Five Vocalists Every Jazz Musician Should Know

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A lot of times in jazz, vocalists can get stuck listening exclusively to vocal jazz, and instrumentalists get stuck listening exclusively to instrumental jazz. I believe that the best instrumentalists are the ones that listen to vocal jazz and understand singers and what it takes to accompany them. On the other hand, I believe that the best vocalists are the ones who can sing instrumental music with just as much emotion as a tune with lyrics. You can pretty much count on most jazz musicians having done some listening to the greats: Ella, Billie, Sarah, Frank, etc. But there are a few vocalists that are just as essential to hear, but haven’t necessarily reached that “iconic” status or gotten the recognition I believe they deserve. Here they are!

1. Anita O’Day

Anita is best known for her superb sense of rhythm (she had some training on the drums) and her refusal to abide by the “girl singer” rules (she insisted on wearing the same uniform as the other big band members.) She was a risk taker, both improvisationally and with her arrangements, and she was way ahead of her time, fitting perfectly into the bebop crowd. She’s of the West Coast school of jazz, and her sound is very unique; she doesn’t use a lot of vibrato or long tones, as her uvula was accidentally damaged during a childhood surgery on her tonsils. She sang with several big bands over the years, namely Gene Krupa’s and Stan Kenton’s, and she has recorded almost 40 albums. She also wrote a fantastic memoir called High Times, Hard Times which detailed the ups and downs of her career and her heroin addiction.

2. Betty Carter

When Sarah Vaughan says, “there’s really only one jazz singer – only one: Betty Carter,” you know you should probably give her a listen. She’s known for the breathy quality of her voice and her love for scat singing. She had the chance to perform with many of the bebop greats, including Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, both of whom sang her praises. Lionel Hampton invited her into his band, which was her “big break.” After a recommendation from Miles Davis, Ray Charles took Carter under his wing, and she began touring and recording with him. Her career had its ups and downs over the years; she continued to tour and perform until 1998, when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

3. Gretchen Parlato

I’ve spoken about Gretchen Parlato in a few of my previous blog postings. She’s becoming more and more well known in the contemporary jazz scene for her beautiful intimate sound and her rhythmic sophistication. Gretchen was the first vocalist ever admitted into the Thelonious Monk Institute, and she was the winner of the Thelonious Monk International Vocal Jazz Competition in 2004. She has performed with Lionel Loueke, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Barron, and many others, and her current band is composed of Taylor Eigsti, Kendrick Scott, and Alan Hampton (quite the all-star crew!) She has been a guest on over 60 projects and recordings and has a close musical relationship with Esperanza Spalding. She is pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz, experimenting with Brazilian sounds and covers of nostalgic pop songs from her youth.

4. Mark Murphy

Mark Murphy has released 39 studio albums since his debut Meet Mark Murphy in 1956. He is largely recognized for his impact on vocal improvisation and vocalese, and the lyrics he wrote for “Stolen Moments” and “Red Clay” have become quite famous. I just recently started listening to Murphy and was shocked at how similar his sound is to Kurt Elling’s in some of Kurt’s early recordings, although of course Murphy came first. I actually think I like Murphy’s sound more than Elling’s; it has more depth and emotion and is slightly rougher around the edges. His version of Billy Strayhorn’s “Blood Count” actually brought me to tears. This man deserves a lot more listening!

5. Norma Winstone

Norma Winstone is a British jazz vocalist who began her career singing standards but later transitioned into avant-garde and free jazz, expanding the boundaries of wordless improvisation for vocalists. She has been a part of several groups, European and American, and has worked closely with John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler for many years. She has always been praised by critics, and she has become known for her lyrics in more recent years.