Boswell Sisters
The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras, consisting of three sisters: Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 – July 2, 1958), Connie Boswell (later spelled "Connee", December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976), and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell (May 20, 1911 – November 12, 1988). Hailing from uptown New Orleans, the group blended intricate harmonies and song arrangements featuring effects such as scat, instrumental imitation, ‘Boswellese’ gibberish, tempo and meter changes, major/minor juxtaposition, key changes, and incorporation of sections from other songs. They attained national prominence in the United States in the 1930s during the twilight of the Jazz Age and the onset of the Great Depression. After the trio split in 1936, Connie continued as a solo vocalist in radio, film, and later television for an additional quarter century. The trio's "unique singing style and ground-breaking arrangements fused 'blackness' and 'whiteness' in music," and their collaborations with "the preeminent white swing musicians of their day—the Dorsey Brothers, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang, Artie Shaw, Victor Young, Bunny Berigan—had a profound effect on the development of the big band sound in the 1930s." When assessing their legacy, scholars claim the Boswell Sisters "made 'real' jazz commercially viable, destigmatizing the music and opening its appreciation to the wider American public." |
Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1925, Died Ceased 1935
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1936
Roles Represented in DAHR: Vocal group
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 40 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-32113 | 10-in. | 3/22/1925 | You can call me baby all the time | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
Victor | B-32123 | 10-in. | 3/25/1925 | Dad | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
Victor | B-32124 | 10-in. | 3/25/1925 | Nights when I am lonely | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
Victor | B-32132 | 10-in. | 3/22/1925 | Pal o' mine | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
Victor | PBVE-54882 | 10-in. | 7/20/1930 | We're on the highway to heaven | Boswell Sisters ; Jackie Taylor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal chorus | Vocal group | |
Victor | PBVE-54885 | 10-in. | 7/20/1930 | That's what I like about you | Jackie Taylor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal chorus | Vocal group | |
OKeh | W404407 | 10-in. | 10/3/1930 | My future just passed | The Three Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
OKeh | W404408 | 10-in. | 10/3/1930 | Heebie jeebies | The Three Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
OKeh | W404409 | 10-in. | 10/3/1930 | I'm yours | The Three Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
OKeh | W404410 | 10-in. | 10/3/1930 | Gee, but I'd like to make you happy | The Three Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
OKeh | W404414 | 10-in. | 10/31/1930 | Don’t tell her what's happened to me | The Three Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with piano | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36491 | 10-in. | 3/19/1931 | Wha’d ja do to me? | Boswell Sisters ; The Dorsey Brothers | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36492 | 10-in. | 3/19/1931 | When I take my sugar to tea | Boswell Sisters ; The Dorsey Brothers | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36654 | 10-in. | 4/23/1931 | Roll on, Mississippi, roll on | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36655 | 10-in. | 4/23/1931 | Shout, Sister, shout | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36724 | 10-in. | 5/22/1931 | Sing a little jingle | The Brunswick Orchestra [Victor Young Orchestra] ; Victor Young | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | XE36821 | 12-in. | 6/26/1931 | I surrender, dear | Brunswick Concert Orchestra | Orchestra, with mixed vocal quartet | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | XE36822 | 12-in. | 6/26/1931 | Star dust | Brunswick Concert Orchestra ; Victor Young | Orchestra, with female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36825 | 10-in. | 5/22/1931 | Sing a little jingle | The Brunswick Orchestra [Victor Young Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio (scat) | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36826 | 10-in. | 5/22/1931 | I found a million dollar baby (In a five and ten cent store) | The Brunswick Orchestra [Victor Young Orchestra] ; Victor Young | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36911 | 10-in. | 7/8/1931 | It’s the girl! | Boswell Sisters ; Dorsey Brothers Orchestra | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E36912 | 10-in. | 7/8/1931 | It’s you | Boswell Sisters ; Dorsey Brothers Orchestra | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E37080 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | Makin’ faces at the man in the moon | Boswell Sisters ; The New Yorkers [Bill Challis Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E37082 | 10-in. | 8/17/1931 | I can’t write the words | Boswell Sisters ; The New Yorkers [Bill Challis Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
Brunswick | E37112 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Shine on, harvest moon | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | Vocal group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Boswell Sisters," accessed November 4, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103494.
Boswell Sisters. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103494.
"Boswell Sisters." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 4 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: The Boswell Sisters
Discogs: Boswell Sisters
Allmusic: Boswell Sisters
Apple Music: Boswell Sisters
IMDb: Boswell Sisters
Britannica: Boswell Sisters
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Boswell Sisters - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82024090
Wikidata: The Boswell Sisters - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q894612
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/137149338
MusicBrainz: The Boswell Sisters - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/41e2d679-43a3-4b9b-8469-ce748ad7b1ca
ISNI: 0000 0001 0724 1091 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000107241091
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