The Boswell Sisters

The Boswell Sisters were a ground-breaking trio of jazz and swing singers that flourished in the 1920s and 1930s. The sisters, Martha, Connie, and Helvetia (nicknamed "Vet"), trained as classical musicians at Tulane University in New Orleans, where they did most of their growing up.

By virtue of just being in New Orleans, they were exposed to jazz at an early age. As the Jazz Age took hold after World War I, their musical interest swung towards jazz. While still in their teens, they had become a popular singing act in and around New Orleans and went national with a recording contract in 1925, then with radio and movie appearances in the 1930s. They disbanded their act in 1936.

Their style of close harmony was new on the national stage. With their jazz background, they improvised and reworked songs in ways that some purists found offensive, but the public embraced. They are credited with influencing, among others, the Andrews Sisters and Ella Fitzgerald. Numerous tribute groups keep their musical style alive today.

For more information, see Wikipedia.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.