Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yowsah!, January 23, 2006
Without a doubt one of the best of all possible albums to begin your trip to Boz.
First track is s shocker: a 1925 acoustic recording of the Boswell Sisters first side. Consider that Vet, on the high voice, is all of 14 years old at the time - and that there were no retakes, balance, or even microphones as we know them now (they sang into little horns). Ride through this rough and tumble little ditty (complete with the Boswell's own personal language called "gibberish") and say to yourself "this is great for historical context but I bet it gets better".
And Lordy does it ever. The next track is "Heebie Jeebies", a Satchmo number that gets the Boswell tempo treatment and gives you your first exposure to the strutting contralto of Connie Boswell. This was their lucky song and you'll be feeling lucky to have bought this CD around this time.
If you had any doubt that you were about to have a great musical romp, add the Dorsey Brothers on "When I take My Sugar to Tea" and just strap yourself in. Don't be lulled into thinking you've hit a sentimental sappy in "Shine on Harvest Moon" as you ride through a chorus and verse straight and sweet as southern tea. Suddenly the Sisters break out the juice, change the tempo, throw out the melody and race toward the finish line. And baby, you are the winner.
If you don't feel like marching in a Mardi Gras parade after "We Got to Put the Sun Back in the Sky" you need a tonic.
And if by "Old Yazoo" you feel like you just went through all of Mardi Gras in 3-minutes - you've been Bozzed.
Not to worry. Your blood pressure will come down and your heart be rocked in the cradle of Southern loveliness by the time the CD comes to an end on "Dinah".
This is a superlative CD for the music afficianado who wants to dip into the refreshing, innovative and utterly joyful noise of the Boswell Sisters. Their incomparable sound shines here, and you are treated to some of the best jazzmen of the 30s like Bunny Berrigan, Joe Tarto, Joe Venutti, Eddy Lang and Manny Klein in what feels sometimes like one of the bestest, baddest jams in late night New York history.
John Lucas may have said it best in the October 15, 1944 cover story of Down Beat when he said of the Boswell Sisters "Since they were kids they've been singing licks instead of lyrics, and riffs in place of rhymes."
Get Bozzed!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected delights with diamonds scattered everywhere..., April 3, 2007
The Boswell Sisters, Connie, Martha and Helvetia, do not receive the fond memories that they deserve; they have unjustly been mostly forgotten. Fortunately, CDs like this one exist to demonstrate that they possessed remarkable talent. Just one listen to this CD proves that this trio was exceptionally facile at switching moods, tempo and keys all in the same song. They could scat very well, too.
The CD starts off with an early acoustic recording of "Nights When I Am Lonely." The surface noise is a bit bothersome but we get a good early glimpse at the sisters when they were young. This track proves that even at an early age The Boswell Sisters had tremendous singing abilities far beyond the realm of just any old sister act. They are already playing with the tempo as they sing "Nights When I Am Lonely."
"Heebies Jeebies," a Louis Armstrong number, gets the full Boswell treatment as we now hear them five years later with their voices matured. The sisters accentuate even the smallest syllables of the words "Heebies Jeebies" to create the right feel for this number; and the tempo and mood changes will impress you, too. When the tempo slows for a bluesy feel during this number you will truly amazed at their talent. Martha Boswell plays the piano for this number, too.
"When I Take My Sugar To Tea" starts with great horn playing with a slow, bluesy feel to it; the instrumental swinging jam that follows pops out at you all the more so because of the bluesy feel earlier on in this number. The sisters play with the tempo, too, switching back and forth between fast and slow. Awesome! Another song that showcases their ability to play with tempos and different keys would be "Shout, Sister, Shout."
"Shine On, Harvest Moon" starts with a bluesy intro and the sisters add great syncopated lyrics to give this number extra punch.
"Was That The Human Thing To Do" was one of the first song recorded first by The Boswell Sisters; by 1932 they were so popular that they no longer had to be content with recording covers of songs by other artists. "Was That The Human Thing To Do" starts out with a sprightly tempo that stands in sharp contrast to the sad lyrics about a love gone awry. The number has great tempo and key changes and this number has Jimmy Dorsey playing the alto clarinet as Tommy Dorsey plays trombone. The musical arrangement shines for this number.
"There'll Be Some Changes Made" once again shows the sisters successfully manipulating tempo and mood; and Connie Boswell does a wonderful solo in the middle of this number. In addition, "Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day" uses the piano and percussion very well; and Jimmy Dorsey and his brother Tommy are back on clarinet and trombone respectively.
"Forty-Second Street" starts with the sisters harmonizing to perfection with a relatively fast paced tempo; but the instrumental jam in the middle of this number moves at a slower pace to enhance the beauty of this song. The sisters add great extra syncopated lyrics as the tempo continues to change back and forth between fast and slow.
The CD ends with a beautiful rendition of "Dinah." Once again, The Boswell Sisters perform this to perfection all the while putting their own stamp on this classic ballad.
The liner notes give the song credits; and Scott Yanow contributes an informative essay about the singing sisters.
I highly recommend this CD for fans of 1930s American music; and people who are already familiar with The Boswell Sisters will love this CD, too. People who enjoy classic pop vocals will cherish this CD and the beautiful songs offer a great deal of nostalgia as well.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST OF THE BEST, June 26, 2006
Anything by the Boswell Sisters has to be the best.
Without a doubt they had to be THE BEST close harmony group ever,EVER, they have never been surpassed or ever will be.
They are the most requested on our local radio station here in Newcastle (Australia)
Like the old add says "If you liked that, wait there's more, and more and more" but never enough.
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by The Boswell Sisters 
