Inspired by Lodey’s post mentioning Ella and Louis and seeing Jamie Cullum doing a rather good version of “Sinnerman” at the Singapore Jazz Festival, I spent most of Sunday evening listening to the some of the all time great female jazz Singers….. Ella, Nina, Sarah Vaughan and some Aretha for good measure…..
My conclusion is that Nina Simone is probably the greatest ever female vocalist. Anyone care to disagree ?
And here’s Nina doing my all time favourite “Sinnerman”. An amazing song / performance (the whole album “Pastel Blues” is fabulous)
Lodestone of Wrongness says
For me it has to be Ella – a voice like velvet and phrasing ability beyond any singer, male or female, ever.
Rather like my views on Aretha Franklin I respect rather than love Nina, my bad I expect
SteveT says
Agree with @Chrisf – Nina Simone every time. Whenever I hear her sing Little girl blue the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
RubyBlue says
Agree with the above (hard not to) but I’m going to put in a vote for Karen Carpenter. I don’t have the articulacy to describe her voice in a way that would do it justice, but there’s something very clear and pure about it.
Black Type says
Yes, yes and thrice yes!
Smudger says
Yep, gets my vote too.
RubyBlue says
Having thought about it more, I’d also add Eva Cassidy* – I suspect shehas been mentioned down thread.
*esp. on ‘Autumn Leaves’.
davebigpicture says
Nice voice but the ubiquity of the Songbird album took its toll.
Gary says
I prefer both Ella and Billie to Nina. But purely in terms of the voice, rather than the music, Sinéad is my favourite.
Max the Dog says
+1 for Sinead @Gary and I also love the voices of Emmylou Harris, Ella Fitz and K.D. Lang
Rufus T Firefly says
I find Ella completely boring, I’m afraid! Maybe it’s all those over-familiar jazz standards. I’d much rather listen to Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick or – much more up to date – Hannah Reid of London Grammar.
Harold Holt says
Aretha, shirley ?
Black Type says
Or ‘shouty woman’ as I call her, much to my friends’ displeasure. And yours, nodoubt. I know she’s a great singer, but I can’t abide it when she turns the volume up.
Twang says
I’m afraid I agree. Once she starts that shreiky thing I have to hit the skip button.
Paul Wad says
My preferences are Cass Elliott, Susannah Hoffs, Dusty Springfield, Kate Bush and, my favourite, Sophie Ellis-Bextor. But as for who is the greatest, who knows. Could Nina Simone make Manic Monday sound better than Susannah Hoffs did? I’d say that in her Under The Covers series, with Matthew Sweet, Hoffs made a few songs sound better than the original artists did. So I’d steer clear from proclaiming someone the greatest or best and stick to using the term favourite, because then you’re never wrong. My favourite female singer is Sophie Ellis-Bextor and my favourite male vocalist is…hmm…can’t decide! Harry Nilsson probably. Or Elvis. Maybe Paddy McAloon. Who knows.
Black Type says
I love the Under The Covers series. I agree about some of Sid and Susie’s interpretations being better than the originals.
Junior Wells says
Egypts Oum Kalthoum or however you want to spell her surname
Esther Phillips
Sinead O’Connor
Fanta Damba from Mali
minibreakfast says
Ooh, Esther Phillips, yes!
davebigpicture says
Not sure I could pick a favourite but I’d add Kirsty MacColl and Maria McKee for consideration along with Gaby Moreno who came to my attention when she added backing vocals to Calexico’s Edge of the Sun.
Sour Crout says
Love that,nice one ,Dave
minibreakfast says
Don’t know about “best ever”, but personal favourites off the top of my head:
Roberta Flack
Rosemary Clooney
Nancy Sinatra
Peggy Lee
Dusty, Beyoncé, Tina, Esther… so many.
Can’t argue with Nina though.
Moose the Mooche says
Esther McVey is a karaoke shocker after 15 tequilas. Glass has been broken.
minibreakfast says
I was of course referring to Esther Rantzen.
Moose the Mooche says
Well, she’s the same. Except for 15 tequilas read 1.5.
duco01 says
My answer in these circumstances is always the same: the incomparable Sandy Denny.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Too sweet, too Joan Baez (my bad)
hubert rawlinson says
Sorry Lodey, don’t agree with your likening her to Joan Baez.
Linda’s (and Richard) daughter Kami is rather good too.
count jim moriarty says
Is the correct answer.
I’ll also put a shout in for the magnificent June Tabor.
retropath2 says
Correct, with a side order of Sinead.
I also like Natacha Atlas and the remarkable Lisa Gerrard.
Blue Boy says
In that territory it’s Linda Thompson for me every time
Neela says
The Swedish jury would like to make a suggestion: Monica Zetterlund. Jazz, folk, ballads and other.
Leicester Bangs says
“Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not miiiine.”
Blue Boy says
Nina is a good call, though I think her brilliance is not just her singing, but the combination of it with songs like I Wish I Knew and Four Women – it’s her interpretation of such powerful lyrics that’s utterly compelling.
Sinead OConnor at her best is fantastic; so too Tracey Thorn, Emmylou Harris, Patsy Cline Mavis Staples, Angelique Kidjo, and Joan Baez to take a random selection. To be honest all they have is common is that they are women and they are amazing singers.
I’ve always had a bit of a blind spot about Aretha. I mean, Say A Little Prayer is absolute genius, but I sometimes find her a bit, well, screechy.. (gets coat).
Blue Boy says
Oh, and Billie Holliday of course.
SteveT says
Agree with you about Aretha @Blue_boy. Not my cup of tea either and Whitney just copied the worst bits of her voice.
Sinead up there for me and also Mary Chapin Carpenter.
noisecandy says
I think Lulu deserves a mention. Very underrated in my opinion and should be up there alongside Dusty.
count jim moriarty says
You silly, twisted boy…
Rigid Digit says
Is it against Afterword etiquette to suggest … Annie Lennox?
May not be up there with Ella and Aretha, but a fine set of pipes
Freddy Steady says
It is Rigid, it is. You might just get away with it though…
Blue Boy says
Absolutely, I’m with you there. Never understood the antipathy to Eurythmics – one of the best bands of their generation I reckon.
Mike_H says
There are very, very few “proper” female singers that I actively dislike.
Annie Lennox has a fantastic voice but she’s a little low on warmth and likeability. I find her a bit boring in medium to large doses.
I prefer her to the likes of Randy Crawford, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, though. All excellent technicians but severely lacking in human warmth.
As she’s not been mentioned yet, I’ll give a shout for Gladys Knight, who I’ve always rated. Shouts for Etta James and Virginia Rodrigues too.
count jim moriarty says
Houston and Carey… they’re yodellers, not singers.
Black Type says
Whitney was a great singer. Her material was/is mostly not to my taste, but there can be no denying of her talent.
count jim moriarty says
Yes there can. I deny it. Maybe if she had sung properly instead of indulging in the yodelling that infests ‘singing’ these days, I might think more of her.
Black Type says
I can only recall her ‘yodelling’ on one particular song. Deny her talent all you like, but all you’re actually saying is you don’t like her. As I implied further up the thread, in respect of Aretha Franklin, one’s subjective taste/antipathy towards a particular artist shouldn’t be a barrier to an objective recognition of their talent.
count jim moriarty says
Very presumptious of you to assume you know what I’m thinking. A quite remarkable talent you’ve got there…unless you’re just twisting my words so that you can think I agree with you.
Black Type says
Sorry, you’ve lost me. Obviously you’re on a far higher intellectual plane than me, regardless of my apparent mind-reading gifts.
Mike_H says
Whitney, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey all have excellent voices. They can hit a note perfectly and hold it, all the tricks in the professional singer’s repertoire are there, good diction etc. but the stuff they produce is mostly like musical baby food. Smooth and easily digested pap.
Moose the Mooche says
Now I’m singing I Will Always Love You-OOO a la Frank Ifield.
Just another Tuesday then.
fentonsteve says
Mrs F wants me to put in a vote for another fine set of pipes from the same era… Alison Moyet.
Moose the Mooche says
Waaaaoohhhh, goodbye seventies!
Crackin singer.
Rigid Digit says
Well voted Mrs F.
Does Mr F concur?
Moose the Mooche says
What’s this… Afterworders’ Wives?
I am approving!
fentonsteve says
I was a massive Yazoo fan, bought 12″ import singles and all that. Didn’t really like her solo stuff until Mrs F insisted we see her live. Totally converted – she’s class.
The live CD which came as a bonus with a best of is fantastic.
Not a fan of the last couple of self-released LPs, though.
Moose the Mooche says
Essex is a damned good album. That’s the only one I’ve heard apart from the ubiquitous Alf.
davebigpicture says
Raindancing was quite successful. Not really my sort of thing I’m afraid but pleasant.
minibreakfast says
Alf was one of the tiny handful of records in my grandad’s collection that wasn’t Jim flippin’ Reeves.
Moose the Mooche says
Did he enjoy the rather, er, interesting lyrics to Love Resurrection?
minibreakfast says
Well he never mentioned them, if that’s what you mean. Thank goodness.
fentonsteve says
The album before, Hoodoo, is great. It even has guitars on it. How antiquated!
Seriously, the Singles/Live CD is worth buying to hear the lungs in full flight. Copies on the dodgers for <£3 inc. P+P.
deckards says
Two particular favourites of mine, Alison Krauss and Linda Ronstadt.
Twang says
I’d agree there. A friend and I had this debate and settled on Tracy Thorn for pure expressiveness and kd lang for chops whilst retaining taste. Personally two other faves of mine are Tricia Yearwood and Iris Dement. Always loved Ella plus Pearl Bailey for a little more sass.
the californian says
Rhiannon Giddens is my current favourite – especially after her excellent concert in Glasgow Concert Hall last November.
Kaisfatdad says
Some wonderful voices being nominated.
I would like to add Oumou Sangare from Bamako, Cesaria Evora from Cap Verde, Elis Regina from Porto Alegre and Beth Gibbons from Portishead.
One thing that strikes me is that many of these artists created a repertoire that was uniquely their own. Sandy Denny owns Matty Groves and no one gets much access to the Cole Porter songbook without doffing their hat to Ella.
Tiggerlion says
Old school, I love Ella. Just try singing along to one of her performances. They seem so simple but really they are intricate, detailed & complex. It’s impossible to keep up. These days Melanie De Biasio and Melody Gardot float my boat more than any others. However, the voice I could listen to for ever, and I can’t believe all this way down the thread… is Etta James. What a woman!
Contraryarticle says
Etta for me too Tiggs, & even moreso when she does duets with Sugar Pie DeSanto. Mmmhmm….. I’m never averse to a bit o’ Bessie Smith’s singin’ either.
Thought the new recent PP Arnold album showed us what a pity she never got to shine back then either. Great voice.
And I’m still hopin’ Yola Carter is gonna shine through. That gal has got a voice!! Especially when she, as she says herself, “goes full Yola”.
Other female singers I love are Kristin Hersh & especially Carla Bozulich. God I love her voice, be it that low throaty singin’ she does, or that full blown yowl she releases every now & again. Primal & ferocious.
Alias says
I think Ella is the best. Of current jazz singers Carmen Lundy is the best I have seen, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Diane Reeves and Cassandra Wilson are also excellent
Kaisfatdad says
I’d never heard of Carmen Lundy. She has a lovely groove going on here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pVxmYkztFk
She reminds me a little of Anita Baker, who is a plus in my book.
Oh dear! All those candles. That vid was a bit OTT but her voice is incomparable.
Talking about exquisitely sophisticated chanteuses indulging in silly videos, here is Sade on horseback.
Mike_H says
A bit OTT? Quite a lot! My eyes! My eyes!
But yes, Anita Baker’s voice is a thing of wonder. Even the rather chuggy backing – particularly noticeable towards the end – doesn’t detract that much.
Seems like she has two vocal ranges, both excellent, which very nearly meet and there’s one point somewhere in the middle of the song where she does a lovely sort of slide-with-a-catch transition down from the upper to the lower.
Junior Wells says
Forgot Sarah Vaughan for many best jazz Vocalist ever
Sitheref2409 says
After I saw Linda Thompson on OGWT with Richard Thompson I was kinda lost to anyone else
nickduvet says
Since no one else has mentioned her, forshame, I nominate Shawn Colvin, certainly one of the best singers, on record and live, I have heard and a voice I never tire of hearing.
For sheer wow factor, and I know it’s not hip, but I saw Whitney Houston once, and she was incredible.
davebigpicture says
Ooh, Shawn, yes!
ipesky says
A couple of Kas(c)eys – Chambers and Musgraves. And Shelby Lynn too. Do Kate and Anna McGarrigle count as one? ‘Heart Like Wheel’ is breathtaking vocal performance by any stretch.
Twang says
I’ll see your Shelby and raise you Allison Moorer.
Sitheref2409 says
ooooh, Allison. I saw her live twice. Red hair and black leather, my favorite color scheme.
She oozes whatever emotion the song needs. Not an obvious technician like others mentioned upthread, but she make the song live.
craig42blue says
I love Shelby’s voice and Alison is also a favourite, but I would struggle to find any vocals to compare with the two sisters together (especially live recently)!
Yes, also to KD Lang, Kasey Musgraves, Linda Ronstadt and Aretha but a late contender would have to be the gorgeous tones of Laura Marling.
retropath2 says
There are quite a few sisters who together make a lovely noise, from McGarrigles to Chapins, to Watsons to Webbs. Here’s a brace of Watsons
Mike_H says
Aretha often had her sisters Erma and Carolyn singing BVs. Carolyn even wrote a couple of songs for her.
atcf says
More votes for Aretha and Etta James here. Etta could snarl like nobody else, but her vocal on ‘At Last’ gives me goosebumps every time. If the sweeter side of soul is your thing, Tammi Terrell is rather marvellous.
Have always had a thing for Chrissie Hynde too. Doesn’t have the range of the great soul singers, but she drips sassiness.
duco01 says
Well, we’ve had some brilliant singers mentioned here. To all those of you who nominated Linda Thompson, Oumou Sangare, Sinead O’Connor, Kate McGarrigle, Kate Bush, Tracey Thorn and Iris DeMent, I say HELL YEAH! Good calls, all.
But there’s one female voice that hasn’t been mentioned yet, and that is the voice of the divine harp-playing Californian songstress Joanna Newsom. And particularly her DUCK VOICE. You know the one I mean, don’t you, Afterworders? It’s the singing voice she uses which sounds like a duck. Well, a bit like a duck, anyway. Obviously not exactly like a duck, because that would be just a quack-quack-quack sort of noise. Anyway, I love it.
Someone will be along pretty soon to say that they cannot stand Ms Newsom’s duck voice…
Tiggerlion says
I still think Milk Eyed Mender is her best LP. It’s the only one I still listen to. I love its playfulness.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Joanna & Her Duck – my idea of hell!
Moose the Mooche says
Oh god… Joanna Newsom with “playfulness” …. run for the hills!!
Rufus T Firefly says
I lasted 53 seconds. Unbearable!
Wayfarer says
For me, it comes down to a particular performance of a song as nobody is going to love everything that a single singer produces.
Today my all-time favourite is Ketty Lester – Love Letters. We got our first record player in 1962/3-ish from my mum’s friend, along with a bunch of 45s: Richard Chamberlain – Rome Will Never Leave You; Connie Francis – Among My Souvenirs ; Eden Kane – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?; Carole King – It Might as Well Rain Until September. The seven year old me liked them all and there’a a few that have stood the test of time but Love Letters was and is something special. It’s the only one I replaced with my hard earned pocket money after my brother used them for target pratice with his air rifle. The little bastard.
Gary says
I didn’t think of my vote (Sinéad O’Connor) in terms of a particular song. In fact, there are very few of her songs that I like. It’s purely her voice that I find both amazing and beautiful at the same time.
Wayfarer says
Currently listening to Tracy Thorn – you’ve got a point.
Freddy Steady says
This far down (er) and no mention of Wendy O Williams?
How about the ABBA girls? This is a serious comment btw.
davebigpicture says
“Checks stock of gaffer tape”
Freddy Steady says
⬆️ Arf!
Moose the Mooche says
It’s a good thing she had that tape. It would have looked rude otherwise.
Clive says
Ofra Haza could hold a tune.
fentonsteve says
Oh yes. In my neighbour’s vinyl haul is the 12″ of Im Nin’alu (Played In Full) which I spun last night. Flippin’ aceness.
Moose the Mooche says
Coldcut using that for PiF was a stroke of genius. Eric B was absolutely appalled. Until it appeared on the Colors soundtrack and the money started rolling in, of course.
Locust says
Lots of great names here, but unless I’m mistaken the wonderful Laura Nyro is nowhere to be seen. Until now.
Junior Wells says
oh sure Bessie Smith, Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, Shelby Lynne, Big Mama Thornton, Miriam Makeba and Odetta are all up there too but where to draw the line on your tops ?
Pretty arbitrary I guess
fentonsteve says
See also, Cocteau Twin’s Elizabeth Fraser, certainly a unique vocal talent.
And she was great in Carry On Regardless.
Neela says
Someone should mention
And of course
retropath2 says
Three more who cut my cloth, Suzanne Vega and Margo Timmins, counterbalanced, on a dry day, by Lucinda, tho’ she’s pretty shot now, I suspect.
SouthernExile says
I’d like to mention Kate Rusby. And here she is from the Cambridge Folk Festival.
noisecandy says
Brenda Holloway, Baby Washington, Jacqueline Taieb, Elkie Brooks, Nina Hagen, Carmel McCourt, Angela McClusky, Billie Davis, Sharon Tandy, Poly Styrene, France Gall and Kiki Dee. Not the greatest but a few personal favourites of mine who I feel worthy of a mention.
Freddy Steady says
France Gall. France Gall!!
Declan says
Great names, great women: Dusty, Billie, Cassandra, Margo, Whitney.
Also, don’t forget Julie London, Urszula Dudziak, and my own fave, Chaka Khan.
Freddy Steady says
Chaka Khan?
Declan says
Question mark? The AN-hitmaker has been doing it for, what, 45 years. Boundless energy, good taste, playful, try this
And back when she was just a little slip of a thing. This is irresistible
minibreakfast says
Chaka Khan?
Declan says
Question mark? Well, the IFFY-hitmaker isn’t just a soul shouter, but well-versed in the jazz tradition too, try this (yes, I realise the strings are a bit schlocky..)
https://youtu.be/XP-oGwt8ng0
Not to mention this nugget
Alias says
Which reminds me, Marlena Shaw deserves a mention.
As should Irma Thomas, rated by some as better than Aretha.
DougieJ says
Late to this thread and apologies to the preceding 91 comments but – Karen Carpenter. Flawless.
RubyBlue says
Apology accepted. *ahem*
DougieJ says
Point taken 🙂
dai says
Did I miss a mention of Chrissie Hynde?
count jim moriarty says
Does nothing for me as a singer I’m afraid. Wrote some great pop songs, but her voice always put me off.
dai says
No she has a wonderful voice.
DougieJ says
Sorry count jim, but this is indeed a *fact*. Just great all-round – songwriter, singer, band-leader, foxtress supreme (sorry for, er, channelling Terry Thomas there!).
count jim moriarty says
Too much vibrato for me. I just find it annoying.
duco01 says
Jane Siberry has – or at least had – a great voice.
And a quick shout out for Nahawa Doumbia, too.
duco01 says
And Natalie Merchant, naturally.
I’m envious of all those Afterworders who are going to see her live this year.
She’s not playing Stockholm, of course. She’d be more likely to play the Pitcairn Islands than Stockholm.
Kaisfatdad says
I hate to rub salt in that wound, Duke, but Natalie has just announced some Pitcairn Island gigs for her current “intimate” tour. The citizens ( all 45 of them) are delighted.
I must put in a word for Sara Isaksson. Difficult to explain why but I always find her singing very compelling.
Carl says
There are 99 comments ahead of me and, unless I missed it, no-one has mentioned the fabulous Suzy Bogguss.
Great tone, real warmth, excellent technical ability and a sparkling personality to go with it.
We had a compilation playing in the car just a couple of weeks ago and a Suzy track came on. Both my wife and I agree she has one of the very best voices we have ever heard and we have seen and heard most of the women mentioned above (whom I’m not disparaging in the least).
DougieJ says
I instinctively read your first para in Whispering Bob’s voice Carl. No bad thing I’m sure you’ll agree 🙂
Pajp says
Late to the party as usual, but can I put a word in for Dinah Washington?
There, I’ve done it.
*sings to self* “If I were a bell, I’d go ding, dong, ding, dong, ding!”
paulwright says
Joni
Jorrox says
I see one wee mention for Irma Thomas. She deserves more than that. First recorded in 1959, she kept on working for decades, and most of it is good stuff. She still sings live in New Orleans but I don’t think she’s made a record for a few years.
Rigid Digit says
Maggie Bell
Hollered like a good ‘un with Stone The Crows, provided backing vocals (or “vocal abrasives”) on Every Picture Tells A Story.
And this cover of Free’s Wishing Well is none too shabby:
Uncle Mick says
Ah!, the pure tones of Kathryn Roberts
Mike_H says
Timi Yuro had a truly amazing voice but was severely limited by the material she was given, basically just string-drenched slow torch songs. A shame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCl7n_S6eX8
(My Prayer)
Freddy Steady says
I should probably resign. I’m not sure I ever knew Timi Yuro was a gurl.
(Idea for a thread)
duco01 says
We all like Bulgarian folk chants, don’t we? Well, I do, anyway. I love ’em.
I was listening of one of Joe Boyd’s podcasts recently, and he mentioned that one of his favourite voices of all time was that of the great Yanka Rupkina of the Trio Bulgarka. I was lucky enough to catch the trio live once in about 1989, in a grotty old school canteen out by Danvikstull in Stockholm. They were, of course, staggeringly good.
Declan says
Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares back in the late-80s was almost fashionable for a little while, got it, was that the same people? Anyway, weird scales and harmonies, great stuff.
@duco01
duco01 says
Well, yes and no. Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares features quite a large vocal ensemble – but one which does indeed include the great Yanka Rupkina. She sings the solo bits on track 3, Kalimankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering).
The clip I posted above is of the Trio Bulgarka: Yanka Rupkina with Stoyanka Boneva and Eva Georgieva. If you fancy investigating any of their stuff, I’d say the one to get is the Joe Boyd-produced “The Forest is Crying” (1988) on Hannibal Records. If you’re a fan of Bulgarian polyphonic singing, it’s a guaranteed winner.
Kaisfatdad says
I have a strange suspicion that I was also there there in that grotty school canteen. Not often I have been to gigs at Danvikstull. I believed I dashed there in a taxi with Mrs Brown and Grand Uncle Bulgaria.
Or did I dream it all?
andielou says
I’ll throw in Maria McKee, Kristin Hersh, Kat Bjelland, Alison Goldfrapp & PJ Harvey
retropath2 says
Peej, hell, yeah, on a good day.
Do you like her “new direction”?
Tahir W says
Nah, too folky for me. What I do like about her is that she has so many directions. So you kind of know that there will be more of her that you’ll like. Great vocalist.
Freddy Steady says
I do like her new direction… that’s lovely, ta.
duco01 says
So … no votes for Donna Jean Godchaux, then.
I conclude that there aren’t any real HARDCORE Deadheads among the Afterword Massive…
retropath2 says
Heard worse……
(Heard better…..)
craig42blue says
I love Shelby’s voice and Alison is also a favourite, but I would struggle to find any vocals to compare with the two sisters together (especially live recently)!
Yes, also to KD Lang, Kasey Musgraves, Linda Ronstadt and Aretha but a late contender would have to be the gorgeous tones of Laura Marling.
DougieJ says
Maggie Bell summoning up her inner Janis. No mean singer…
https://youtu.be/LTSOx_xrXYw
Alias says
No gospel singers so far. Time to correct that with some Dorothy Love Coates
Anyone who likes this stuff might want to pick up this Ace Records twofer from the dodgers, a copy £1.99 as I write.
Sour Crout says
Patsy Cline for sure but Eartha never gets any love https://youtu.be/WRo-wv9BlYo
retropath2 says
Listening to English Rebel Songs 1381 – 1984 in the car today I was obviously prompted by the pure northern tones of Lou Watts:
Sitheref2409 says
My last bid. The incomparable Annie Briggs