Jump to content

YOUR Top three all-time jazz vocalists


tranemonk

Recommended Posts

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!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 116
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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. ;)

Jack-Teagarden-Has-Anybody-Here-Seen-Jackson.jpg

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 by jazzbo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by Pete C
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by Pete C
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...