BEST FEMALE VOCAL EVER


HELLO TO ALL...

I've started a BEST MALE VOCAL seperately - if you want to contribute to that, please go that discussion...

I personally think the BEST FEMALE is so much harder than the Best Male, and I already have so many names in mind that I thought I'd wait and see others suggestions.

SO PLEASE OFFER YOU HUMBLE OPINION - BUT PLEASE, offer only one.

THANKS to all who cotribute...
justvintagestuff
Eva Cassidy - a tragedy that she died so young
Jewel - listen to "Love used to be"
Jennifer Nettles - listen to "O holy night / hallelujah

Wow...great vocals

Lots of great nominees here. This past Christmas I re-established that my no.1 all-time greatest single performance is "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love. But that performance reminds me of the earlier "Maybe" by Arlene Smith (as a member of The Chantels). Both powerhouse vocals in the style of Big Mama Thornton, a female Blues Shouter if you will.

The above are all African Americans. For white singers, I generally gravitate towards those of the Country/Bluegrass persuasion. I've been listening to my sister's Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits in the car lately, and love her phrasing. While many singers (and guitarists, I came to learn in the studio) tend to "rush", Patsy waits for the downbeat (the "1") to pass by before singing the first note/word of a line, leading to a "relaxed" feel that I love. That's something that Southerner singers (and musicians) seem to know instinctively; the rest of us have to learn it. ;-)