Name Your Favorite Vocalist-Male- Female?

[Mark617]

Robin Zander
Benjamin Orr

Annie Lenox
Chrissie Hynde

 

[skunqesh]

I love each and every artist mentioned so far - just wanted to give mention to a few of my faves (this week).
Peter Gabriel
Annie Lennox
Marvin Gaye
James Taylor
Adele
& Milo Aukerman. yeah, the Descendants singer. I like ballads.

 

[Fendereedo]

Nat King Cole
Marvin Gaye
Dusty Springfield
Roger Daltrey
Otis Redding
Iggy Pop (The Stooges era)
David Bowie
Marc Bolan
Little Richard
Paul McCartney
Ella Fitzgerald
Amy Winehouse
Etta James

 

[oldunc]

Lots of Ella and Sarah, is there no love for Carmen McRae? Not as pretty a voice but I'd really rather listen to her- and I love those guys. Gospel generally gets short shrift on these pages, but it doesn't get any better than Dorothy Love Coates and Archie Brownlee. For the most part I prefer female singers, but in blues, Elmore James has never been matched, and from Cuba Ibrahim Ferrer rules.
First to be cast for "Voices of Angels", Lebanon's Fairuz.

 

[Spox]

The Everly Brothers.

 

[Frisco 57]

they're both gone but Etta James and Joe Cocker.

 

[wevard]

Chris Cornell

 

[Spox]

Back at the end of the 90s, beginning of the 00s I used to hear things like this on FM radio and buy the vinyl, I think I may have imported a James Carr album from the US at that point. His voice absolutely soars here.

 

[3rdworlder]

Male: Wade Hayes, Nat King Cole (Rock: C.F. Turner and DIO)
Female: Karen Carpenter, Carly Simon, but I do believe Suzy Bogguss has the sweetest voice ever.

NOW... If I think about THE singer of singers then I'll just have to mention the incredible George Jones.

 

[bebopbrain]

Abbey Lincoln (1990's period)
Feargal Sharkey, OBE

Are the votes for Karen Carpenter sincere? Mixed up with that China Grove thread?

 

[JIMMY JAZZMAN]

Nora Jones.

 

[6stringcowboy]

Today, it's Sierra Ferrell and Evan Felker.

 

[Bill in VA]

Male:

1. Marty Robbins
2. Rod Stewart
3. John McDermott
4. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Female:

1. Loreena McKennitt - haunting!
2. Janis Joplin
3. Connie Dover
4. Linda Ronstadt

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

Greg Lake
Michael McDonald
Vic Damone

Doris Day
Anita O'Day

 

[Russ H]

I love so many, and I’m not suggesting an objective “best,” but Aretha Franklin’s voice, to me, is sublime.

 

[Jakedog]

Jon Waite
Johnette Napolitano

 

[MrCoolGuy]

Kurt Cobain
Patsy Cline

 

[rand z]

Marvin Gaye

Tracy Grammer

imo.

 

[8094]

For me it's the incredible voices of[Nat King Cole- Sarah Vaughan].

You have good taste in girl singers!
Q: Who is the most prolific selling singer of ALL music styles for ALL time? Note: this singer's sales continually rise from year to year, and show no signs in abating.
Hint: This singer never possessed more than 1.5 octaves of usable range. In the middle career, the range reduced about 3 steps. Ny the time of her last good record whe had but a single octave of range.
A: LADY DAY! She is THE only Jazz Artist who will consistently sell to non-Jazz listeners. I like her Brunswick and Vocalion sides best, and frequently play along with them. The Decca sides are the most popular, but Decca had a lot of syrupy and schmaltzy arrangers (like Mitch Miller and Axel Stordahl) —whom I think ruined a LOT of good records!

I pray you are also listening to Ella, Chris Connor, Anita O'Day, June Christy. Mildred Bailey, Pet Clark, Early Peggy Lee, with her husband, Dave Barbour (guitar player), Early Kay Starr, Jessica Molasky with the Pizzarelli Brothers, Ray Kennedy, etc. Madeleine Peyroux is also an important modern singer worthy of patronage. While many people seem to hear a lot of Lady Day in her work, I find her to be a true original and I love her work. Tierney Sutton is faultless, —but that is the problem; her NATURAL INSTRUMENT lacks the unique affectations that I think the finest singers MUST have.
And, DO play with the Billy Holiday sides! It's a great lesson! If you play with the Brunswick and Vocalion sides, you find yourself being taught by Karl Kress, Dick Mcdonough, Freddy Green, Allen Reuss, and more! Generally, the rhythm section was whoever was in town at the town at the time, and the BASIE band was in town a LOT!
Playing with Jo Jones, Freddie Green, Teddy Wilson and Walter Paige as your rhythm section is sublime! I think a couple of sides even have Basie on piano.
Live to play!

 

[8094]

Marvin Gaye

Tracy Grammer

imo.

Gaye and Curtis Mayfield have the finest falsettos in pop music. I dig Mayfield because he also wrote, played, produced. And his Tele playing is WONDERFUL!!