Boswell Sisters

Hailing from New Orleans, the Boswell Sisters brought female harmony to jazz about a decade before the Andrews Sisters. Their more closely contemporary rivals were the Pickens Sisters and the Three X Sisters. Among musical associates with whom they worked were such as Benny Goodman, Carl Kress, Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti.

A highly sophisticated group musically speaking, the Sisters consisted of Connie (1907-76), Martha (1905-58) and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell (1911-88). Connie (or Connee from Constance) studied classical cello as a youth, Martha piano and Vet violin. Most of the uncredited piano below is performed by Martha. Connee later applied herself to saxophone, Vet to banjo. Performing professionally as teenagers, they generally arranged themselves with Connee and Martha at piano and Vet standing behind in between since Connee had been wheel-chair bound since age three due to some combination of accident and polio.

DAHR and Tom Lord's jazzography trace recordings by the Boswells to as early as 22 March 1925 in New Orleans for unissued tracks of 'You Can Call Me Baby All the Time' and 'Pal o' Mine'. Also gone down was 'I'm Gonna Cry' featuring Connee issued on Victor acoustic 19693. Three days later 'Dad' went down unissued w 'Nights When I Am Lonely' released flip to Victor 19693. We note here the major shift in modern recording from acoustic to electric, for Victor electric 19693 was 'The Whole World Is Dreaming of Love' by the Benson Orchestra [ODP/ Red Hot Jazz]. Acoustic recording for the last 35 years had sold a lot of scratchy cylinders and discs, but that was a small change "ka-" compared to the "-boom" of electric recording. Hugely improved fidelity now impressed artists previously demurring to record due to unreal sound. Radio transcription and live recording at venues beyond the studio were now possible as not before, and the record industry exploded as more people heard reason to buy them.

The Boswells then toured as a vaudeville act to end up in Los Angeles in 1929 [Wikipedia] where they recorded numerous radio transcriptions by Continental in Hollywood. Lord's sessionography begins its incomplete list of those per #3041 circa April of 1930 for titles like 'South Sea Rose', tracking to #4136 containing such as 'We're on the Highway to Heaven'. The latter also went down on 20 July for the film, 'Oh Sailor Behave!', backed by the Jackie Taylor Orchestra issued on Victor 22500.

A couple sessions on October 3 and 31 of 1930 wrought such as 'Gee But I'd Like to Make You Happy' / 'Don't Tell Him What Happened to Me' (Okeh 41470). Moving to New York City in 1930 [Wikipedia], the sisters there worked in radio for a couple years with CBS. Lord has their initial tracks in NYC on 19 March 1931 for 'Wha'd Ja Do to Me?' / 'When I Take My Sugar to Tea' (Brunswick 6083). They were supported on that by Jack Purvis (trumpet), Tommy Dorsey (trombone), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet / alto sax), Chauncey Morehouse (drums) and others unknown.

On 22 of May 1931 the Boswells put up 'I Found a Million-Dollar Baby' toward Brunswick 6128, probably their best-selling title if not 'Gems from George White's Scandals' (Brunswick 20102) issued later that year with Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers to reach #3 on the popularity charts. The Boswells themselves placed twelve titles in the Top Ten from 1931 to 1938 among which 'The Object of My Affection' topped the charts at #1 in 1935:

   I Found a Million-Dollar Baby   #3 1931
   It's the Girl   #9 1931
   Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On   #7 1931
   When I Take My Sugar to Tea   #6 1931
   Was That the Human Thing to Do?   #7 1932
   Rock and Roll   #7 1934
   Alexander's Ragtime Band   #9 1935
   Cheek to Cheek   #10 1935
   Dinah   #3 1935
   The Object of My Affection   #1 1935
   I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter   #3 1936
   Alexander's Ragtime Band   #4 1938

Connee was supported on 27 July 1931 in NYC by Martha, Manny Klein (trumpet), Tommy Dorsey (trombone), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet), Harry Hoffman (violin), Dick McDonough (guitar), Joe Tarto (bass) and Chauncey Morehouse (drums / vibes) toward 'What Is It?' backed by 'I'm All Dressed Up with a Broken Heart' issued in her own name on Brunswick 6162. The Sisters performed on the 'Baker's Chocolate Show' for NBC at least a couple of times at the end of the year.

The Boswells appeared in the film 'Close Farm-ony' released in January of 1932. Among Connee's best-selling titles apart from the Boswells was 'Say It Isn't So' gone down on 10 September 1932 which reached #10 on the popularity charts. Martha also held engagements beyond the Sisters, such as the unissued 'Bugle Call Rag' gone down the same day of 10 September 1932 in the orchestra of Victor Young on 10 September 1932, that eventually released by Jazz Oracle on a Dorsey Brothers compilation (Vol 4). Lord has Martha as "probably" on 11 April 1933 with an ARC studio band called Owen Fallon and his Californians toward 'Keep Looking Forward' (Banner 32756). Along with vocalist, Dick Robertson, that band consisted of Bunny Berigan (trumpet), Tommy Dorsey (trombone), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet), Dick McDonough (guitar), Artie Bernstein (bass) and Larry Gomar (drums).

The Boswell Sisters made their last recordings together on February 12, 1936: 'Let Yourself Go' and 'I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket' (Decca 709). Connie had featured with the Sisters before recording numerous solo titles with various bands backed by Martha at piano but Vet out, the latter retiring to her new husband. Martha retired to marriage as well half a year later while Connee continued her solo career.

After her sisters retired Connee released her highly popular 'On the Beach at Bali-Bali' the same year, that to reach #3 on the charts. Another rendition of 'Bob White' with Bing Crosby topped the charts in 1937. Connee hovered high on the charts into the forties. 'If I Give My Heart to You' reached Billboard's #10 as late as September of 1954. Titles which Connee placed in the Top Ten apart from the Boswells from 1932 to 1954 equal ten:

   Say It Isn't So   #10 1932
   On the Beach at Bali-Bali   #3 1936
   Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) w Bing Crosby   #1 1937
   Whispers in the Dark   #9 1937
   Alexander's Ragtime Band w Bing Crosby   #1 1938
   I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart   #5 1938
   An Apple for the Teacher w Bing Crosby   #2 1939
   On the Isle of May   #3 March 1940
   Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! w Russ Morgan & His Orchestra   #9 Feb 1946
   If I Give My Heart to You   #10 Sep 1954

'On the Beach at Bali-Bali'   Connie Boswell

Session 9 June 1936 in NYC   61148-A   Decca 829   Charts: #3

Bob Crosby & His Orchestra

Trumpet: Yank Lawson / Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy

Trombone: Ward Silloway / Warren Smith

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Eddie Miller / Matty Matlock / Noni Bernardi / Gil Rodin / Deane Kincaide

Piano: Bob Zurke   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

String bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Ray Bauduc

Composition: Al Sherman / Jack Meskill / Abner Silver

'Swing Me a Lullaby'   Connie Boswell

Session 9 June 1936 in NYC   61149-A   Decca 840

Bob Crosby & His Orchestra

Trumpet: Yank Lawson / Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy

Trombone: Ward Silloway / Warren Smith

Reeds (clarinet / sax): Eddie Miller / Matty Matlock / Noni Bernardi / Gil Rodin / Deane Kincaide

Piano: Bob Zurke   Guitar: Nappy Lamare

String bass: Bob Haggart   Drums: Ray Bauduc

Composition: Don Raye / Hughie Prince / Tom Waring

'Under a Falling Star'   Connie Boswell   Film

From 'Syncopation' directed by William Dieterle   Released 22 May 1942

Music: Leith Stevens   Lyrics: Rich Hall

'Stormy Weather'   Connie Boswell   Film

From 'Swing Parade of 1946' directed by Phil Karlson   Released 16 March 1946

Composition: Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler   1933

'Nobody's Sweetheart'   Connie Boswell   Television

'Ed Sullivan Show'   30 April 1950

Music: Billy Meyers / Elmer Schoebel   Lyrics: Gus Kahn / Ernie Erdman   1924

'Ain't Misbehavin''   Connie Boswell   Television

Art Ford 'Jazz Party' in NYC   Audio of 26 June 1958 does not sync w footage above

Bob Crosby & His Orchestra

Trumpet: Henry "Red" Allen / Buddy Iannone

Trombone: J.C. Higginbotham / Frank Higgins

Clarinet: Buster Bailey   Tenor sax:  Hal Singer

Piano: Willie the Lion Smith   Violin: Anthony Di Girolamo   Guitar: Chuck Wayne

Vibes: Harry Sheppard   String bass: Vinnie Burke   Drums: Cliff Leeman

Composition: Don Raye / Hughie Prince / Tom Waring

Music: Thomas "Fats" Waller / Harry Brooks   Lyrics: Andy Razaf   1929

The Boswell Sisters were finally inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. All three had long since died by then, Martha in Peekskill, New York, on 2 July of 1958, Connee in Manhattan on 11 October 1976, and Vet on 12 November 1988 also in Peekskill, New York.

The Boswell Legacy by Kyla Titus (CreateSpace 2014)

Connee Boswell: VIAF   World Cat