The Boswell Sisters - The Boswell Sisters Collection / 5CD & DVD set

The Boswell Sisters inauspiciously launched their recording career in New Orleans, their hometown, on March 22, 1925. Early local appearances featured Connie, the eldest, on cello, Helvetia (Vet) on violin, and Martha at the piano, but the city's Jazz environment made Connie and Vet switch to saxophone and banjo, respectively. At first, the singing was almost incidental, but it became their ticket to national attention five years later when they moved to New York and became a fixture on radio shows. The Boswell Sisters were notable for their tight harmony as well as their unique ability to modulate pitch and give familiar songs a new melodic twist. They were the cutting edge that inspired future groups, including the Andrews Sisters, who began their own career by emulating them, even down to their Southern accent.

The exuberant sisters recorded a string of hits in the 1930s, sometimes teaming up with fellow vocalists, such as Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers. Instrumental accompaniments are by some of the days most popular musicians and bands, including the Dorsey Brothers, Don Redman, Red Nichols, and Benny Goodman. Considering their popularity and impact, the sisters had a relatively brief run, disbanding in 1936 when Martha and Vet married outside of the music industry and decided to give priority to family life. Connie, however, continued and enjoyed a successful solo career. This boxed set contains the entire Boswell Sisters output of commercially released recordings- a remarkable set of performances that paved the way for the vocal trio genre. It also includes a bonus DVD featuring more extraordinary performances.

    - Disc 1 -
    1 Wha'dja Do to Me
    2 When I Take My Sugar to Tea
    3 Roll on, Mississippi, Roll on
    4 Shout, Sister, Shout
    5 Sing a Little Jingle
    6 I Found a Million Dollar Baby
    7 It's the Girl
    8 It's You
    9 Makin' Faces at the Man in the Moon
    10 I Can't Write the Words
    11 Shine on, Harvest Moon
    12 Heebie Jeebies
    13 River, Stay 'Way from My Door
    14 An Ev'ning in Caroline
    15 Nothing Is Sweeter Than You
    16 I Thank You Mister Moon
    17 Was That the Human Thing to Do?
    18 Put That Sun Back in the Sky
    19 Stop the Sun, Stop the Moon
    20 Everybody Loves My Baby
    21 There'll Be Some Changes Made
    22 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
    23 If It Ain't Love
    24 Got the South in My Soul
    - Disc 2 -
    1 Nights When I'm Lonely
    2 We're on the Highway to Heaven
    3 That's What I Like About You
    4 My Future Just Passed
    5 Heebie Jeebies
    6 Gee, But I'd Like to Make You Happy
    7 Don't Tell Him, What Happened to Me
    8 I Surrender Dear
    9 Star Dust
    10 Sing a Little Jingle
    11 Gems from George White's Scandals, PTS. 1 & 2
    12 We've Got to Put That Sun Back in the Sky
    13 Was That the Human Thing to Do
    14 California Medley, Pt. 1: California, Here I Come/Golden Gate/Fisco, He
    15 California Medley, Pt. 2: Hail Stanford/Avalon/Avalon Town/Whispering/I
    16 Lawd, You Made the Night Too Long
    17 "O.K. America!" Medley, Pt. 2: My Romance/The Old Man of the Mountain
    18 "O.K. America!" Medley, Pt. 1: She Was Just a Tarter's Darter/Love Me T
    - Disc 3 -
    1 Was That the Human Thing to Do?
    2 California Medley, Pt. 2: Hail, Stanford, Hail!/Avalon/Avalon Town/Whis
    3 Lawd, You Made the Night Too Long
    4 "O.K., America!" Medley, Pt. 2: My Romance/The Old Man of the Mountain
    5 "O.K., America!" Medley, Pt. 1: She Was Just a Tarter's Daughter/Love M
    6 Doggone, I've Done It
    7 Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane
    8 Old Yazoo
    9 We Just Couldn't Say "Goodbye"
    10 Sleep, Come on and Take Me
    11 Down Among the Sheltering Palms
    12 Down on the Delta
    13 Charlie Two-Step
    14 Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia
    15 It Don't Mean a Thing
    16 Louisiana Hayride
    17 Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day
    18 Crazy People
    19 Mood Indigo
    20 Forty-Second Street
    21 Shuffle Off to Buffalo
    - Disc 4 -
    1 California Medley, Pt. 2
    2 O.K. America, Pt. 2
    3 We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
    4 Sleep, Come on and Take Me
    5 Down Among the Sheltering Palms
    6 Mood Indigo
    7 Forty-Second Street
    8 The Gold Diggers' Song
    9 It's Sunday Down in Caroline
    10 Puttin' It on
    11 Swanee Mammy
    12 Sophisticated Lady
    13 That's How Rhythm Was Born
    14 Song of Surrender
    15 Coffee in the Morning (Kisses in the Night)
    16 You Oughta Be in Pictures (My Star of Stars)
    17 I Hate Myself (For Being So Mean to You)
    18 Goin' Home
    19 The Lonesome Road
    20 Rock and Roll
    21 If I Had a Million Dollars
    22 The Object of My Affection
    23 It's Written All Over Your Face
    24 Dinah
    - Disc 5 -
    1 O.K. America
    2 Coffee in the Morning (Kisses in the Night)
    3 Alexander's Ragtime Band
    4 The Darktown Strutters' Ball
    5 Don't Let Your Love Go Wrong
    6 Why Don't You Practice What You Preach?
    7 If I Had a Million Dollars
    8 The Object of My Affection
    9 It's Written All Over Your Face
    10 Dinah
    11 Way Back Home
    12 Every Little Moment
    13 Travelin' All Alone
    14 St. Louis Blues
    15 Fare Thee Well, Annabelle
    16 Lullaby of Broadway
    17 Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
    18 Cheek to Cheek
    19 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
    20 The Music Goes 'Round and Around
    21 Let Yourself Go
    22 I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
    - Disc 6 -
    1 Close Farm-Ony: Night Life/Give, Cow, Give/Unknown [Excerpt]
    2 Newsreel: Put That Sun Back in the Sky
    3 The Big Broadcast: Paramount/Crazy People/Heebie Jeebies
    4 Ramblin' Round Radio Row, Pt. 1: Louisiana Waddle [Excerpt]
    5 Sleepy Time Down South/Louisiana Waddle
    6 Moulin Rouge: Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night
    7 Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round: Rock and Roll