The Boswell Sisters: Close Harmony

by Joshua Tree Productions

The Project

After many years of dreaming and research and pre-production and anticipation, this hour-long, public television documentary about the jazz vocalists, Connie, Martha, and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell, is ready to become a reality -- but only if you join us in our Kickstarter campaign.

Ever since the trio retired from show business in 1936 there have been all too infrequent resurgences of interest in their work. Their devoted admirers have continued to sing the praises of this truly revolutionary music over the years, but now the Sisters are about to experience a real Renaissance with the opening of a major exhibit at The Historic New Orleans Collection, the completion of a book about their lives and career, and the premiere of this film. So for those who already know and love their unique and unrepeatable “close harmony” style, as well as those who are about to be forever changed by the experience of hearing their first Boswell Sisters songs, it’s high time for celebration … once we’ve reached our $24,800 goal. 

Or, as Connie, Martha, and Vet would sing, “Let’s spend it, lend it, send it rolling right along!”

The Need for Funding

The first and foremost challenge and expense we face is purchasing the rights to use the Boswell Sisters’ films, photographs, and recordings.  While much of this content is easily viewable (and quite ubiquitous on YouTube) legal negotiations with all of the individuals, unions, agencies, studios, and record companies is complex and time consuming enough that it requires us to hire a permissions consultant along with having substantial funding ready to acquire these performances and images that are absolutely essential to the documentary as well as the DVD and CD that will accompany it.

In order to complete the necessary research and conduct the 5 to 7 interviews that are required to create the definitive Boswell Sisters documentary, our team will need to make a number of trips to locations such as New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon.  Along with airfare and lodging these trips will also demand that we ship the needed production equipment or rent it on location.

All of our considerable skills as creative artists and technical capabilities as a production company will be required to shoot, write, and edit a story that is nearly as original as the Sisters’ vocal arrangements.  And while this project is a longtime labor of love and respect, for which Joshua Tree Productions has already secured initial financial support, we will also need to commit this additional Kickstarter funding to the costs of facilities, recording studio time, equipment, and crew.

Read more: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1604883020/the-boswell-sisters-close-harmony