Beautiful Vocals of Female Jazz Singers
WHO Are The Top Female Jazz Singers? WHAT Are Their Distinctive Marks? HOW Did They Achieve Fame? WHY Do They Remain The Best? And WHERE Can You Find The Answers ? Here, Right Here > > >
Hello, Jazz Lovers:
Billie Holiday, aka Lady Day, was one of the greatest jazz and blues singers in the 1930s to 1950s. Her singing style was deeply moving and individual. She transformed popular songs into emotionally-charged pieces. So, Billie was among the top female jazz singers.
Billie was born in Maryland to a musician father, but she had a troubled childhood. Having no formal musical training, she nevertheless possessed an intuitive feel for musicial structures and blues/jazz music.
In the late 1920s, Billie relocated to New York with her mother. She sang in Harlem's night clubs and, in the 1930s, with the bands of Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Artie Shaw. Later, Billie recorded with Teddy Wilson (piano) and, especially, Lester Young (saxophone).
In the 1940s and 1950s, Billie achieved great success singing in jazz clubs in the United States - as one of the best female jazz singers.
She penned her, autobiography, "Lady Sings The Blues", in 1956; it became a motion picture in 1972.
Unfortunately, Billie's heroin addiction ravaged her voice and she died young at age 44.
Her recordings include:
..... Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits
Ella Fitzgerald was a jazz singer extraordinaire - the best of all female jazz singers. This international jazz legend's career spanned six decades and sold over 40 million records.
Ella's clear, sweet voice had an enormous vocal range. She was also master of scat singing - improvising with wordless syllables, using her voice as a true musical instrument.
Born in Virginia, Ella was raised in a New York orphanage. Fortunately, at age 16, she was talent-spotted at a singing contest, and she joined Chick Webb's band in 1935.
Ella made her first recording in 1935 and scored her first hit with "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" in 1938. Webb died in 1939 and his band broke up in 1942. Ella then went solo, and embarked on international tours with jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and others.
During the mid-1950s and 1960s, with Norman Granz as her manager, Ella recorded her "songbooks" of some 250 songs, written by such renowned songwriters as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and more.
Ella also appeared on TV and in films, and in concerts world-wide - playing her rightful role at the top of female jazz singers.
In the 1970s, she suffered health problems but continued to perform until 1993, when diabetes claimed both her legs.
Innumerable honours were bestowed on Ella Fitzgerald. She garnered 12 Grammy Awards, received the Kenndy Center Honours (1979) and a National Medal of Arts (1987).
Recordings:
..... The Best of the Songbooks
Famous Songs:
..... Oh, But I Do
Sarah Vaughan, dubbed The Divine One, was among the greatest of all female jazz singers. She had a rich, powerful voice with a wide vocal range. Vaughan was also a pianist.
Born in New Jersey, Sarah studied piano and organ at age seven, and sang in the church choir.
In the 1940s, Vaughan joined the bands of Earle Hines and Billy Eckstine. And in 1945, she recorded the famous song, "Lover Man", with the bebop inventors, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
In the mid-1940s, Vaughan appeared on TV variety shows. In addition, she made three movies in the 1950s and 1960s - underscoring her pre-eminence among female jazz singers.
By the 1950s, Sarah became an international star and her song, "Broken-Hearted Melody", sold over one million copies. She then embarked on world tours in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1990, the year she died, Sarah was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame.
Her recordings include:
..... Sarah Vaughan (1954)
Helen Forrest, aka The Blue Lady, was a popular big band era jazz singer. She was noted for her ability to project lyrics and her excellent interpretation. Her smooth and swinging voice was soft and warm.
Helen was born in Atlantic City. As a young girl, she sang in New York radio stations and then in her brother's Washington band. She later became the lead singer in Artie Shaw's band in 1938, replacing Billie Holiday. She also graced the bands of Harry James, Benny Goodman and others in later years.
Forrest attained her peak of popularity among female jazz female singers in 1941 - singing wartime hits. Her signature song, "I Had The Craziest Dream", is also the title of her autobiography written in 1982.
In 1944 she became a solo singer. She appeared on radio and film shorts and went touring. In the 1950s she curtailed her activities but continued to perform in the 1960s to 1980s. She cut her last album in 1983.
Recordings:
..... Now and Forever ( last album)
Famous Songs:
..... I Has thte Craziest Dream
An international star, Anita O'Day is a living legend among female jazz singers. Her long career, begun in the 1930s, continues today. In fact, her latest album is to be released in 2006.
Anita was born in Chicago, Illinois. In the late 1930s, she left her broken home to dance and sing. Talent-spotted by drummer Gene Krupa in 1941, she sang in his band and achieved notable success. She was one of top five big band singers in 1942.
Later, Anita joined the bands of Woody Herman and then Stan Kenton. She also performed with the bebop musicians as the fast tempo suited her singing style.
In the late 1940s, she went solo. She sang very sucessfully with John Pool, her favourite drummer - for 32 years.
Her 1955 album, "This is Anita O'Day", greatly boosted her career. She went on to record several other albums in the 1950s to 1970s.
Anita also performed with many famous musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, Thelonious Monk and George Shearing. And, more importantly, the 1958 documentary, "Jazz on a Summer's Day", made her an international star - one of the top female jazz singers.
In the 1960s, her heroin addiction brought her low. After a long break, Anita resumed her performance, and published her autobiography "High Times, Hard Times" in 1981.
Anita lives in California. Her new album to be issued in 2006 is "Indestructible Anita O'Day".
Recordings:
..... This is Anita O'Day Famous Songs:
..... Let Me Off Uptown
Dinah Washington was a singer of many parts. Extremely gifted and versatile, she had a highly-pitched and crystal-clear voice. But jazz was only one of the several genres she performed with great distinction.
She was born in Alabama as Ruth Jones. When very young, she moved with her pianist mother to Chicago where, later, she played the piano and sang spirituals. She then switched to secular songs, including jazz.
In 1943, Lionel Hampton spotted and recruited her to sing in his band. Three years later, Dinah left to solo on her own.
Soon, in 1946, her solo performance marked her as a rising star among female jazz singers. In the 1950s, Dinah interacted very heavily with many jazz musicians. These included Cliff Brown (trumpet), Max Roach (drums), Quincy Jones (arranger), Wynton Kelly (piano) and Eddie Chamblee (saxophone), who became her husband.
Unfortunately, she died at age 39 - overdose of pills and alcohol.
Recordings:
..... Greatest Hits 1946-1953
Betty Carter was most notable for her vocal flexibility, far-out improvisation and soaring scat-singing - as one of the top female jazz singers.
Born in Michigan, she was also known as Lillie Mae Jones or Lorraine Carter. She studied piano when young, and began singing at age 16 at jazz clubs and theatres. Inspired by Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday, Betty nevertheless strove for her own singing style.
After a singing stint with bandleader Lionel Hampton, Betty sang around different US cities from 1951 with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. Then from 1960 to 1963, she toured with Ray Charles and recorded duets with him.
After a short marriage break, Betty appeared twice at the Carnegie Hall in the late 1970s, and toured the US and Europe. She produced several solo recordings during this period.
In 1993, she started a program called "Jazz Ahead" aimed at encouraging and training young people in jazz.
In 1997, Betty Carter was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts.
Recordings:
..... Betty Carter (1953)
8 SHIRLEY HORN (born 1934)
Shirley Horn's career is based on love songs. She can tranform lyrics into a deeply emotional and personal expression of jazz. Undoutedly, she is among the top female jazz singers.
Born into a musical family in Washington, D.C., Shirley began tinkling on the piano as a toddler. At teenage, she studied classical piano, but was seduced by jazz.
In 1960, she made her debut recording. This led her to the renowned trumpeter Miles Davis, who recruited her for his Village Vanguard supper club outfit in New York. Finding her approach to music similar to his, Davis became her great friend and mentor for life.
In 1986, Shirley signed up with a well-known recording company and, thereafter, her albums won several Grammy Awards.
In 1992, her Paris performance resulted in another popular album. And, later that same year, she collaborated with composer Johnny Mandel to produce a #1 Hit album entitled: "Here's To Life".
Shirley Horn, it is said, takes her time to achieve success, letting fame take second place to her first love - creating music.
Recordings:
..... Close Enough For Love
Dianne Reeves is a pre-eminent jazz vocalist of the present day. She has a large, world-wide following for her unique jazz style of breath-taking improvisation and wide vocal range. So far, Dianne has garnered three Grammy Awards.
Dianne was born in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in Denver, Colorado. She began singing with her high school big band. Her performance attracted the attention of certain well-known jazz musicians, who encouraged her to study music and to perform with them.
In 1981, Dianne acquired her first international exposure by touring with another famous musician. The following year, 1982, she cut her first album: "Welcome To My Love". Finally, Dianne's big break came in 1987 when a prominent recording company talent-spotted her to produce the album "Dianne Reeves". That catapulted Dianne onto the international festival circuit - as one of the best female jazz singers.
Another significant recording was in 1995 with the famous saxophonist Joshua Redman: "Quiet After The Storm".
Her award-winning album, "A Little Moonlight", featuring her touring trio was made in 2002.
And in 2004, Dianne Reeves recorded her first holiday album called "Christmas Time Is Here". She also embarked on tours of Europe and Asia.
Recordings:
..... Welcome To My Love (1982)
Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. But she also studied, performed and won glory in the United States. She is famed for her sultry, swinging style of singing, with no scatting.
Born in British Columbia into a musical family, Diana played classical music and sang in church choirs when young.
At age 16, she played professional piano. Then she studied music at a Boston college and also with jazz pianist Jimmy Rowles.
For many years she performed on the US East and West Coasts as well as in Toronto, Canada. She chose sophisticated love songs by old masters - "intimate portrayals of romantic feelings". She used little musical accompaniment.
Finally in 1995, Diana made her breakthru' into jazz fame with her album "All For You". And her crowning glory came in 2000 with the conferment of her first Grammy Award for "When I Look Into Your Eyes" - confirming her as one of the top female jazz singers.
Her 2004 album "On the Girl in the Other Room", features some of her own compositions as well as songs written by her husband Elvis Costello, British singer and songwriter.
Recordings:
..... Stepping Out (1993) - debut album
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