Search - Boswell Sisters :: Shout Sister Shout

THE BOSWELLS AT THEIR HOTTEST

Jasper | New England | 09/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a blazing collection of the one-of-a-kind Boswell Sisters at their most hot. By hot, of course I mean up-tempo and jazz-based, and that's the focus here. It's a fine cd, among a number of good ones featuring the inimitable Boswell Sisters.



Now, I hate to come right out and say it, but this needs addressing; The Andrews Sisters were a popular group that sang chirpy pop fluff with often burdensome studio big-band backings. Surrounded by the greatest songs of the century, they continuously recorded throwaway compositions. They were not instrumentalists, arrangers, or particularly great singers in the classic sense. And again, their music falls squarely under the pop umbrella. There's nothing wrong with any of that, of course (Bing Crosby recorded many sub-par songs with clunky orchestras, and is one of my favorite singers), but it makes comparison with their admitted idols, The Boswell Sisters, somewhat futile.



On the other hand, The Boswell Sisters were radical. They grew up in New Orleans surrounded by a thick gumbo of music and culture. They studied classical music and were masterful musicians even as very small children. They performed with the New Orleans Philharmonic! When the sisters got more into jazz, they tore its very DNA to shreds and reassembled it, radically remaking compositions (arranging themselves) to include absolutely WILD shifts in tempo, altered (or completely new) chordal structures, and mind-boggling vocal artistry which I lack the skill to properly describe. When the Boswell Sisters began to record, they worked with the cream of hot jazz musicians, in radical small-bands with wild, exciting soloing from musicians like Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, Bunny Berigan, and so on. Even when the Boswell Sisters were forgotten, jazz collectors sought out their records for the hot solos, then were shocked at the artistry of the Boswells, and the wildly experimental and creative arrangements and re-workings of known compositions. Basically the recordings with the Boswell Sisters turned out not to be some great solos between throwaway pop verses, but rather music AT LEAST as hot and imaginative as the purely instrumental records those same musicians had been recording alone!



So if you want something more pop and middle-of-the-road, then the Andrews will be great for you. They were an extremely pleasant pop group that kept morale up during WW2, and they were great fun on a number of Bing Crosby sides. The Andrews Sisters are an undeniable part of the wholesome homey heartland of the USA that got us through some of the most horrible times in human history. There is no denying that Patty, et al, were inexorably entwined with the very fabric of the national soul during that time.



That said, if you are looking for something to light your soul and your mind on fire, something wild and beautiful, full of mischievous glee (and purposeful innovation), lightning fast scat singing (often unison!) and untamed hot jazz solos, then the Boswells are right for you.



Learn more about the Boswell Sisters here:



bozzies.com"

Wow, what a find!

R. Woodruff | 04/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing Shout Sister Shout on the radio, I had to find a CD, and boy did I. How is it possible I had never heard of this group? I had been a fan of the Andrews sisters and other tight vocal groups such as the Pied Pipers and the Modernaires, but none can hold a candle to the Boswell Sisters. Every song is fun and unique, and as others have said, the Boswell sisters are musicians in the truest sense, not just one hit wonder pop singers. Many times they break into seemingly wild improvisation, but I find it amazing that all three of them know to go up or down or say the exact same nonsensical word simultaneously.



This album has over 20 tracks, and exploring other albums, it barely scratches the surface. The only minor complaint I would have is that the sound quality, especially on the title track, is not very good on many of the recordings (probably due more to the original than the CD) and I found I had to fiddle a lot with the treble and bass to get it to sound right. Maybe other albums have better quality, but I chose this for the larger variety of tracks, and every one is a winner."

Uniqe!

Richard F. Marshall | Dallas, OR USA | 03/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These young women have voice and rhythm techniqes that are different from any groups' I've ever heard. All the songs are old - good old - but this will add up to a brand new listening experience for anybody. Highly recommended by a guy probably as old all three sisters."