One of the very surprising things about the collective knowledge on this board is the true appreciation of vintage
jazz. In that spririt, I've recently started to listen to a few of Boswell Sisters recordings. Here is a quote from
All Music guide:
All Music.com wrote: The Boswell Sisters Formed 1925 in USA Disbanded 1936
Group Members Helvetia "Vet" Boswell Martha Boswell
by John Bush
Definitely the most talented and arguably the all-around best jazz vocal group of all time, the Boswell Sisters parlayed
their New Orleans upbringing into a swinging delivery that featured not only impossibly close harmonies, but countless
maneuvers of vocal gymnastics rarely equalled on record. Connee (sometimes Connie), Helvetia (Vet), and Martha Boswell
grew up singing together, soaking up Southern gospel and blues through close contact with the black community. They
first performed at vaudeville houses around the New Orleans area, and began appearing on local radio by 1925. At first,
they played strictly instrumentals, with Connee on cello, saxophone and guitar; Martha on piano; and Vet on violin,
banjo, and guitar. The station began featuring them in a vocal setting as well, with Connee taking the lead on many
songs (despite a childhood accident that had crippled her and left her in a wheelchair).
Word of their incredible vocal talents led to appearances in Chicago and New York, and the Boswell Sisters began
recording in 1930 for Victor. By the following year, they'd moved to Brunswick and reached the Hit Parade with "When I
Take My Sugar to Tea," taken from the Marx Brothers' film Monkey Business and featuring the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in
support. The trio continued to work with many of the best jazzmen in the field (including Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, and
Bunny Berigan), and appeared in the 1932 film extravaganza The Big Broadcast with Bing Crosby and Cab Calloway. The
Boswell Sisters hit the top of the Hit Parade only once, in 1935, with "The Object of My Affection" from the film Times
Square Lady. One year later however, both Martha and Vet retired from the group in favor of married life.
Connee had already made a few solo sides for Brunswick as early as 1932, and she continued her solo career in earnest
after the Boswell Sisters parted. She hit number one twice during the late '30s, with the Bing Crosby duets "Bob White
(Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and continued recording into the '60s.
Here are a couple of web reference pages for them:
http://www.boswellmuseum.org/
http://www.singers.com/jazz/vintage/boswell.html
My question to all of you, have you played them for dance events? If so do you have particular favorite CD?
We have at the radio station, what looks to be a marvelous 4 CD Set: On Nostalgia Arts CD NOCD 3009
Any comments?