YOUR Top three all-time jazz vocalists

[JSngry]

I'm also surprised that one of my other faves Abbey Lincoln hasn't come up yet..

Can't do the "all-time favorites" thing, but - three who I've followed very closely with much love over the years and who haven't been given much love here so far are:

• Abbey Lincoln

• Shirley Horn

• Jimmy Scott

She's here!

[A Lark Ascending]

Shirley Horn is a late love of mine...really like the time she takes to unfold things.

[Pete C]

I always thought a recording of Porgy and Bess with Carrie Smith and Jimmy Scott would have been great. Smith as Porgy, Scott as Bess.

[JSngry]

Jimmy Scott & Shirley Horn both take tempos about as slow as they can be taken and still be felt as such...as with Gil Evans and a very few others, you take things that slow and hold it, all sorts of things start to open up in terms of possibilities & implications, and there's no room for error, not one bit.

Ssssllllooooooooooowwwwww tempos, I'm a sucker for them as much if not more than anything, but only if done well.

[jazzbo]

Female

Helen

Merrill? Humes? Forrest? Ward? O'Connell? Reddy?

I'm assuming it's one of the first two.

It's Merrill. The only Helen (jazz singer) I hold that high in esteem. Other important Helens in my life: my late wife, and Helen Folesade Adu.

I guessed Merrill... but I am wondering who Jackson is?

I guess I should have said "Weldon Leo". . . that would have been clearer.

I did originally mean to put female vocalists but I forgot. These responses are interesting in that... a) Billie is up there for a lot of people, b) Ella is not and c) very few contemporary singers...

I do like Karrin Allyson a lot (and Tierney Sutton). I'm also surprised that one of my other faves Abbey Lincoln hasn't come up yet..

BTW... For those of you who have some pull over at Mosaic... can you PLEASE get them to do my Betty Carter Select???

I might be mistaken, but I don't think that there's anyone here that has any pull at Mosaic.

Most of Betty's stuff is not that hard to find. . . I got on the boat late and got all I wanted easily and cheaply enough.

I think if it weren't "top three" and were say "top ten" there'd be a lot more Abby and Ella and maybe (maybe) contemporary singers mentioned.

Edited 2 Mar 2012 by jazzbo

[Pete C]

Shirley Horn is a late love of mine...really like the time she takes to unfold things.

Jimmy Scott & Shirley Horn both take tempos about as slow as they can be taken and still be felt as such...as with Gil Evans and a very few others, you take things that slow and hold it, all sorts of things start to open up in terms of possibilities & implications, and there's no room for error, not one bit.

Ssssllllooooooooooowwwwww tempos, I'm a sucker for them as much if not more than anything, but only if done well.

I don't remember what critic said this, maybe 15 or so years ago, maybe Giddins, but someone commented that that Horn, Scott and Andy Bey could have had a contest for the slowest singer in jazz at the time.

The ability to swing at a snail's pace is true magic.

Bey is one of my favorite singers. I also loved Leon Thomas and Joe Lee Wilson.

Edited 2 Mar 2012 by Pete C

[jazzbo]

The ability to swing at a snail's pace is true magic.

Bey is one of my favorite singers. I also loved Leon Thomas and Joe Lee Wilson.

I agree that a snail's pace or very slow groove is really magic, really hard to pull off. And I love those three singers!

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes, I like Bey too. Male jazz singers don't affect me a great deal but Andy Bey I really like.

[jazzbo]

He's excellent at accompanying himself on the piano. Not everyone does that with the skill he does.

[Bright Moments]

dang i forgot julie london!

[Pete C]

While I don't think her Decca recordings generally rate among her best studio dates (with some notable exceptions, especially the versions with trio of I Loves You Porgy & My Man from 1948), I think Billie Holiday was in her best form in this period, having passed through youthful insouciance into gravitas before time and the "elements" took their toll. The Summer of '49 airchecks are among my favorites

http://product.half.ebay.com/Summer-of-49-by-Billie-Holiday-CD-Dec-1995-Band-Stand-import/3362380&tg=info

as well as the JATP recordings

http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Philharmonic-Billie-Holiday-Story/dp/B0000046SY

Edited 2 Mar 2012 by Pete C

[brownie]

Billie Holiday

Dinah Washington

Anita O'Day

[king ubu]

Billie Holiday

Anita O'Day

Helen Merrill

and plenty of others, too... Ella, Lee Wiley, Sheila Jordan, Shirley Horn, June Christy, Chris Connor, Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Beverly Kenney, Carmen McRae, Peggy Lee, Betty Roché...

Male would be more difficult... Jack Teagarden, Hoagy... Andy Bey, sure, Jimmy Scott, on some days Johnny Hartman (or some of his recordings), Mose Allison...

Guess I still forgot plenty.

[colinmce]

Forgot about Lee Wiley!

[king ubu]

Yeah, it was a tough call between her and Helen Merrill, really - but in the end I reach for Merrill more often.

[Bright Moments]

and julie london

[colinmce]

Love these compilations:

[bigtiny]

I hate trying to pick 'x' number of favorites, and three is just impossible! I'll do 10, not in any particular order.

Oh, and I reserve the right to call who I want a 'jazz' singer!!! =:-)

Anita O'day

Betty Carter

Ella Fitzgerald

Mel Torme

Frank Sinatra

Nat Cole

Jon Hendriks

Sarah Vaughn

Elis Regina

Billie Holiday

bigtiny

[Pete C]

I reserve the right to call who I want a 'jazz' singer!!! =:-)

Nonetheless, I wouldn't call Elis Regina a jazz singer. Leny Andrade, yes.

[StarThrower]

Jon Hendricks

Mark Murphy

Eddie Jefferson

Dinah Washington

Carmen McRae

Annie Ross

[A Lark Ascending]

Linda Ronstadt

Rod Stewart

Kiri Te Kanawa

[Bright Moments]

Linda Ronstadt

Rod Stewart

Kiri Te Kanawa

[Chuck Nessa]

Since it is women I say Billie, Bessie and Shirley.

[Pete C]

Since it is women I say Billie, Bessie and Shirley.

I didn't know Shirley Horn before 1991, when I saw her at this star-studded event:

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/27/arts/jazz-festival-some-friends-pay-tribute-to-sarah-vaughan.html

She was the highlight, and blew me away. I saw her many times after that.

[JSngry]

Linda Ronstadt

Rod Stewart

Kiri Te Kanawa

Lingua en cheekus, I'm sure.