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: 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 51-59 of 59 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | B13467 | 10-in. | 6/15/1933 | Swanee mammy | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
| Brunswick | B15255 | 10-in. | 5/23/1934 | The Darktown Strutters' Ball | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio | Vocal group | |
| Decca | 60029 | 10-in. | 10/8/1935 | Top hat, white tie and tails | Boswell Sisters | Vocal group | ||
| Decca | 60030 | 10-in. | 10/8/1935 | Cheek to cheek | Boswell Sisters | Vocal group | ||
| Decca | 60302 | 10-in. | 1/6/1936 | I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter | Boswell Sisters | Vocal group | ||
| Decca | 60303 | 10-in. | 1/6/1936 | The music goes 'round and around | Boswell Sisters | Vocal group | ||
| Decca | 60463 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | Let yourself go | Boswell Sisters | Vocal group | ||
| Decca | 60464 | 10-in. | 2/12/1936 | I'm putting all my eggs in one basket | Boswell Sisters | Vocal group | ||
| ARC | 13223 | 10-in. | 4/11/1933 | Shuffle off to Buffalo | Boswell Sisters | Female vocal trio | Vocal group |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Boswell Sisters," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103494.
Boswell Sisters. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103494.
"Boswell Sisters." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
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 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82024090
Wikidata: The Boswell Sisters - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q894612
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/137149338
MusicBrainz: The Boswell Sisters - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/41e2d679-43a3-4b9b-8469-ce748ad7b1ca
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/565412 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/565412
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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