Even though Ella Fitzgerald insisted that Connee Boswell was her first and perhaps greatest influence, Connee hasn’t been given her due. Perhaps because there hasn’t been a proper reissue of her solo recordings (as opposed to the well-deserved attention given to the recordings she made with her sisters) listeners don’t pay enough attention to her solo work. For me, she is the poet of yearning — consider the first chorus of this recording and of IN A LITTLE SECOND-HAND STORE — and then she moves from deep pathos and loss to a lighter, more jazz-like approach for the second chorus. It’s not only great singing; it’s wonderful acting and dramatization, making us forget that the song isn’t terribly deep on its own. Listen, and listen again:
And thanks to the superb singer Melissa Collard for reminding me of this YouTube posting.
Pingback: Tweets that mention CONNEE BOSWELL, 1934: “ISN’T IT A SHAME?” « JAZZ LIVES -- Topsy.com
Yes, Connee was a great solo artist.
My favoutite is “All dressed up with a broken heart”
Oh, God – I love her
I have a few Boswell Sisters cd’s. This was awesome hat a sweet and lovely voice. I struggle to not be a “Romantic”, but, considering the tragic sense of life, the lyrics are not un-profound. This woman just HAD to be a “sweet soul” – Just HAD to be.