Woman Vocals - suggestions

How did you get hold of it GraemeH , pretty please. ATB Peter

Sorry, just found it at Amazon, not a ' bargain of the week', but hey ! Cheers Peter

Not to forget k.d. Lang.

Try Barb Jungr (now on the Naim label but used to be on Linn).

She does great covers of Bob Dylan and my personal favourite is her rendition of the Kinks classic- Waterloo Sunset. Excellent live show too.

Of course there's also the extraordinary Diamanda Galas. An amazing, compelling voice. Not for the faint-hearted or fans of the twee, but brilliant nonetheless.

Recommended records include "The Sporting Life", made in collaboration with Led Zep's John Paul Jones:

1988's "You Must Be Certain of The Devil"

And "The Singer", a selection of covers:

Joni Mitchell

Bonnie Raitt

Shawn Colvin

Jonatha Brooke

Alison Krauss

Mary Fahl

Has anyone mentioned, Madeleine Peyroux?

just in case...

Fantastic thread...  I have a day off today and I know what I will do... Will take me all day to discover all those suggestions. This forum is the best....

If I can put my 2 cents...

One that I enjoyed very much over the years is Ann Dyer's remake of the Beatles classic Revolver. The album is called Revolver: A New Spin... Excellent. Not an easy listening but once you get used to her voicing, it grows on you. 

Another one is Jeanne Lee. Her album The Newest Sound Around with Ran Blake on piano is a long time favorite

If you like a little bit of blues, I suggest Betty LaVette, especially I've Got My Own Hell to Raise, produced by Joe Henry. Unique voice.

Someone has mentioned Camille. Her album Le fil is one of my top 10 (yes) of all times. Not easy to listen but very original. Highly recommended.

No one mentioned Shirley Horn. I think her album Remember Miles has to be on the list. She also sang very nicely on Charlie Haden's The Art of Song.

I also enjoy early Holy Cole. I particularly recommend her album Shades

Cheers!

Yip

Some of you won't believe me but you should try Yoko Ono. Her "Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band" (the counterpart to John's more famous record, released at the same time), is brilliant - and hugely influential on a number of important artist, including Sonic Youth, B52s, Steve Albini, Nirvana etc.

The 1971 double album "Fly" is also wonderful and almost as influential:

Don't believe anyone who tells you she can't sing. She can - it's just rather unconventional singing.

Not mentioned yet , 2 excellent albums by Marcia Howard .

Burning in the Rain

Butterfly

Guy,

Thanks for this one. It is a true gem. Made my day

Yip

Claire Diterzi... miam miam. Worth a listen (maybe a couple just to get used to her style).

Yip

Then there's the great Suzi Q, my first crush as a lad, and some stonkingly good singles, proving the gals can rock with the best of 'em. The way she thwacks that bass around (sigh...)

Like this! (click here) or this! (click here)

I got it on Amazon too.  Hope you like it.

G

We must be the same age as she did it for me back then too!  G

Diamanda Galás, Yoko Ono & Suzi Q as recommendations for Folk, Jazz & Easy-Listening ??! That's stretching music genres the Reed Richards way !

Diamanda is tremendous. My most unforgettable concert ever. Thanks for the albums tips Kevin.

Some of these may have appeared on earlier posts (apologies):

Signe Tollefsen

Sissel Kyrkjebo

Solveig Slettahjell

Inara George

Hanne Boel

Inger Marie Gundersen

Meg Baird

Vienna Teng

Joanna Wang

Mary Stallings

Something for most I hope. Happy listening.

M C Potts......Straight to you......You can listen to 2 tracks from this album on You Tube.

Besten

Mista H

Edie Brickell's solo output is excellent and normally very well recorded.  The Gadabouts album is also very good.  G

Thanks Richard, some of your suggestions I already new, but Hanne Boel was new to me; like het music a lot !!

I didn't see Ella Fitzgerald  or Etta James,  Etta came on as a teenager doing the standards of the 50s  but later a tribute album to Billie Holiday called "Mystery Lady.  A friend said she messes with the songs but she didn't want to do them just like her.  I have so much Ella in my collection I can do a whole day and night of her alone.

Nice lists! Thanks for this topic Iver!

Has no one listed Natalie Merchant?  .... No? Really? Cant be!

Alex

I guess my concept of musical categories is rather fluid . I don't see any need for the OP to unnecessarily restrict himself - after all there's good music and bad music and that's it.

Where did you see DG? Was it at the Festival Hall? I went to see her there, it were brilliant!

Here.

During the first two-third of the show the songs and the singing were rather freaky, as one would expect. But at some point, she sang a song from Jacques Brel -- Amsterdam -- which we could all have sung along as it was in french, but she performed it a way so moving, as from another world, that the audience was bewitched and tetanized.

From them on it was a completely different show, as if we had encouraged her to open her heart at last. This lady, once a legend of provocation, was now a fragile and vulnerable creature, intimidated by the loving response the audience was giving her. One could feel the waves of emotions flowing through the hall. It was unbelievable. I remained speechless for a long while when it was over.

Shows where you can feel something special happening are quite rare. When all the players play as one for instance, it can be mesmerizing. Or when a special bond is happening between the band and the audience. But I don't think I'll see another concert like this one. Ever.