Greatest female vocalists: A thread by Dale Wisely

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:09 pm

k.d. lang

And I just love it that the transvestite community is so taken with Cher.

djm

Post by **Dale** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:14 pm

djm wrote:k.d. lang

Good nomination.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:26 pm

djm wrote:k.d. lang

You guys are doing better at recalling my favorites than I am

rh · Post by rh » Thu May 17, 2007 5:40 pm

la Guarachera del Mundo, Celia Cruz

few singers, male or female, could match her power when she was in her prime.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:06 pm

Since I haven't heard any singers before the age of recordings I'll have to pass on this one.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:16 pm

I'm partial to Judy Collins, and back in the day, I had a real thing for Grace Slick..

ISU Trout Bum · Post by **ISU Trout Bum** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:23 pm

Ditto Sarah McLachlan - absolutely amazing singer and song writer.

Azam Ali - from the "World Music" groups Vas and Niyaz. The phrase that comes to mind is "absolutely pure". I think, but don't know for sure, that she is classically trained. Click to enter this site and you can hear a sample: http://www.niyazmusic.com/

I know some of you may freak at this one but . . . Shakira. I know, I know. However, she sings and writes almost all of her own stuff, and can sing almost equally well in both Spanish and English (though her Spanish tunes are more, I dunno, poetic). Her "dance" stuff is about all that every gets played on the radio, so few English speaker ever hear her really good suff.

Rachel Yamagata - for those of you who don't know her, she's another singer/song writer, AMAZING pianist, and flat out has a set of pipes when she wants to. Check out her song "Letter Read"

I've gotta throw in a fifth - Imogen Heap. Beautiful voice, and absolutely brilliant (writes ALL of her own music, which is very cutting edge - she's experimental)!. Her voice gives me goose-bumps - especially this song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhVfeOAgmAw

ISU Trout Bum · Post by **ISU Trout Bum** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:28 pm

I'm a complete moron and forgot possibly my absolute fav - Harriet Wheeler, from the British group The Sundays. Angelic, angelic, angelic, angelic . . . . .

Check out "Cry" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQhNhDN5mzI

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:32 pm

Joni comes close for me, there is a purity and strength there that does not really exist in other singers although Eva Cassidy came close. The great tragedy there is that Evas style never had the chance to develop and mature over the years.

Ella Fitzgerald has to be mentioned for a number of reasons, not the least being her understanding of melody married to rhythm, not to mention an ongoing affair with wit and humour.

Dolores Keane, though not as famous as the rest, for the nuance and the passion.

I could mention another dozen or so but three was the task..alas.

Slan,
D.

rh · Post by rh » Thu May 17, 2007 6:32 pm

ISU Trout Bum wrote: Azam Ali - from the "World Music" groups Vas and Niyaz.

very cool, thanks for the tip.

ISU Trout Bum · Post by **ISU Trout Bum** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:39 pm

You're very welcome rh - enjoy!!!!

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:42 pm

My vote would go to Maddy Prior. She's been going for 40 years now, has certainly lost some of the purity of her voice, but she's still got it. The first two Tim and Maddy albums, a capella or with just a guitar or banjo, had some of the most remarkable vocals I've ever heard.

Of course it's hard to argue with Aretha being #1.

Annie Haslam -- certainly among the best voices, damn good singer, too

Emmylou Harris -- she's lost absolutely nothing with age

Joni Mitchell, Dusty Springfield, Sandy Denny

If you wanna get a little obscure (for Americans), Amalia Rodrigues, the queen of Fado -- I don't know that I've ever heard anyone put more of herself into a song than Fado singers, and Amalia was the best.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu May 17, 2007 6:44 pm

rh wrote:la Guarachera del Mundo, Celia Cruz

few singers, male or female, could match her power when she was in her prime.

If I am wanting to buy a CD of hers, which would you suggest?

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Thu May 17, 2007 7:42 pm

OK, off the top of my head, here's who immediately came to mind-

Aretha Franklin- anyone who can fill in for Pavarotti on Nessun Dorma
at the last minute and pull it off has to be number one in
my book.

Billie Holiday- undoubtedly

Lisa Gerrard- her voice is truly amazing

I wholeheartedly agree with the following previously mentioned-

Maddy Prior
Sarah McLachlin
Janis Joplin
Judy Colins
k.d. lang
Sinead O'Connor
Ella Fitzgerald
Patsy Cline

rh · Post by rh » Thu May 17, 2007 7:43 pm

Cranberry wrote:
rh wrote:la Guarachera del Mundo, Celia Cruz

few singers, male or female, could match her power when she was in her prime.
If I am wanting to buy a CD of hers, which would you suggest?

There are a lot of "Exitos" or "Best of" compilations around, probably any of them would be fine (i'd avoid the "dance remix" versions, though). I personally think her best work came from her stint with Tito Puente in the 1960's through the Fania period in the 1970s, with Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colon, the Fania All-Stars, etc. Her early recordings with La Sonora Matancera are classics but are very old-sounding (different from the more modern salsa sound from the '70s onward). I'm less familiar with her most recent work; i think her voice began to decline in the last decade of her life but she always had that fire, a lot of energy... and of course azúcar! God bless her, may she rest in peace.

Here she is with the Fania All-Stars, singing "Guantanamera":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xl-jq08AGU

Here's some classic footage from Yankee Stadium, with one of her signature tunes, "Bemba Coloráa", her power and exquisite phrasing were really highlighted here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3VdVuivQ4Q&NR=1