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
SoundStage! review:
American Blues from the Netherlands
Sound Liaison Studio Showcase Series No. 1
Format: 24-bit/96kHz FLAC (download)Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
I've been among the prophets saying that high-resolution downloads are the future of audiophile music sales. Surely it will benefit the majors to make high-quality downloads a first choice rather than an MP3 extra, but I believe that individual artists can benefit as well. Most new-to-the-scene performers have little money for middlemen and disc manufacture, yet can get things together for the Internet.
Frans de Rond and Peter Bjørnild have taken this approach with Sound Liaison, producing recordings available only in 24-bit/96kHz downloads that mirror the master recording. And man, are they ever sweet. I've seldom heard recordings that were so successful in both performance and sound aspects.
De Rond hails from the Netherlands, where he studied double bass at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague while concurrently studying recording techniques. Bjørnild also studied double bass, moving to the Netherlands to continue studies at The Hague. Since graduating, he has played almost every type of music, from classical to jazz. Together de Rond and Bjørnild bring two pairs of golden ears to their label. Bjørnild claims that, "a recording should be as realistic and beautiful sounding as possible. As if, when closing your eyes, you find yourself in the best seat in the hall."
The partners discovered a fine recording hall (Studio-Eleven, Hilversum) and set out to record amazing musicians in this great acoustic place in front of live audiences. It's a daring feat; one take and no place to hide, but the abilities of the musicians involved make it seem easy. I chose to talk about the first album by Carmen Gomes Inc. It was a tough choice because all of the three current albums were worthy of review.
Carmen Gomes has won many awards in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. Like so many new European singers, she sings in English -- excellent English, I might add. She's formed a group called Carmen Gomes Inc., with Folker Tettero on guitar, Peter Bjørnild on double bass, and Marcel van Engelen on drums. Her style is bluesy and intimate with a sexy voice that's sweet as dark tupelo honey, and her interpretations are unerring. The musicians play to her and to each other, and the ensemble is so tight that the four musicians breathe and move as one.
There are some standards on the set that knocked me over with their fresh approach. Any singer can misplace a few accents and rhythms and come up with something that's original, but perhaps also uneasy and a little strange. Not Gomes, who has taken the songs to their bones and then restructured them to suit her style. Thus "Fever" doesn't sound like a cover of Peggy Lee; it sounds like a brand new take on a familiar song. You emerge from hearing it not thinking it's better or lesser than Lee's version, but that it's a valid new interpretation that could have come first.
The same approach works on "Angel Eyes," "You Don't Know What Love Is," and "I'm on Fire." Most of the rest, including the title song, "Oblivion," "Time Will Tell," "Gasoa Blue," and "The Sea," are Gomes originals that fit right in with the standards. The recording achieves exactly what Bjørnild set out as his goal. It can provide the best seat in your listening room. Go to the Sound Liaison site, listen to a few samples, download an album, and see if you don't agree that this intimate effort is one of the best and best-sounding jazz vocal albums to come along in many a day. By the way, the small audience applauds enthusiastically enough after the last chords of a song die away, but the attendees never interrupt or make themselves known while a song is going on. No doubt they were completely mesmerized into silence, as was I.
Be sure to listen to: On "Dock of the Bay," Gomes creates a languid, bluesy version that is a little bit reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry while still coming across as quite original. It'll cast a spell over you.
. . . Rad Bennett
Having been lucky enough to see Lotte Mullan perform recently. She was the 'opener' for Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo at the 'Hoxton Hall' back in March. I can vouch for her talents as a song writer, a musician, a vocalist and a performer. I recommend this album without reservation and when you have bought it and got to know it, you will too. I also recommend that you go see Lotte perform and when you do, take the CD along she will happily chat and sign it for you, as she did mine.
G
SoundStage! review:
American Blues from the Netherlands
Sound Liaison Studio Showcase Series No. 1
Format: 24-bit/96kHz FLAC (download)Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
I've been among the prophets saying that high-resolution downloads are the future of audiophile music sales. Surely it will benefit the majors to make high-quality downloads a first choice rather than an MP3 extra, but I believe that individual artists can benefit as well. Most new-to-the-scene performers have little money for middlemen and disc manufacture, yet can get things together for the Internet.
Frans de Rond and Peter Bjørnild have taken this approach with Sound Liaison, producing recordings available only in 24-bit/96kHz downloads that mirror the master recording. And man, are they ever sweet. I've seldom heard recordings that were so successful in both performance and sound aspects.
De Rond hails from the Netherlands, where he studied double bass at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague while concurrently studying recording techniques. Bjørnild also studied double bass, moving to the Netherlands to continue studies at The Hague. Since graduating, he has played almost every type of music, from classical to jazz. Together de Rond and Bjørnild bring two pairs of golden ears to their label. Bjørnild claims that, "a recording should be as realistic and beautiful sounding as possible. As if, when closing your eyes, you find yourself in the best seat in the hall."
The partners discovered a fine recording hall (Studio-Eleven, Hilversum) and set out to record amazing musicians in this great acoustic place in front of live audiences. It's a daring feat; one take and no place to hide, but the abilities of the musicians involved make it seem easy. I chose to talk about the first album by Carmen Gomes Inc. It was a tough choice because all of the three current albums were worthy of review.
Carmen Gomes has won many awards in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. Like so many new European singers, she sings in English -- excellent English, I might add. She's formed a group called Carmen Gomes Inc., with Folker Tettero on guitar, Peter Bjørnild on double bass, and Marcel van Engelen on drums. Her style is bluesy and intimate with a sexy voice that's sweet as dark tupelo honey, and her interpretations are unerring. The musicians play to her and to each other, and the ensemble is so tight that the four musicians breathe and move as one.
There are some standards on the set that knocked me over with their fresh approach. Any singer can misplace a few accents and rhythms and come up with something that's original, but perhaps also uneasy and a little strange. Not Gomes, who has taken the songs to their bones and then restructured them to suit her style. Thus "Fever" doesn't sound like a cover of Peggy Lee; it sounds like a brand new take on a familiar song. You emerge from hearing it not thinking it's better or lesser than Lee's version, but that it's a valid new interpretation that could have come first.
The same approach works on "Angel Eyes," "You Don't Know What Love Is," and "I'm on Fire." Most of the rest, including the title song, "Oblivion," "Time Will Tell," "Gasoa Blue," and "The Sea," are Gomes originals that fit right in with the standards. The recording achieves exactly what Bjørnild set out as his goal. It can provide the best seat in your listening room. Go to the Sound Liaison site, listen to a few samples, download an album, and see if you don't agree that this intimate effort is one of the best and best-sounding jazz vocal albums to come along in many a day. By the way, the small audience applauds enthusiastically enough after the last chords of a song die away, but the attendees never interrupt or make themselves known while a song is going on. No doubt they were completely mesmerized into silence, as was I.
Be sure to listen to: On "Dock of the Bay," Gomes creates a languid, bluesy version that is a little bit reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry while still coming across as quite original. It'll cast a spell over you.
. . . Rad Bennett
Iver - you copied the link in your reply
It's HiRes download only if that was perhaps the point?
SoundStage! review:
American Blues from the Netherlands
Sound Liaison Studio Showcase Series No. 1
Format: 24-bit/96kHz FLAC (download)Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
I've been among the prophets saying that high-resolution downloads are the future of audiophile music sales. Surely it will benefit the majors to make high-quality downloads a first choice rather than an MP3 extra, but I believe that individual artists can benefit as well. Most new-to-the-scene performers have little money for middlemen and disc manufacture, yet can get things together for the Internet.
Frans de Rond and Peter Bjørnild have taken this approach with Sound Liaison, producing recordings available only in 24-bit/96kHz downloads that mirror the master recording. And man, are they ever sweet. I've seldom heard recordings that were so successful in both performance and sound aspects.
De Rond hails from the Netherlands, where he studied double bass at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague while concurrently studying recording techniques. Bjørnild also studied double bass, moving to the Netherlands to continue studies at The Hague. Since graduating, he has played almost every type of music, from classical to jazz. Together de Rond and Bjørnild bring two pairs of golden ears to their label. Bjørnild claims that, "a recording should be as realistic and beautiful sounding as possible. As if, when closing your eyes, you find yourself in the best seat in the hall."
The partners discovered a fine recording hall (Studio-Eleven, Hilversum) and set out to record amazing musicians in this great acoustic place in front of live audiences. It's a daring feat; one take and no place to hide, but the abilities of the musicians involved make it seem easy. I chose to talk about the first album by Carmen Gomes Inc. It was a tough choice because all of the three current albums were worthy of review.
Carmen Gomes has won many awards in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. Like so many new European singers, she sings in English -- excellent English, I might add. She's formed a group called Carmen Gomes Inc., with Folker Tettero on guitar, Peter Bjørnild on double bass, and Marcel van Engelen on drums. Her style is bluesy and intimate with a sexy voice that's sweet as dark tupelo honey, and her interpretations are unerring. The musicians play to her and to each other, and the ensemble is so tight that the four musicians breathe and move as one.
There are some standards on the set that knocked me over with their fresh approach. Any singer can misplace a few accents and rhythms and come up with something that's original, but perhaps also uneasy and a little strange. Not Gomes, who has taken the songs to their bones and then restructured them to suit her style. Thus "Fever" doesn't sound like a cover of Peggy Lee; it sounds like a brand new take on a familiar song. You emerge from hearing it not thinking it's better or lesser than Lee's version, but that it's a valid new interpretation that could have come first.
The same approach works on "Angel Eyes," "You Don't Know What Love Is," and "I'm on Fire." Most of the rest, including the title song, "Oblivion," "Time Will Tell," "Gasoa Blue," and "The Sea," are Gomes originals that fit right in with the standards. The recording achieves exactly what Bjørnild set out as his goal. It can provide the best seat in your listening room. Go to the Sound Liaison site, listen to a few samples, download an album, and see if you don't agree that this intimate effort is one of the best and best-sounding jazz vocal albums to come along in many a day. By the way, the small audience applauds enthusiastically enough after the last chords of a song die away, but the attendees never interrupt or make themselves known while a song is going on. No doubt they were completely mesmerized into silence, as was I.
Be sure to listen to: On "Dock of the Bay," Gomes creates a languid, bluesy version that is a little bit reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry while still coming across as quite original. It'll cast a spell over you.
. . . Rad Bennett
This album is well worth a try. It's real gutsy blues rock. It was released by Sire/Blue Horizon and has an all star backing with Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Paul Kossoff, Brian Auger, Stan Webb among others.
Not sure if this lady has had a shout. If not definitely worth a listen and this looks like a good place to start;
Laura Nyro was considered to be something of a musical prodigy when she appeared on the American music scene in 1967, at the age of only 20, and she rapidly became a hit songwriter and then a revolutionary pioneer in the emerging singer-songwriter genre.
She was one of the first of the female singer-songwriters, and very influential on those who emerged a few years later - especially Joni Mitchell and Carole King, who used elements of Nyro's idiosyncratic style and made it more palatable to a mass audience. Her first four albums are truly classics of the singer-songwriter genre and remain quite unique.
Graham.
Not sure if this lady has had a shout. If not definitely worth a listen and this looks like a good place to start;
Laura Nyro was considered to be something of a musical prodigy when she appeared on the American music scene in 1967, at the age of only 20, and she rapidly became a hit songwriter and then a revolutionary pioneer in the emerging singer-songwriter genre.
She was one of the first of the female singer-songwriters, and very influential on those who emerged a few years later - especially Joni Mitchell and Carole King, who used elements of Nyro's idiosyncratic style and made it more palatable to a mass audience. Her first four albums are truly classics of the singer-songwriter genre and remain quite unique.
Graham.
+1 for Laura.
You can hear elements of her in Joni Mitchell and Carole King's later works, though she herself has soul, show tune and Tin Pan Alley influences.
She's not without some quirks - odd and abrupt tempo changes for one - but when she's good she's as good as Joni, melodically. This is the highest praise I can give anyone But Joni is by far the better lyricist.
My favourite album of hers is Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. A couple of songs have really dated, in my opinion, but the others are very good - especially her version of Carole King's (and Gerry Goffin's) Up on the Roof and Beads of Sweat which features Duane Allman. The latter track is a personal favourite and one of her best vocals IMO.
regards,
Vlad
A couple worth considering...
Sarah McLachlan 'Fumbling towards ecstasy'
and someone i saw live this week..
Chloe Swann 'Neverending'..
This is something really special. Also sounds unusually well recorded for a modern one.
this is an incredible album,music,sound stage,definition,
highly recommended.
More blues tunes than ''Thousand Shades of Blue''
and this is my favorite Cassandra album.
Does anyone know if this has been remastered in high definition?
here are 2 links with my 3 favorite singers:
Dianne Reeves,Carmen Gomes and Cassandra Wilson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cESlSxcBEdo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cGwrlGzwcM