Tuesday, October 17, 2006

It's The Girls!


Annette Hanshaw (1901 - 1985) was one of the first great female jazz singers. In the late 1920s she ranked alongside Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith and the Boswell Sisters. Her singing style was relaxed and suited the new jazz-influenced pop music of the late 1920s. Many of her early records feature several of the hot White players of the day like Red Nichols, Miff Mole, Phil Napoleon, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Adrian Rollini, Vic Berton, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden. Hanshaw was billed as "The Personality Girl," and her trademark was girlishly saying "That's all" at the end of a lot of her records. Annette never thought much of her abilities as a singer and retired from showbiz in 1935.
You may listen to recordings by Anette Hanshaw clicking here
Hanshaw made her one and only appearance on film in the 1933 Paramount short 'Captain Henry's Radio Show'; "a picturization" of a popular radio program in which she starred from 1932 to 1934.
Enjoy Anette Hanshaw in a performance scene from the mentioned film, click here

The above mentioned Boswell Sisters were a singing group that attained national prominence in the USA in the 1930s. Sisters Martha Boswell (1905-1958), Connee Boswell (1907-1976), and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell (1911 - 1988) were born in a middle-class family in New Orleans. They came to be well known locally while still in their early teens, making appearances in New Orleans theaters and radio. They made their first recordings for Victor Records in 1925. They did not attain national attention, however, until they moved to New York City in 1930 and started making national radio broadcasts. After a few recordings with Okeh Records, they made numerous recordings for Brunswick Records throughout the 1930s.

Connee Boswell continued to have a solo career as a singer after the sister act broke up.

Learn more about the career and discography of the Boswell Sisters by clicking here

I found a couple of video clips featuring the Boswell Sisters performing together.

Enjoy a performance of "Heebie Jeebies" from the 1932 film 'The Big Broadcast', click here

Enjoy also the sisters in a version of "Crazy People", click here

Jo

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks jo for sharing this Annette Hanshaw clip with us. I'd never saw her "alive". As you know I lost my heart to her voice !!

Keep swinging

Hans

8:52 AM  

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