The jazz world has been famend for producing a gentle stream of super-talented virtuoso musicians – specifically saxophonists, trumpeters, pianists, guitarists, and drummers – nevertheless it has additionally given us fantastic exponents of what’s arguably the oldest and most private musical instrument of all of them: the human voice. With such an amazing quantity of expertise to think about, that makes it nigh-on unattainable to compile an inventory of the 50 greatest jazz singers of all time.
There have been an array of various – and a few very singular – voices in jazz’s lengthy and storied historical past, and all of them jostle for place among the many greatest jazz singers of all time – from large, loud, strong ones, such because the blues-influenced shouters Bessie Smith, Joe Williams, and Jimmy Dashing, proper right down to delicate and refined songbirds, vividly exemplified by Blossom Dearie’s girlish pipes. And in between these two extremes you’ll discover vocal gymnasts – Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin spring to thoughts – alongside golden-voiced balladeers whose calling-card is a smoldering sensuality (suppose Peggy Lee, Julie London, Johnny Hartman, Chet Baker, Chris Connor, and Cassandra Wilson). There have been some singers, equivalent to Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nat “King” Cole, and Mark Murphy, who had been multi-disciplined and will mix a vibrant athleticism with a silky, lush supply, in order that they had been adept at each uptempo materials and ballads. After which there are these haunted souls – specifically Billie Vacation, Nina Simone, and Anita O’Day – whose troubled private lives imbued their performances with a poignant emotional dimension that had a cathartic impact on their listeners.
So jazz, as the next listing of the 50 greatest jazz singers of all time confirms, has produced a welter of fantastic and contrasting voices, each female and male, through the years. All of them are distinctive in their very own means, and lots of have contributed tremendously to the event of an artwork kind that continues to evolve and which is being saved alive at this time by the emergence of recent younger stars equivalent to Cecile McLorin Salvant and Jazzmeia Horn, who, in just some years’ time, will in all probability discover themselves positioned on an inventory equivalent to this.
Whilst you’re studying, take heed to our Greatest Jazz Singers playlist right here.
With out additional ado, right here’s our countdown of the 50 greatest jazz singers of all time…
50: Jackie Paris (1924-2004)
A toddler faucet dancer born right into a musical Italian-American household from New Jersey, Carlo Jackie Paris began his music profession main a jazz trio during which he performed guitar and sang. He toured with Charlie Parker within the early 50s, a decade during which he recorded a number of albums and received a clutch of awards. Paris’ profession tailed off dramatically from 1962, however he made a comeback simply earlier than his loss of life. Charles Mingus as soon as described this underrated and largely forgotten musician as his favourite singer.
49: Madeleine Peyroux (born 1974)
Initially from Athens, Georgia, Peyroux’s relocation to Paris, France, as an adolescent, the place she busked as a road musician singing and taking part in guitar, helped to form her distinctive model of bohemian-esque retro jazz. There are perceptible echoes of Billie Vacation in Peyroux’s phrasing and tone, however through a collection of persistently effective albums, she has patented her personal singular fashion.
48: Mose Allison (1927-2016)
A famous singer-songwriter from Tippo, Mississippi, Allison discovered a singular area of interest for himself within the jazz world together with his typically witty and elegantly wrought tunes infused with a piquant blues taste. Although no vocal gymnast, Allison’s voice was gentle in tone, conversational in its method, and, with its southern lilt, stands out from the gang sufficient to earn its place among the many greatest jazz singers.
47: Dakota Staton (1930-2007)
After successful DownBeat journal’s Most Promising Newcomer accolade in 1955, this Pennsylvanian chanteuse signed to Capitol Data and lived as much as her early promise by delivering a traditional LP in 1957, The Late, Late Present, which made the Prime 5 of the US Pop charts. Although her declamatory, athletic fashion, with its clear enunciation, is indebted to Dinah Washington, Staton solid her personal signature sound.
46: Cab Calloway (1907-1994)
One of many originators of scat singing, this charismatic, flamboyant bandleader from Rochester, New York, is greatest remembered for his traditional 1931 tune “Minnie The Moocher.” In its chart-topping wake there adopted a slew of additional swing-driven hits characterised by humorous lyrics peppered with witty wordplay and hip road argot.
45: Helen Humes (1913-1981)
Beginning out singing gospel music in her native church in Louisville, Kentucky, lithe-voiced Humes was precociously gifted and made her first recordings when she was 14. She recorded with Harry James earlier than Rely Basie noticed her singing in Cincinnati’s Cotton Membership venue in 1937, whereas searching for a substitute for a departing Billie Vacation. Humes additionally recorded with saxophonist Dexter Gordon and vibraphonist Purple Norvo.
44: Leon Thomas (1937-1999)
From Miles Davis’ hometown of East St Louis, Illinois, Thomas was steeped within the blues however, uniquely amongst this listing of the most effective jazz singers, went on to be a part of the avant-garde vanguard. He cultivated an uncommon and idiosyncratic vocal fashion within the 60s, outlined by yodeling and tremulous ululations. Although he recorded first with Rely Basie, Thomas is greatest identified for his work with Pharoah Sanders, and in addition recorded with Santana.
43: Cassandra Wilson (born 1955)
Together with her sultry, smoky-hued voice, Mississippi-born Wilson began her profession as a part of saxophonist Steve Coleman’s experimental M-Base collective within the 80s, however actually blossomed when she signed with Blue Observe in 1993, the place her distinctive fashion and placing reconfigurations of traditional rock and pop songs took her music to a wider viewers.
42: Andy Bey (born 1939)
Nonetheless recording at this time, New Jersey’s Bey is an authentic voice in jazz – John Coltrane as soon as referred to as him his favourite singer – who has plowed his personal distinctive furrow over 5 a long time. Although nominally a lush, resonant-voiced baritone, Bey’s voice is alleged to increase 4 octaves in vary. Amongst these he’s collaborated with are Max Roach, Gary Bartz, Stanley Clarke, and Horace Silver.
41: Etta Jones (1928-2001)
Hailing from South Carolina, this southern tune siren, who had a touch of Billie Vacation in her barely nasal tone, minimize her first report as a 16-year-old in 1944, nevertheless it wasn’t till 1957 when she launched her first LP. Adept at performing each swinging uptempo materials and ballads, Jones was a flexible vocalist whose most commercially profitable providing was her 1960 Status album, Don’t Go To Strangers, whose title observe was a pop and R&B hit.
40: Gregory Porter (born 1971)
Although one thing of a late developer – he’s nonetheless solely 5 albums into his profession – this Californian jazz cat in a cap is already on his technique to changing into certainly one of jazz’s best ever vocalists. A self-sufficient singer-songwriter who’s additionally comfy with, however by no means reliant on, The Nice American Songbook, Porter possesses a particular voice that has been reared on a eating regimen of gospel music and Nat “King” Cole information. His thrilling soul-jazz fashion has reinvigorated the world of jazz vocalists.
39: Al Jarreau (1940-2017)
A vocal gymnast from Milwaukee who gave up practising psychology for music, Jarreau was a kind of jazz singers who might improvise like a horn participant and used his voice to make an array of percussive sounds. Although his musical sensibility was steeped in jazz, his albums typically blurred the boundaries between completely different kinds, embracing R&B, Latin music, pop, and fusion.
38: Joe Williams (1918-1999)
Many nice soul singers began off within the church, however so did a number of the world’s greatest jazz singers. Georgia’s Joe Williams, who was born Joe Goreed, sang with gospel group The Jubilee Boys in his youth, however ended up being drawn to “the Devil’s music” (certainly one of his largest hits was the traditional “Everyday I Have The Blues”). He was carefully related to Rely Basie’s band and sang with the jazz aristocrat between 1954 and ’61. Along with his high-decibel, stentorian baritone fashion, Williams’ virile voice had no drawback being heard over a blaring big-band backdrop.
37: Shirley Horn (1934-2005)
A virtuoso pianist with a mellow, seductive set of pipes, this Washington, DC-born singer was a graduate of Howard College who led her personal jazz trio from the age of 20. Her profession gained appreciable consideration when Miles Davis, in a uncommon act of generosity to a fellow musician, singled her out for reward in 1960. Regardless of this, Horn’s recordings had been sporadic till the late 80s, when she signed to the Verve label and began making albums extra repeatedly.
36: Mark Murphy (1932-2015)
Citing Nat “King” Cole and Anita O’Day as key influences, this singer and occasional actor from Syracuse, New York, recorded his debut album for Decca in 1956. Spells at Capitol and Riverside within the late 50s and early 60s cemented Murphy’s place as certainly one of jazz’s hippest, cutting-edge male singers. His hallmark was doing vocalese variations of instrumental jazz classics, scatting, and improvising together with his voice like a horn participant.
35: Al Hibbler (1915-2001)
Blind from beginning, Mississippi-born Al Hibbler impressed with a resonant but clean, caramel-coated baritone. He featured in Kansas jazz pianist Jay McShann’s band in 1942 earlier than touchdown a job with Duke Ellington a yr later. Hibbler began recording as a solo artist from 1945 and scored a No.1 R&B and Prime 10 pop hit with “Unchained Melody” in 1955. He additionally recorded with Rely Basie and Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
34: Dee Dee Bridgewater (born 1950)
This multi-award-winning singer (up to now, she has received three Grammys and a Tony) was born Denise Garrett in Memphis, however was raised in Michigan and was uncovered to jazz at an early age (her father was a trumpeter). Her first solo album, initially launched solely in Japan in 1974, was adopted by a dalliance with fusion within the late 70s. With a collection of acclaimed albums, she staked her declare as probably the greatest jazz singers from the 90s onwards.
33: George Benson (born 1943)
Like lots of the greatest jazz singers – notably Louis Armstrong and Nat “King” Cole earlier than him – Benson was a prodigiously gifted instrumentalist (in his case, on the guitar) who discovered better fame as a singer. He largely performed guitar-led jazz till 1976, when his Breezin’ album yielded the vocal hit “This Masquerade.” Although influenced by soul singers Donny Hathaway and Stevie Marvel, Benson patented his personal clean jazz vocal fashion and is famend for his capacity to scat sing whereas doubling the melody on his guitar.
32: Ernestine Anderson (1928-2016)
Blessed with a heat, husky vocal timbre, Texas-born Anderson obtained her large break as an adolescent after she moved to Seattle in 1944 and performed in a band that includes future megastars Quincy Jones and Ray Charles. She sang with Johnny Otis’ and Lionel Hampton’s bands earlier than establishing herself as a solo artist in New York through the 50s.
31: Mel Tormé (1925-1999)
Boasting a number of abilities – he might act, write songs, play the drums, and authored a number of books – this Chicago renaissance man is greatest identified for his distinctive voice, which earned him the nickname The Velvet Fog. A precocious little one performer, Tormé wrote a tune for bandleader Harry James when he was solely 13, and, when he reached maturity, carved a profession as a singer and scored a number of hits within the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
30: Dianne Reeves (born 1956)
Although she’s comfy in a number of completely different genres and has branched out into fusion and R&B recordings, this Detroit-born, Colorado-raised singer (cousin of the late keyboard maven, George Duke) greater than earns her place among the many greatest jazz singers of all time, having received the Grammy award for Greatest Jazz Efficiency 5 instances in a profession that stretches again to the 70s. A talented interpreter of jazz requirements who may also scat convincingly, Reeves can be an completed songwriter.
29: Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010)
A gifted singer-songwriter and occasional actress from Chicago, Lincoln (born Anna Marie Wooldridge) possessed a beautiful, full-bodied voice that was additionally very versatile, and was comfy in each straight-ahead, bop-influenced jazz and extra avant-garde-oriented music. A political activist, Lincoln’s 60s work mirrored her curiosity in the Civil Rights motion and African independence.
28: Billy Eckstine (1914-1993)
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Billy Eckstine might play trumpet, trombone, and guitar, however is usually remembered for his sonorous, bass-baritone croon, whose forte was pleading romantic ballads. He was additionally a famous bandleader and, within the early 40s, he helped to nurture the abilities of rising beboppers Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis.
27: Oscar Brown, Jr (1926-2005)
A prolific songwriter and in addition a playwright and an ardent Civil Rights activist, Chicago-born Brown tried his hand at being a lawyer, an promoting man, and a soldier earlier than changing into a singer and tunesmith within the 50s. Famous for his cool supply and wry observations, he contributed a number of traditional songs to the jazz repertoire, together with “Work Song,” “Afro Blue” and “Dat Dere,” which he wrote the lyrics for.
26: Helen Merrill (born 1930)
With a voice just like the sonic equal of golden, drizzled honey, this native New Yorker with Croatian ancestry (her actual identify is Jelena Milcetic) went skilled as an adolescent and made an impression singing with Earl Hines within the early 50s earlier than embarking on a glittering solo profession. She stays a lot beloved in Italy and Japan, the place she lived for a number of years.
25: Kurt Elling (born 1967)
Among the finest jazz singers amongst up to date jazz, Chicago-born Elling made his debut album for Blue Observe in 1995 and shortly established himself as a reputation to reckon with. Capable of scat and improvise together with his voice like an instrumentalist, Elling can be an astute interpreter of requirements and a author of robust authentic materials.
24: June Christy (1925-1990)
Like so many feminine singers from jazz’s golden age, Texas-born Christy (born Shirley Luster) first made her mark in the large band swing period. In 1945, she efficiently auditioned to exchange Anita O’Day in Stan Kenton’s orchestra and graced a number of of the band’s hits, together with the Latin-tinged million-selling “Tampico.” She minimize her first solo report in 1947 and, after that, by no means appeared again. Together with her sonorous tone, delicate vibrato, and powerful however nuanced phrasing, Christy epitomized the West Coast “cool school” artwork of jazz singing.
23: Blossom Dearie (1924-2009)
Together with her nearly twee, little-girl-like timbre, New York-born Blossom Dearie (her actual identify) possessed probably the most delicate voices amongst this listing of greatest jazz singers. She made her identify as a part of a vocal group, The Blue Stars, based mostly in Paris within the 50s, earlier than placing out on her personal. A prolific recording artist, Dearie was additionally a famous songwriter and, within the 70s, began her personal report label, Daffodil.
22: Anita O’Day (1919-2006)
As soon as dubbed The Jezebel Of Jazz by disapproving newspaper editorials passing judgment on her having been incarcerated within the 50s for hashish possession, O’Day (born Anita Colton in Kansas Metropolis) minimize her enamel working for bandleaders Gene Krupa, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton earlier than starting a solo profession the place she mixed the élan of swing rhythms with horn-like bebop phrasing.
21: Bobby McFerrin (born 1950)
A ten-time Grammy-winning grasp of scat and vocal percussion, this revolutionary Manhattan singer gained worldwide mainstream acceptance together with his chart-topping tune “Don’t Worry Be Happy” in 1988. He began out performing with Pharaoh Sanders in 1980 earlier than starting his solo profession two years later, and continues to astound audiences at this time with an array of vocal acrobatics that see him rightly hailed as one of many world’s greatest jazz singers. A veritable one-man voice orchestra.
20: Chris Connor (1927-2009)
Baptized Mary Loutsenhizer, this languorous, mellow-voiced Kansas Metropolis singer made her recording debut with famous bandleader Claude Thornhill in 1949 earlier than becoming a member of Stan Kenton’s groundbreaking post-swing large band within the early 50s. It was on the impartial Bethlehem label, although, in 1954, the place Connor made her solo breakthrough. Two years later she joined Atlantic Data, the place she stayed till 1961 and arguably produced her greatest work.
19: Jimmy Dashing (1901-1972)
This diminutive singer might have solely been 5 toes tall however he’s a real large of big-band swing singing. Born in Oklahoma Metropolis, the orotund Dashing began singing professionally within the 20s and, in 1935, joined Rely Basie’s band, the place he stayed for 13 years earlier than leaving to change into a profitable solo singer. Famend for the ranginess of his voice, which might morph from a throaty baritone to a hovering tenor, Dashing possessed a rough-textured tone and, when it comes to quantity, might sing with an enormous band with out being drowned out.
18: Julie London (1926-2000)
A sultry chanteuse and actress from California, London earns her place among the many greatest jazz singers for her plaintive 1956 signature recording of Arthur Hamilton’s “Cry Me A River” alone, which offered three million copies and made the 30-year-old a expertise to reckon with. London’s calling card was a smoky timbre and her capacity to convey intimacy with languid phrasing.
17: Chet Baker (1929-1988)
A chiseled Adonis who turned the poster boy of “cool jazz” within the 50s, Oklahoma’s Chesney Baker was not solely a terrific trumpeter with a burnished tone, but additionally possessed a sonorous, dreamy voice that was particularly efficient on romantic ballads.
16: Betty Carter (1929-1998)
From Flint, Michigan, and raised in Detroit, church-reared singer Lilli Mae Jones morphed into certainly one of jazz’s most virtuosic scatters, Betty Carter. Although she began out in vibraphone maestro Lionel Hampton’s large band within the late 40s, she was a disciple of bebop relatively than swing, and by the mid-50s was recording her personal albums. A hook-up with Ray Charles in 1960 (on Miles Davis’ suggestion) boosted her profession and set her on a path to greatness. Carter is famous for her breathy, nuanced supply, spontaneous scatting talent, and skill to get inside a lyric.
15: Jon Hendricks (born 1921)
One of many prime architects of the vocalese fashion, this elastic-voiced Ohio singer has been dubbed The James Joyce Of Jazz for the ingenuity and wordplay of his lyrics. His essential declare to fame is being a part of the groundbreaking vocal trio Hendricks, Lambert & Ross, a gaggle that took the late 50s jazz world by storm.
14: Nina Simone (1933-2003)
Distinctive among the many greatest jazz singers, Simone initially dreamed of changing into a live performance pianist within the classical music world. Deterred by that milieu’s purported racism, Eunice Waymon, from North Carolina, reinvented herself as nightclub singer/pianist Nina Simone, and patented an allusive fashion that drew on jazz, blues, gospel, and people influences. Possessing a husky, expressive contralto voice, Simone had the flexibility to make every thing she sang sound like a private assertion from the depths of her soul.
13: Johnny Hartman (1923-1983)
Raised in Chicago however born in Louisiana, this largely unheralded baritone singer possessed an opulent, well-rounded tone and began out singing with pianist Earl Hines’ band after World Struggle II, earlier than hooking up with bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. It wasn’t till 1955 when Hartman made his personal information, initially for Bethlehem after which Savoy. Hartman’s profession when into overdrive after saxophonist John Coltrane invited him to make an album collectively for Impulse! Hartman’s forte was ballads, which introduced out his present as a storyteller.
12: Carmen McRae (1922-1994)
Harlem-born McRae was an in a position pianist in addition to a spectacular singer. Like lots of the greatest jazz singers of the post-war period, her prime vocal affect was Billie Vacation, whose rubato, behind-the-beat phrasing she borrowed, although she established her personal, immediately recognizable fashion early on. McRae rose to fame within the 50s and was famend for her supple voice and placing an ironic twist on lyrics.
11: Bessie Smith (1894-1927)
The one certainly one of our 50 greatest jazz singers of all time to be born within the nineteenth Century, Chattanooga-born Smith was dubbed The Empress Of The Blues within the 20s, when she turned one of many highest-paid African-American entertainers. Possessing a strong, strident voice with a growling high quality in her decrease notes, Smith recorded with early jazz stars Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson. Each Billie Vacation and Dinah Washington cited her as a serious affect.
10: Jimmy Scott (1925-2014)
“To me, the lyric must mean something – it has to be telling a story,” mentioned Ohio-born “Little” Jimmy Scott, who was famend as a balladeer and whose seraphic, nearly androgynous, excessive tenor voice had a haunting, otherworldly high quality. Scott’s distinctive voice was a results of his having Kallman syndrome, a genetic dysfunction that prevented his physique from reaching puberty. Scott first made his mark within the 40s however, by the 60s, had fallen into obscurity. He made a triumphant comeback within the 90s, which helped to cement his place within the pantheon of all-time greatest jazz singers.
9: Peggy Lee (1920-2002)
A type of uncommon singers whose id might be acknowledged from simply singing a single notice, Lee (a farm lady born Norma Delores Egstrom, in Jamestown, North Dakota) perfected the artwork of sensuous minimalism. Her profession took off within the swing period as a featured singer with Benny Goodman’s band, however she was quickly in demand as a solo act, racking up a raft of hit singles, together with the traditional “Fever” in 1958.
8: Ray Charles (1930-2004)
Although typically depicted as an R&B singer, and heralded as one of many founding fathers of what finally turned soul music, Ray Charles Robinson (to offer him his full identify) was additionally an completed jazz musician who might play saxophone and keyboards in addition to sing. Although he began off as a cross between singers Charles Brown and Nat “King” Cole, Charles – dubbed The Genius – discovered his personal vocal fashion within the 50s.
7: Dinah Washington (1924-1963)
From Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Ruth Jones is healthier referred to as Dinah Washington, a dynamic singer whose tart supply and ideal diction had a profound affect on lots of the greatest jazz singers who adopted her, together with Esther Phillips and Nancy Wilson. Although she was topped Queen Of The Blues, Washington’s métier was jazz, although she was supremely versatile and scored R&B and even pop hits throughout her temporary however spectacular profession.
6: Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
New Orleans-born Satchmo rose to fame as a formidable trumpeter with a present for improvisation within the 20s, however his gravelly voice made him distinct among the many greatest jazz singers, serving to him to overcome mainstream America and rework him into the unlikeliest of pop stars, particularly within the 60s, when he scored his largest worldwide hit, “What A Wonderful World.”
5: Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990)
Nicknamed Sassy or The Divine One, this New Jersey singer was famed for having a four-octave voice that was opulent in tone and texture, but additionally gentle and supremely agile with a feathery, tremulous vibrato. She obtained her large break with Earl Hines’ band within the 40s, earlier than discovering fame as a solo artist. A chic expertise and a vastly influential singer.
4: Billie Vacation (1915-1959)
The hard-knock lifetime of her early years (she was a baby prostitute and hung out in jail) coupled with a debilitating drug habit imbued Vacation’s voice with a way of ache and disappointment that appeared to pervade all of her recordings and provides them an added poignancy. Born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia, Vacation (whose nickname was Woman Day) began singing within the big-band period however her distinctive tone and timbre quickly conferred on her solo stardom, and he or she went on to affect nearly each different feminine on this listing of the most effective jazz singers of all time.
3: Nat “King” Cole (1919-1965)
Nathaniel Adams Cole was an outstanding jazz pianist, although he constructed his fame as a pop vocalist whose velvety pipes had been caressingly clean on the ear. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Cole pioneered a jazz trio format within the 40s, then scored some R&B hits earlier than morphing right into a slick pop balladeer within the 50s and past. In his coronary heart, although, he was a dedicated, dyed-in-the-wool, jazz man.
2: Frank Sinatra (1916-1998)
The incomparable Chairman Of The Board himself, Frank Sinatra began as a bobbysoxer teen idol within the 40s and obtained his break singing with the bands of Harry James after which Tommy Dorsey. His profession acquired a lift when he signed to Capitol Data in 1953, the place he reinvented himself as a complicated swinger who phrased his vocals like a jazz horn participant, and whose repertoire drew on The Nice American Songbook. Over a century after his loss of life, no one can swing like Sinatra – he’s nonetheless the undisputed “king of the hill.”
1: Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)
In pole place in our listing of the 50 greatest jazz singers of all time is that this incomparable chanteuse, initially from Newport Information, Virginia. Dubbed The First Woman Of Music, Fitzgerald started her profession with Chick Webb’s band within the late 30s, earlier than hooking up with jazz impresario Norman Granz and establishing a stellar solo profession within the 50s. Together with her silky, unadulterated tone, flawless diction, and peerless scatting capacity – which allowed her to improvise like a horn participant – Ella Fitzgerald set the gold commonplace within the artwork of jazz singing. Begin together with her incomparable reside model of “Mack the Knife” from Ella in Berlin and benefit from the journey as you get to know probably the greatest.
Searching for extra jazz greats? Try our listing of the 50 best jazz drummers of all time.
