That's How Rhythm Was Born

Boswell Sisters | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 15, 1995)
• Original Release Date: August 15, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Columbia/Legacy
• ASIN: B000002B0E
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,985 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #74 in Music > Pop > Oldies > Tin Pan Alley

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With their jaunty, close harmonies, vocal riffing, and deceptively casual fusion of black and white vocal models, New Orleans's Boswell Sisters set a prescient standard for vocal jazz during the late '20s and '30s that would reverberate through pop as well in the decades that followed, essentially cloned but somewhat degrooved by the better-known Andrews Sisters. The Boswells' hometown lode of seminal jazz shaped their romping, good-humored workouts. In addition, Martha (piano), Helvetia (violin, banjo, guitar), and leader Connie (cello, sax, guitar) were spirited accompanists as well as polished, ebullient singers who favored rhythmic dance songs and Tin Pan Alley novelties as well as recognizable early jazz masterpieces. This delightful 20-song compilation finds them ranging through works both slight and substantial but always charming; the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra is featured on the majority of the tracks, which includes works by Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer, Harry Warren, and Harold Arlen, as well as their discerning opener, "Rock & Roll," a saucy jazz-era dance manifesto. --Sam Sutherland

Product Description

2010 collection from the female vocal trio. The Boswell Sisters were innovative, dynamic and amazingly still sound fresh and vibrant more than 70 years after they broke up (in 1936). They had a total of 20 hits between 1931 and 1936 and worked with some of the finest names in music at the time including, Glen Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Bennny Goodman, Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang. Inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 1988 alongside The Andrews Sisters/The Platters/Beach Boys/Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Supremes and eight other acts. Sadly, none of the three lived long enough to witness these modern accolades. 20 tracks. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Boswell release from Columbia Records!!!, September 24, 2000

By 

roarin20sGuy - See all my reviews

This review is from: That's How Rhythm Was Born (Audio CD)

It's amazing that a domestic label like Columbia released such a comprehensive collection of the legendary Boswell Sisters(not even the European import labels have gotten around to releasing a coplete and chronological CD). Though this CD is just a compilation, it is an excellent overview of The Boswell Sisters. This excellent CD includes such classics as "Louisiana Heyride," "Shuffle Off To Buffalo," "Sophistocated Lady"(with an early Benny Goodman clarinet solo), "Minnie The Moocher's Wedding Day"(you will swear that you were listening to three black girls), "St. Louis Blues" and "The Object Of My Effection." Every track is a classic, with connee Boswell's lead vocals and her new Orleans accent, the sisters' hot harmonizing, and their mind boggling scat solos. On just about every track you will hear Benny Goodman, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Red Nichols, Alex Hill, Martha Boswell(on piano), Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, and many others take extensive solos, since Connee Boswell did the arrangemets she always wrote in extra space so the musicians could have some solo space. This CD is a must have.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voices, talent, brains!, January 10, 2005

By 

Jmark2001 (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That's How Rhythm Was Born (Audio CD)

Some individuals mistakenly compare the Boswell sisters to the Andrews sisters. There are major differences between the two groups. The Boswells grew up in New Orleans, surrounded by jazz. Each of the Boswell sisters could play several musical instruments. Each had a beautiful voice and could handle solos perfectly. The Boswell sisters did their own brilliant arrangements. Connie Boswell deserves to be recognized for her musical brilliance - she did amazingly playful arrangements that toyed with the key, tempo, rhythm, vocalizing, and instrumentalizing of the songs. The result is that Connie would take a song and turn it inside out and reveal new angles to familar songs. The group's vocals were wonderful - peppy, jazzy, synchronized masterfully by the ever talented sisters. When the girls married, only Connie wanted to remain in show business. With her musical intelligence, it is difficult to imagine her giving up music altogether. This is a great group and their music deserves to be revived. And Connie Boswell deserves major rediscovery for her musical talents.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, but when, oh when will a 4-disc set appear?, November 24, 2005

By 

Ronald Levao (Princeton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: That's How Rhythm Was Born (Audio CD)

The Bozzies (as the bandleader calls them on the last track) are simply wonderful, and if some stylings and dialect sound a tad dated, the pleasure of their singing endures. There is a strange instinct to match them against the Andrews Sisters, both here and on the Andrews page. I suppose that's normal--like comparing Dempsey and Louis or Mantle and Mays--but for me, the Boswells are more jazzy and snazzy, the Andrews more brassy and sassy. You choose what you like. What I lament is the the fact that the Andrews have a spiffy, budget-priced, 4-CD set available, as do other early giants (Anita O'Day, Louis Jordan has a 5-CD set) but the Boswells' fans must either piece together individual discs, or hope for the pricely and hard-to-find collector's series. So, JSP, or Proper Box--please do the same for the wonderful Boswells! Later edition: Joy! The hard-to-find 5 CD set of their complete works (which has some overlap between discs, but only of titles, they are different takes) was rereleased by a Danish company, and I picked it up used at deep discount. Is that tinnitis acting up or angels singing?