The Great Song Stylists - Male Vs. Female Singers

[Teasing the Korean]

Regarding the classic jazz and pop song stylists who sang the Great American Songbook:

When it comes to female vocalists, there are so many that I love - Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella, June Christy, Julie London, Anita O'Day, Dinah, Jo Stafford, the list goes on. There are so many good ones that it is hard if not impossible for me to rank them in any kind of meaningful order.

However, when it comes to male vocalists, I easily place Frank at the VERY top, and think there is a really steep drop until you hit the next level. I don't mean to knock any of the other male singers; I love Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, many others, but I think Frank is in a class all by himself. Some would say Tony is a close second. I think he's nearly as good at the rhythmic, uptempo stuff, but as a ballad singer, I don't think he's half as great as Frank.

Not trying to create a let's-trash-male-vocalists thread; I just think this is an interesting dichotomy.

[Stereojack]

My list has Bing Crosby at the top, followed by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Mel Torme.

[paul secor]

Louis - and going another way, Johnny Hartman

[JSngry]

Add to the list:

Jackie Paris in the late 40s/early 50s.

Johnny Desmond with the Glen Miller AAF band.

Ray Charles.

Billy Eckstine, under the right circumstances (both his and mine)

Dick Haymes.

[big gord]

this for me is easy,1 mark murphy, 2 frank sinatra, 3 buddy greco, 1 anita o'day 2 ella fitzgerald, 3 mildred bailey. jerumonk

[Chuck Nessa]

I have no person in a favorite "stylists" list.

I have a few in my "jazz singer" list.

[AllenLowe]

red mckenzie?

actually, better are Bobby Troup and Johnny Mercer.

of course we all forgot the best, LOUIS ARMSTRONG.

Edited December 22, 2011 by AllenLowe

[Teasing the Korean]

I love most everyone who has been mentioned (I don't know a few), but I still think Sinatra is tops among male singers.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Teasing the Korean

[Chuck Nessa]

the word "stylist" seems creepy to me and seems little to do with "artistry".

[Larry Kart]

Hildegarde!

[Jim R]

of course we all forgot the best, LOUIS ARMSTRONG.

I think Paul was referring to Armstrong when he mentioned Louis FOUR POSTS ABOVE YOURS... unless he was talking about Louis Prima, of course.

I kind of get the premise here, but it's really all too subjective, and I became slightly disoriented when I saw Julie London and Jo Stafford mentioned before Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. But I know you weren't really doing a serious ranking, so...

Props to Joe Williams, btw.

[JohnJ]

Regarding the classic jazz and pop song stylists who sang the Great American Songbook:

When it comes to female vocalists, there are so many that I love - Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella, June Christy, Julie London, Anita O'Day, Dinah, Jo Stafford, the list goes on. There are so many good ones that it is hard if not impossible for me to rank them in any kind of meaningful order.

However, when it comes to male vocalists, I easily place Frank at the VERY top, and think there is a really steep drop until you hit the next level. I don't mean to knock any of the other male singers; I love Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, many others, but I think Frank is in a class all by himself. Some would say Tony is a close second. I think he's nearly as good at the rhythmic, uptempo stuff, but as a ballad singer, I don't think he's half as great as Frank.

Not trying to create a let's-trash-male-vocalists thread; I just think this is an interesting dichotomy.

Completely agree TTK.

So many great female vocalists while on the male side Sinatra really is in a class of his own.

[Tom Storer]

In the either/or/both jazz+pop category, let's not forget Nat King Cole!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bCln5vLI_zw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hmmm... the embed from YouTube doesn't seem to have worked. No idea why. Try here.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Tom Storer

[A Lark Ascending]

Most jazz listeners are male. I suspect that's why female jazz singers attract more interest.

[brownie]

I get kicks out of the male and female stylists. They have all been mentioned here (except Al Hibbler, a personal favorite).

A recent 'discovery' is Bing Crosby whom I enjoy more and more!

[BillF]

I don't recall seeing any female jazz singers of note, but am pleased I managed to catch Jimmy Rushing, Joe Williams, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Turner and Mark Murphy - all in the UK!

[JohnS]

I'm not very big on vocalists, male or female. The only one represented in my collection by more than a handful of tracks or one cd is Helen Merrill.

[AllenLowe]

sorry, I thought he meant Jerry Louis.

[JSngry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_UUxcBgJvU&feature=related

[Dan Gould]

For me its Joe Williams, followed by Armstrong and Sinatra, and on the female side it begins and ends with Ella.

[Tom Storer]

Here's an exceptional performance by Tony Bennett:

Edited December 22, 2011 by Tom Storer

[Noj]

In the either/or/both jazz+pop category, let's not forget Nat King Cole!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bCln5vLI_zw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hmmm... the embed from YouTube doesn't seem to have worked. No idea why. Try here.

Fixed that embed for you, TStor!

Edited December 22, 2011 by Noj

[John L]

Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole were certainly in the top elite singers of the American songbook (IMO), but it would appear that not as many males sang the songbook as females. That doesn't mean that we have a shortage of great male singers.

No love for Rod Stewart?

[AllenLowe]

Scrappy Lambert. Roy Rogers. Buddy Jones.

Edited December 22, 2011 by AllenLowe

[Noj]

No love for Rod Stewart?

I know a certain old JC poster who would hunt you down where you live for that.