Search - Boswell Sisters :: Shout Sisters Shout 1925-1936

Unexpected delights with diamonds scattered everywhere...

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 04/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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.

"

THE BEST OF THE BEST

Leon Wilson | Australia | 06/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

The Boswell sisters CD I've been looking for.

Micaloneus | the Cosmos | 05/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Boswell Sisters collection (mainly 1930/1932) really shows off these girls at their musical peak. I've tried other collections and they all fell short in my opinion, but this one gave me a good idea why the Andrews Sisters were such big fans of the Bozzies."