The Boswell Sisters were the greatest jazz vocal group prior to Lambert, Hendricks and Ross 30 years later. Consisting of Connee (1907-76), Martha (1908-58) and Helvetia (1909-88), the trio (which often used Martha on piano) featured hard-swinging choruses and group scatting with numerous key and tempo changes. Connee received all of the solos but Martha and Helvetia both had very appealing voices too. The Boswells grew up in New Orleans where they all learned how to play numerous instruments. They recorded "Nights When I'm Lonely" (and Connee cut "I'm Gonna Cry") in 1925 and they soon were appearing regularly on Los Angeles radio. The group really got going in 1930 with four recordings for Okeh. They were soon signed to Brunswick where they recorded regularly during 1931-35. Their records usually featured top jazz soloists (including Bunny Berigan, the Dorsey Brothers and Joe Venuti ) and were often quite exciting. During this period the Boswell Sisters appeared in several films (both shorts and full-length movies) and were a popular radio attraction. They recorded four numbers for Decca in 1936, but by that year all three sisters were married. Martha and Helvetia retired and Connee Boswell (who had been recording solo sides on an occasional basis for several years) went out on her own. A highpoint was her recordings with Bob Crosby but otherwise Connee's career (although reasonably satisfying) did not live up to its potential. In the 1950s for a time she had a major role on the television series "Pete Kelly's Blues." Ella Fitzgerald always stated that Connee Boswell was her main influence. ~ Scott Yanow
-- Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide