The Boswell Sisters
The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio. They were 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). They came 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 were famous in the United States in the 1930s at the end of the Jazz Age and the start 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, Eddie Lang, Artie Shaw, Victor Young, and Bunny Berigan—had a big effect on the development of the big band sound in the 1930s.[1]
They recorded a song called Rock and Roll in 1933.[2]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Von Schilling, James A. (2008). "Hearing the Boswell Sisters". Popular Music and Society. 31 (2): 191–200. doi:10.1080/03007760701859049. S2CID 219729136.
- ↑ Cheal, David (2015-11-13). "Was Rocket 88 the first rock'n'roll record?". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-09-02.