THE 50 TOP JAZZ SINGERS?
by Scott Yanow
The powers that be at the Jazz Rag (an excellent jazz magazine from England) suggested that, in answer to the BBC’s listing of their choices for the top 50 jazz musicians, I do the same. After quickly deciding that this was impractical if not impossible (how does Chick Corea’s rank compare to James P. Johnson’s?), I offered a compromise that is still a bit of a fool’s errand. Instead of ranking every jazz performer, I would restrict myself to jazz singers, still a near-impossible task.
What is a jazz singer? I always thought of it as being someone who improvises through notes, words, sounds and/or phrasing. Scat-singing is not a must but consistent spontaneity is essential. Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney (each beloved by many jazz singers) rarely improvised so they are off the list. The qualities that I looked for in compiling this list include the originality of the singer’s sound, their ability to improvise, the quality of their work, and the influence that they have had on others.
Knowing that there is no possible way that a list such as this can avoid being controversial, I am taking the plunge anyway. Many of these artists (17 males and 33 females) need no introduction as far as their significance goes so I will just mention why they are ranked at this level.
1 ) Louis Armstrong – Although he was not the first jazz singer (being preceded by Cliff Edwards, Marion Harris and a few others) or the first scat-singer, Armstrong’s horn-like phrasing influenced virtually every jazz vocalist who followed. He permanently changed jazz and popular music.
2) Ella Fitzgerald – In addition to being arguably the finest scat-singer, after the early 1940s nearly every one of Ella’s interpretations of standards became definitive. Singers have learned how to sing hundreds of songs by listening to Ella’s version.
3) Sarah Vaughan – She possessed one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century and for over 40 years never seemed to have an off night.
4 ) Billie Holiday – Although her voice was small and her improvising was pretty subtle by her later years, Lady Day’s behind-the-beat phrasing has led the way ever since the 1930s.
5) Bessie Smith – The Empress of the Blues had the most powerful voice of the 1920s and her passion still communicates to today’s listeners.
6) Anita O’Day – 100% dedicated to swinging jazz, Anita O’Day constantly took chances in her improvising and scatting, always succeeding the 1950s, her prime years.
7) Carmen McRae – Her warm voice, distinctive phrasing and full understanding of bop made her the perfect singer to interpret Thelonious Monk songs.
8) Mel Torme – Virtually the only singer to improve while he was in his sixties, Torme could scat on Ella’s level, hold endless long notes on ballads, and always manage to sound like himself.
9) Jimmy Rushing – The top male band singer of the swing era, Jimmy Rushing never recorded a bad record whether it was blues, standards or ballads.
10) Dinah Washington – She was proud of her ability to sing pretty much anything, from blues and r& b to bop-oriented jazz and country-flavored music.
11) Joe Williams – Although he had few equals in singing blues, Williams actually loved performing ballads the most.
12) Mark Murphy – One of the most innovative jazz singers of the past 50 years, Murphy’s scatting, phrasing and use of words was quite unique.
13) Ethel Waters – She came out of the classic blues world to become a superior interpreter of popular songs in the 1930s and ‘40s.
14) Bing Crosby – The ultimate crooner, Bing learned from Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, always loved New Orleans jazz, and could scat and swing with the best whenever he wanted. He was the #1 influence on pop singers prior to Sinatra.
15) Betty Carter – Starting in bebop, by the 1970s Betty Carter was avant-garde in the unpredictable ways that she treated standards, never being content to merely state a melody.
16) Abbey Lincoln – A supper club singer who became a protest singer with Max Roach, Lincoln in her later years was a superb interpreter of a wide variety of songs including many of her own.
17) Nat King Cole – Everyone loved Nat King Cole’s very warm and friendly voice, even when he de-emphasized swinging for ballads in the 1950s.
18) Oscar Brown Jr – While his singing was somewhat overshadowed by his songwriting abilities, Brown’s dramatic delivery and solid sense of swing made his live performances a memorable and joyful experience..
19) Dee Dee Bridgewater – One of the top jazz singers of the past 25 years, the always-exciting Dee Dee has performed shows dedicated to Ella, Horace Silver and the music of Kurt Weill.
20) Helen Humes – Whether performing blues, early r&b, swing or ballads, Humes always sang with a smile in her voice.
21) Big Joe Turner – He never really changed his style from the 1930s to the ‘80s, and never needed to. Big Joe’s blues are timeless.
22) Kurt Elling – The top male jazz singer since the deaths of Torme and Williams, Elling combined Mark Murphy’s innovations with his own personality and inventive ideas.
23) Irene Kral – Could anyone sing ballads with the heartbreaking sincerity and quiet passion of Irene Kral?
24) Peggy Lee – Lee showed that one could sing with intensity and sensual passion at a low volume.
25) Shirley Horn – Her phrasing, expertise at slow ballads, and consistent warmth are still very influential.
26) Cab Calloway – Can’s scat-singing, over-the-top performances and constant swinging made him a sensation ever since he hit it big in 1930.
27) Kay Starr – Influenced by Dinah Washington but having her own Oklahoma twang, Starr was at her best on swing standards.
28) Sheila Jordan – A master at improvising words and making up stories on-the-spot while championing bebop, Jordan has been in her own special category ever since her first recording.
29) Helen Merrill – Always underrated, Merrill’s recordings with Clifford Brown, Gil Evans, Dick Katz and Thad Jones are cool jazz classics.
30) Jack Teagarden – Ranging from vintage blues and Dixieland standards to the ballad “100 Years From Today,’ Mr. T. was as mighty a singer as he was a trombonist.
31) Ernestine Anderson – In a career that now dates back to the late 1940s, Ernestine Anderson has reinvented herself a few times but is at her best when she is bluesy and soulful.
32) Roberta Gambarini – Her beautiful voice and ease with creative bebop and ballads make the under recorded Gambarini one of today’s greats.
33) Susannah McCorkle – In the 1970s and ‘80s, she was among the first young singers to come up with fresh interpretations of swing standards and obscurities.
34) Jon Hendricks – The genius of vocalese, Hendricks may not have had the strongest voice but it was one of the most adaptable, often singing his lyrics at remarkable tempos.
35) Eddie Jefferson – Similar to Hendricks, Jefferson on his vocalese lyrics could bring back the spirit and personality of many top horn players.
36) Diana Krall – The most famous living jazz singer, her vocalizing (inspired by Shirley Horn and Peggy Lee) helped revive many swing standards.
37) Jimmy Witherspoon – In the 1950s and ‘60s, ‘Spoon’s light-toned blues singing was a contrast to the rougher sounding Big Joe Turner. He could sing jazz and blues with equal credibility.
38) Dianne Reeves – While her choice of material and styles has remained erratic, when Reeves chooses to sing swinging jazz, she approaches the level of Vaughan and Ella.
39) Karrin Allyson – A masterful bop singer who has branched out over the years, Allyson has always had her own sound and a very appealing style.
40) Annette Hanshaw – In the late 1920s/early ‘30s, she was one of the very best at infusing pop songs with jazz singing.
41) Banu Gibson – The definitive classic jazz/swing singer of the past 30 years, Banu and her New Orleans Hot Jazz have starred at scores of festivals and shown that there is plenty of life to be found in songs of the 1920s and ‘30s.
42) Nancy Wilson – Before she largely turned towards pop and away from jazz in the late 1960s, Wilson was a delightful, subtle and swinging jazz singer.
43) Bobby McFerrin – If it were not for his long periods away from jazz, McFerrin would rank much higher. His unaccompanied solo concerts and ability to sound like two or three voices at once (making a sound when he inhales) are unprecedented.
44) Mildred Bailey – While her influence has declined through the years, the high-toned Bailey was a major force in the 1930s and ‘40s.
45) Ann Hampton Callaway – Her vocal talents have grown steadily through the years and today Callaway is capable of truly dazzling vocalizing.
46) Cecile McLorin Salvant – The brightest new voice on the scene, Salvant is always creative, even when tackling unlikely material from 1910.
47) Maxine Sullivan – Her light and gentle but always swinging style made Sullivan a strong influence on Peggy Lee, Rebecca Kilgore and all of the cool jazz singers.
48) Rebecca Kilgore – No matter what swing standards she chooses to sing, Kilgore uplifts the material with her gentle, infectious and subtle creativity.
49) Chet Baker – He never had the best voice but Baker’s laidback phrasing, melancholy moods and honest singing has had a strong effect.
50) Annie Ross – During her prime years of the 1950s and ‘60s, Ross’ singing (whether with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross or her solo records) was irresistible.
Of course there have been many more than 50 great jazz singers. Most painful for me was leaving June Christy (who would be #51) off of the top 50. Here are 102 other vocalists who deserve honorable mention for their often-remarkable careers: Lorez Alexandria, Mose Allison, Ernie Andrews, Susie Arioli, Fred Astaire, Claire Austin, Patti Austin, Alice Babs, Patricia Barber, George Benson, Big Miller, Janice Borla, Connie Boswell, Ruth Brown, Katie Bull, Blanche Calloway, Thelma Carpenter, Eva Cassidy, Ray Charles, Jeannie Cheatham, Jay Clayton, Freddy Cole, Harry Connick, Jr., Chris Connor, Ida Cox, Jamie Cullum, Meredith D’Ambrosio, Barbara Dane, Blossom Dearie, Dena DeRose, Bob Dorough, Urszula Dudziak, Dominique Eade, Billy Eckstine, Cliff Edwards, Ruth Etting, Nnenna Freelon, Dave Frishberg, Slim Gaillard, Giacomo Gates, Sara Gazarek, Harry “The Hipster” Gibson, Astrud Gilberto, Dizzy Gillespie, Babs Gonzales, Teddy Grace, Marty Grosz, Adelaide Hall, Marion Harris, Nancy Harrow, Johnny Hartman, Clancy Hayes, Lena Horne, Alberta Hunter, Al Jarreau (if only he had chosen jazz!), Etta Jones, Louis Jordan, Beverly Kenny, Stacey Kent, King Pleasure, Nancy King, Cleo Laine, Dave Lambert, Jeanne Lee, Julia Lee, Julie London, Carmen Lundy, Gloria Lynne, Kevin Mahogany, Janis Mann, Claire Martin, Tina May, Mary Ann McCall, Barbara Morrison, Lee Morse, Stephanie Nakasian, Lauren Newton, Alex Pangman, Gretchen Parlato, Rebecca Parris, Ottilie Patterson, Louis Prima, Flora Purim, Barbara Rosene, Vanessa Rubin, Jackie Ryan, Diane Schuur, Daryl Sherman, Janis Siegel, Nina Simone, Carole Sloane, Luciana Souza, Esperanza Spalding, Mary Stallings, Dakota Staton, Clark Terry, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Leon Thomas, Kate-Hammett Vaughan, Marlene VerPlanck, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Fats Waller, Leo Watson, Lee Wiley, Cassandra Wilson, and Norma Winstone.
Scott Yanow has written 11 books on jazz including The Jazz Singers. He can be contacted at scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com.
