Saturday Seven: Best Female Jazz Vocalists

This post is inspired by Palm Springs Savant's pick of his top seven female vocalists, stemming from the jazz era of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. His list was quite well crafted and included some great choices and even some surprise ones. Here are my choices for the top seven. The first one is clearly defined. I do not rank the other six.

1. Ella Fitzgerald


Ella Fitzgerald hands down must be declared to be the greatest jazz vocalist to have ever lived. Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," the title fits as Ella, like no other, could twirl a song around her finger and lure every listener into whatever web she chose to spin. She was truly the Goddess of her craft. No one compares to Ella when it comes to song.

Dinah Washington


Dinah Washington's short and troubled life gave the world some some of the best jazz styling it has ever witnessed. Her stirring and soulful voice packed a punch with such classics as What a Difference a Day Makes and This Bitter Earth. Her music has stood as the finest jazz recordings over the expanse of decades from the 50s to the present. Her short career,which spanned the 40s, 50s and 60s,made a great impact on the world of music.

Sarah Vaughn


Sarah Vaughn's deep, flavorful voice catapulted her to fame at an early age in the 1940s and spawned a career that lasted until her death in 1990. Her rich voice, her incredible ability to scat, and her unique vocal phrasing all made Sarah Vaughn a legend. Her hits include her rendition of "Black Coffee," "Tenderly," "I'm Crazy to Love You," and "I Love The Guy."

Nancy Wilson


Nancy Wilson is one of the most powerful singers around and definitely one of my favorites. Nancy's sharp, edgy voice put the rub on such songs as "Lush Life," "Willow Weep for Me," "The Very Thought of You," and "Miss Otis Regrets." Perhaps her signature song, the one she has said is her most requested, is her stylizing of the incredibly charged classic "Guess Who I Saw Today." Nancy Wilson's career has been one with incredible gusto. For a large part of the 60s, Nancy Wilson was the best selling recording artist on the Capitol Record Label, selling more records than even the Beatles(who were on the same label). The album of hers that I adore more than the rest and that I want to get my hands on is the 1967 LP, Just for Now. The song, "Just For Now," is also incredible. Nancy Wilson is a Grammy-Award winning artist. She is the host of the show Jazz Profiles on NPR.

Nina Simone


Nina Simone is a Goddess. No more need be said. Born Eunice Waymon in Tyron, North Carolina in 1933, Simone was a child prodigy on the piano. With community support behind her, she made her way to Julliard where she trained to be the first classically trained Black pianist. When funds ran out, and having been rejected from the Curtis School of Music because of her color, she began playing standard tunes in jazz clubs in New Jersey and New York. Her first, massive hit, "I Loves You Porgy," was released on the Bethlehem Label in the mid-50s. Becomind a darling of the music halls and the supper clubs, Nina Simone became a fiery, truth-telling priestess as she became involved with the Civil Rights Movement. On close terms with such figures as Malolm X, Stokely Carmichael, and Loraine Hansberry and marching with Martin Luther King and others throughout the South, Nina became the voice of the movement. Her 1969 classic Top Ten R&B hit, "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," became an anthem for Black America. Nina is definitely one of the greatest jazz musicians to have ever walked the face of the earth, despite her refusing the label of a jazz artist all of her life. Her smoky, classic rendition of Screaming Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You," is one of the best recordings to come out of the 1950s. Other jazz flavored tunes such as "WIld is the Wind," and her rendition of Billie Holiday's classic "Don't Explain," are among the best jazz recordings ever and define her as one of the best jazz stylists of her era.

Billie Holiday


Billie Holiday is one of the greatest singers of all time. Her legacy has lived on 60 years after her death and she continues to win fans and inspire artists. She rivals Ella as number one on this list, and certainly takes her place as The Empress of Jazz. With such soul stirring classics as "Good Morning Heartache," "God Bless The Child," and such delicious hits as "Speak Low," Billie will live on for centuries to come.

Shirley Horn


Shirley Horn was one of the most soulful jazz artists in the world. A pianist and a singer, her voice was unique and distinctly flavored the songs she sang. Her incredible career lasted for forty years. She could frequently be heard on NPR.

If this list could be ten

Etta James, Peggy Lee, and Rosemary Clooney would make the list.