Woman Vocals - suggestions
Posted by: Iver van de Zand on 24 July 2012
Dear forummembers,
I could use some help with suggestions for a certain type of music I like. My interest goes to Woman Vocals especially in the genres of Folk, Jazz and Easy Listening. I try to follow some music magazines but this type of music is not always des ribed or reviewed. Any of you have any suggestions on top of below list of musicians I really like:
Eva Cassidy - Sara K. - Holly Cole - Cassandra Wilson - Jacintha - Diana Krall - Caroll Kid - Chie Ayado - Stacey Kent - Mathilde Santing - Patricia Kaas - Carla Lother - Rebecca Pidgeon
Thanks for the elp,
Iver
You might like these XRCD 'Best Audiophile Voices' series CD. They are compilation of female vocals often used for a hi fi demo. ( in the same vein as Krall, Jachinta, Sara K et all ) I think 7th Edition is out now?
Eden Atwood's 'Waves' might be right up your alley also available in both XRCD and vinyl.
Gabriela Anders' 'wanting' is another with bosa nova/easy jazz flavour.
Hello Iver
My favourite artist in my known universe is Shirley Collins - to me the most significant folk singer I have ever listened to. Anthems In Eden remains my #1 album ever, but I recommend the Harvest Years which has the AIE song suite on it. She does not sound like the women you mention, but she is unique and authentic. Here albums range from plain folk Sweet England, folk/jazz on Folk Roots, New Roots, folk/psych on Power of The True Love Knot with the Incredible String Band, through the totally unique Anthems to folk/rock on No Roses with the Albion Band. Of all the albums I own if I could only have one then it would be the Harvest Years by Shirley & Dolly Collins.
If you prefer a singer/songwriter then, of course, one sticks out for a mile. Sandy Denny was a genius and wrote songs of the quality few can only dream of ... and she could sing like an angel. Her solo album Sandy is beautiful and one of the greatest records ever. She was leading light behind Fairport Convention in 1969 who made three great records one after the other. That Sandy's work surpassed the quality of Fairport is unbelievable.
OK so you want polish and a beautiful singer then it has to be prog-folk-rockers Renaissance with the wonderful Annie Haslam - my favourite album is Turn of the Cards, but again Annie's solo work is worth a spin or three especially her album with the Roy Wood Orchestra (yes Roy plays everything) called Annie in Wonderland. Annie has the best voice of any singer I have heard and I've heard a lot.
Want some rock then Janis Joplin's Pearl is as wonderful as it is powerful. I have so many versions of this and session out takes, but just the original tracks are where to concentrate. No she wasn't as good as Sandy, but she could belt out a tune like no other.
More towards easy listening with folk leaning is Mary Black, and No Frontiers or Babes In The Wood would be where I'd recommend you started. Great choice of song.
Modern folk and superb song writing is what you get with Karine Polwart. This young Scot knows how to write, play and sing and reaches almost perfection on This Earthly Spell. An absolute genuine star. This is meticulous playing and structured songs with a twist.
Totally consistent is Kate Rusby and she just puts out good record after good record and really stepped up to the mark with her own compositions on Make The Light. Her earlier albums like Hourglass are lighter, but have a haunting quality.
A bit depressing at times, but you cannot ignore the Unthanks and Last is my recommended place to start, but they have released a series of great records and originally did so as Rachel Unthank and the Winterset,
America's finest singer song writer is worth a listen and I'd recommend Come On Come On from Mary Chapin Carpenter. An artist whose records I buy as they come out and there are no let downs ... see if you can find This Shirt on YouTube - a brilliant song that convinced me she was a real star.
OK - I'll mention Basia Bulat, the lady in the floppy hat, no not the greatest singer, but a very good one, but Oh My Darling! was just so good it took me by storm. I expected just another well structured album from a solid Canadian singer song writer, but what I got was baroque folk with a twist. It was a bit like hearing Sgt Pepper for the first time: there is nothing else quite like it.
So finally for now, please take a listen to Waking The Witch and wonder why we had all those girly groups, but these four ladies were not megastars - they are musicians, writers and singers and I can only think they were too good to put placed along side X-Factor dross. Rachel Goodwin, Patsy Matheson, Becky Mills and Jools Parker appeared at UK festivals including Glastonbury, Trowbridge and Cambridge and in Boys from the Abattoir released in February 2007 made one superb album and decided to split up; their two previous albums were Like Everybody (2004) and Hands and Bridges (2005) and are fine records too, but BFTA was a minor masterpiece. Here is the entire album from YouTube - the CD has much better SQ, but it gives you a flavour of my favourite all girl band.
Sorry - yes I love PJ Harvey, Loreena McKennitt, Melanie Safka, Kate Bush, Sonja Kristina, Joni Mitchell, Nina Hagen, Nico, Vashti, Franciose Hardy, Bella Hardy, Emily Smith, Emily Baker, Gracie Fields, Grace Slick, Petula Clark, Eddi Reader, Cara Dillon, Candice Night and early Cilla Black and many other female singers too from Marie Lloyd to Dusty Springfield to Barbara K. MacDonald, but I've highlighted a few that you may like (or not).
Sorry no jazz singers who scat - you'll need others to recommend those as I've never understood their appeal.
Male singers would have been easier for me as apart from Scott Walker, Richard Sinclair, Kevin Ayers, Kevin Coyne and the Captain ... I'm stumped and I positively detest crooners and singing drummers other than Ringo. 
All the best, Guy
Iver,
If you feel a little bit more adventurous one day, maybe you could lend an ear to one of these random ideas:
- Crooked Stil, for instance Some Strange Country; neither jazz nor folk, it is dubbed 'progressive bluegrass'; excerpt: Half of What We Know
- Luz Casal, for instance the Best of; spanish voice; excerpt: Piensa en mi
- Madredeus, definitely Existir; portuguese neo-fado-folk (?); excerpt: the moving O Pastor (here a live version); if you don't have goosebumps with this, you're already dead
- And of course -- or I wouldn't be me -- the wonderful voices of God Help the Girl; excerpt: Come Monday Night
And if you're not allergic to the french language, you could try:
- Berry, why not Mademoiselle; excerpt: Le Bonheur
- Emily Loizeau, L'autre bout du monde; excerpt, you name it: L'autre bout du monde (here a live acoustic version)
- An how could you not listen to the immense Barbara, beginning with a single disc best of (there are many of them); excerpt: L'aigle noir (sorry , bad sound)
- I was thinking about Claire Diterzi or Camille, but these are not easy-listening at all !
Probably not really what you were looking for, but hey! where would the fun be !
HTH
Maurice
Hi Iver,
You might like
Regards,
Larry
I would recommend either of Sarah Jarosz' albums:
And I just ordered this from Amazon last night - on the strength of one cut ("I Can't Explain") that I heard on GrooveFM.de:
And the reviews I read online were universally strong; "European Jazz with an American Flavor." (She is from Seattle.)
I would also recommend this wonderful CD by Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist - Fire In The Hole
This was recommended on the music forum about 6 years ago and has never failed to lift my spirits every time I listen.
Here are samples and buy here - http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poproc...he-Hole/hnum/1743269
On TV...
Rose Darling - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPcLXqxGFMk
Barrytown - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrmSEc_Sx5c
Here's some jazzy Rebecka...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IJLqErxZh8&feature=related
Denis
3) Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2, The Forgotten Arm
How on earth did I manage to forget my own personal favourite ? 
Thanks Hook.