OT: Jazz, blues, swing, etc lady singers?

General Knitting
1

Hey guys, this is way OT, but I’m feeling in the mood to sing, and I’ve found it’s hard for me to find good music with a woman/lady singing… I mean, I admit I haven’t done a TON of searching, but if you know of any, can you holler some names out?

Right now, I sing along with people like

Leann Rimes,
Nicole Kidman,
Amy Lee from Evanescence,
The main chick from the dixie chicks,
Beth garner ( http://www.bethgarner.com ),
Christina Aguilera (not a big fan of hers, but when she does really sing, she does a good job)
Sarah Brightman

Those are basically the people I sing along with when I sing (not physically, but like on CDs and such lol.) Otherwise, I have to harmonize with male singers, and that’s a little harder sometimes.

And just shout out anyone you know of…I’m getting kinda bored of just singing along mostly with just Leann Rimes, Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), Evanescence and the dixie chicks … I dont think I have a CD from any other person I listed up there, maybe just a song or two.

And I mean, really sing, not just a catchy song. I know, I’m picky, lol.

Thanks in advance!

2

Angela, if you PM me your address, I’ll send you a sampler. I’m a singer, and DH is a massive music collector, so we have some really, really good stuff. :thumbsup: LOTS of great female singers.

My fave is Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine) who I could sing with all day, every day. Dh is partial to Patty Griffin…but there are so many more. :smiley:

3

Depending on what your style is - I tend to like a lot of folkie/indie/alt country ( :shock: )/ etc music…some of my favorite female vocalists are:

Sarah Harmer :heart: her

Kathleen Edwards (she fits into the alt country category - sounds like a female Neil Young - she has a very strong voice)

Katherine Whalen - old school jazzy style - she’s a member of Squirrel Nut Zippers

The Murmers - a great Scottish duo with beautiful harmonies, one of my favorites to sing along with

Everything but the Girl - her voice is just gorgeous, deep and soulful, and the music induces chair/car dancing.

4

The “unforgettable” Natalie Cole CD is great to sing with also Mary J. Blige “what’s the 411”.

5

It may not be your taste, but Renee Fleming has a new CD out called “Sacred Songs” that are all very accessible and kinda Christmasy. She has the most beautiful voice on the planet. (I take voice lessons from her mother.)

But if you really want to belt a song that’s not classical, try Judy Garland. You can’t beat her style.

Barbra Streisand is great, too. BUT it has to be her stuff from the 60s and 70s. Not “Evergreen”, yuck.

I could go on for days, but Judy would be my best recommendation.

6

I’ve been listening to a Billie Holiday CD in my car–mmmmm talk about blues.

7

Oh yea, I have one of their CDs, I love the way she sings too :slight_smile:

Thanks for all the ladies so far! Keep em coming if you know more :smiley: I’m jotting names and plan on listening to some Amazon.com samples.

8

If you like the folk, Dar Williams is a good choice. Cat Power is also good, though she’s a bit more alto and it looks like you’re more soprano.

I don’t know if it’s really your style, but there are two songs by Arcade Fire that are sung by a woman in the soprano range - “Haiti” and “In the Backseat.” And Arcade Fire is amazing.

And then there’s always Joni Mitchell.

I’ve found that I have very little music actually sung by women. I tend to just sing with the boys, and when it’s too low (I as well am a soprano), I just take it up the octave.

9

I really love Diana Krall, very accomplished musician and singer, unique smoky voice. The best rendition I’ve ever heard of “The Look of Love”.Her latest album is called “The Girl in the Other Room” and she wrote a lot of the songs with her husband Elvis Costello. I also love Joni Mitchell. You can’t beat Carol King’s “Tapestry” album for singing along although I personally skip “You make me feel like a natural woman.” :smiley:

10

Ditto to many of the singers listed above. Wanted to add Karryn Allison. Incredible singer, great CDs (and awesome live!). :thumbsup:

11

:thinking: I never knew I was a soprano :slight_smile: But I always wanted to know what I was. :happydance: If that is indeed what I am…Actually, I looked it up, I don’t think I am a soprano, I can only sing really high when I push it…so I’m a mezzo soprano or an alto, i think.

Joni Mitchell sounds really familiar, and I’ve gotten this response about 3 times now, so I feel like I really need to check her stuff out.

It’s hard for me to sing along with the guys on the stuff I listen to, I guess because they sing a lot lower than I do. (Brian Setzer, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Queen…) So I tend to talk-sing when I “gin” along with them, if I’m really thinking about it, I can harmonize though. (I’m a HUGE Stevie Ray Vaughan fan)

I’m especially looking for Bluesy/Jazzy singers because I don’t even know anyone who listens to that stuff, and I’ve found that the girls I have heard sound awesome and I’d love to sing like them, and their music.

Thanks so far to everyone who’s contributed to this everygrowing list :slight_smile:

12

She is a prophet :notworthy:

13

She is a prophet :notworthy:[/quote]

My favorite line is “I’ve been your slave ever since I’ve been your babe, but before I’m your dog I’ll see you in your grave.” Yeah!!

14

Not a soprano? Okay, try Rickie Lee Jones. “We Belong Together” is my fav. “Big Yellow Taxi” is a classic. How about Carly Simon? Can’t go wrong with her. Carole King is great. And does anybody know the name of the woman who is on the Love, Actually soundtrack that passed away from cancer before her albums became popular? Her music is gorgeous. I’ll have to look it up.

15

Nina Simone

First and foremost.

Peggy Lee
Bette Middler’s two latest CD’s (Rosemary Clooney & Peggy Lee)
Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald

I have a STACK of singable music at home… as well as some backing tracks…

16

Honestly, I can match LeAnn Rimes almost to a T. So that would be my pitch, I spose. Which I think would be mezzo soprano after what I looked up, but I could be so wrong. I took Choir in 4th and 5th grade, so I’m just going off the knowledge I read today. I can also sing “Memory” from CATS pretty well, even the very high pitched parts sung by Jemima (but now that kinda strains me, although I can still do it)

Peggy Lee, so far sounds more like what I was going for - pitchwise, so thanks for that :slight_smile:

I like Billie Holiday too, I’ve heard her before like on Forever Young (the movie with Mel Gibson), I have to be in the mood to hear her though, as with any easy listening type stuff. :slight_smile:

:shock: I love the Bette Midler ones! This sounds like something I could sing to… I never even thought of really checking out Bette Midler before, - I guess I underestimated :thinking:

Ella Fitzgerald too, I had heard of her before, but I never really checked her out before, I think I could sing along with her too.

Nina Simone is real deep for my voice, but I like the music :slight_smile:

Rickie Lee Jones is more near me too :slight_smile:

Carly Simon is a bit too deep for me too, but I like it :slight_smile:

Joni Mitchell is alright, not exactly my taste.

ooooh Karryn Allison is EXACTLY what I was looking for. So far I really like her, Peggy Lee, and Bette Midler :slight_smile: To sing along with, anyway :slight_smile:

Diana Krall is awesome, but she sings a bit deeper than me too, I don’t know if my voice will get to that pitch, but I really like it.

I think I can dig Carol King too…

Dar Williams seems more like my pitch, but the music may not be exactly my type, I could dig it.

Renee Flemming’s CD has some good songs on it, but I can’t preview them on amazon, so I’m gonna have to look around some more on her.

Judy Garland rocks my socks, but I dont think I’ve given her much of the time of day either…I also like another singer from the movie " At War With the Army", a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis flick…I dont know her name tho, I need to check on that.

Barbra streisand from the 60s sounds so nice, I can try to sing with that too. Seems my pitch. the song “Why did I choose you” is what I sampled.

oooh Natalie Cole is a good singer too :slight_smile: I think I can sing along with her.

the MAry J Blige one isn’t exactly my taste as of now, but that CD sounds pretty cool. I think I would’ve really liked it when I was 7, but it exceeds my expectations of her. :wink:

Everything but the girl sounds pretty nice too, although not entirely what I was looking for, and a bit deeper than I sing.

Got anymore jazzy/swingin/operatic singers…or anyone really - woman of course, since this is the point of the thread, throw them at me :slight_smile: Thanks so much guys! My wishlist of CDs is growing, and it’s been so long since this has happened!