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May 16, 2024 · A countdown of the most talented and influential jazz vocalists in history, from Bessie Smith to Madeleine Peyroux. Learn about their styles, influences, and achievements in this comprehensive list of the best jazz singers ever.
- Charles Waring
- Ella Fitzgerald. We begin with Ella Fitzgerald, who is truly one of the greats—you have to be to earn such a title as the First Lady of Song. One of the most popular female jazz singers in the country, Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy awards and sold more than 40 million albums in her lifetime.
- Frank Sinatra. Even those who know little about jazz know the name Frank Sinatra. Born in December of 1915,Sinatra was the child of immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey.
- Billie Holiday. Billie Holiday, less formally known as Lady Day, was a famous American jazz and swing music singer. Though her life was cut short due to heart and liver problems from drugs and alcohol, she had quite an extensive career that spanned four different record labels.
- Louis Armstrong. Jazz singer Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential jazz artists of all time. His five-decade career included playing the cornet, singing catchy jazz hits, and appearing in Hollywood films.
- Charles Waring
- Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) Born in Newport News, Virginia, Ella Fitzgerald earned the title “The First Lady Of Song” due to her peerless vocal abilities.
- Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Between 1927 and 1974, Washington DC-born Duke Ellington commanded one of the finest ensembles in jazz. A pianist by trade – he played in a unique staccato style – Ellington made his name performing at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club in the late 20s where his orchestra helped to usher in the big band swing movement.
- Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) Nicknamed “Satchmo” or “Pops,” New Orleans-born Louis Armstrong was one of jazz’s most significant founding fathers and played a profoundly influential role in exporting the music to other parts of the world.
- Miles Davis (1926-1991) A trumpeter and bandleader from East St. Louis, Illinois, Miles Davis is arguably the most influential jazz musician of all time.
- Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong, who had the famous nickname Satchmo, was born in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz music, in 1901. He was raised by his grandmother and grew up in poverty in one of the poorest parts of New Orleans.
- Charlie Parker. Charlie Parker, also known by the nicknames Bird and Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist known for creating the style of jazz known as bebop.
- Miles Davis. Miles Davis is an iconic figure in the history of jazz, and he is one of those names that people know even when unfamiliar with jazz music.
- John Coltrane. John Coltrane, like Miles Davis, helped establish modal harmonies in jazz music. Born in 1926 in North Carolina, Coltrane led many recording sessions that are now classic records in the jazz recording literature.
- Ella Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a popular figure who transcends jazz, and it’s not hard to see why: her singing is bright, breezy, incredibly swinging, with perfect time and intonation and a real sense of fun.
- Frank Sinatra. As one of the most popular artists of the 20th Century, a movie star and one of the best selling musicians of all time, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some hardcore fans debate whether Frank Sinatra should be called a jazz singer at all.
- Billie Holiday. Rarely singing the melody straight, Holiday’s husky voice has proved highly influential and utterly iconic. Her 1930s work with the pianist Teddy Wilson is some of her best loved, and particularly the tracks (like ‘All of Me‘, ‘Foolin’ Myself‘ and ‘This Year’s Kisses‘) that find her accompanied by Lester Young on tenor saxophone.
- Sarah Vaughan. “The Divine One”, as she was known, was famed for her operatic, vibrato-laden sound and her wide vocal range. In her early career in the mid-1940s she was featured in big bands led by Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine, both of which were famed breeding grounds for the bebop style that was becoming prominent at the time.
Oct 18, 2023 · Discover the 25 best male jazz singers of all time, from Louis Armstrong to Jon Hendricks, based on their unique talents, influence and impact. Learn about their styles, songs and stories in this comprehensive list and playlist.
This is an alphabetical list of notable jazz vocalists . Contents: Top. 0–9. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. U. V. W. X. Y. Z. A. Julie Dahle Aagård (born 1978) Mindi Abair (born 1969) Lorez Alexandria (1929–2001) Karrin Allyson (born 1963) Michelle Amato. Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016) Ivie (Ivy) Anderson (1904–1949)
