Your Favorite Female Musicians ?

[Herbonbay]

I've really enjoyed the threads started by Eric ( AKA Thelonious Funk ) regarding the music that we're all currently listening to. After all, the music is what it's all about . Isn't it? 8O So Thanks Eric, I always find myself jotting down a few notes for consideration of future purchases.

Lately, I seem to be listening to the ladies more and more. There just seems to be a lot of great new music being produced by the better side.

Along these lines I'd like to known who your favorite female musicians are?

Some of the GIRLS I've purchased this year:

Cafe Blue, Patricia Barber
Companion , Patricia Barber

World Without Tears, Lucinda Williams
My favorite Lucinda Williams CD is still her first, I forget the name, and it seems to be missing. I think my girl friend filched it.

Lost in Space, Aimee Mann

Regrooving the Dream, Patty Larkin
Red Luck, Patty Larkin

In the Cool, Pieta Brown

Careless Love, Madeleine Peyroux

Susie Suh, Susie Suh

Thunderbird, Cassandra Wilson
Traveling Miles, Cassandra Wilson

Both Sides Now Joni Mitchell
A great CD with Mitchell singing some of her music along with traditional cuts like " Your My Thrill " and "Stomy Weather" with full orchestration. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Mark Isham and others lend a hand.

Surprise of the Year:

Possibilities, Herbie Hancock

Yes I know that Herbie Hancock is male. This is a collaboration CD w/ Hancock playing with John Mayer, Santana, Joss Stone, Sting and others. My favorite cut is Hancock and Christina Aguilera doing Leon Russell's
"A Song For You". I get goose bums whenever I listen to it. This young lady has a voice that just floors me. If she would walk away from her teeny bopper, boy toy,pop genra and move into the Jazz relm I'd be waiting in line for the release.

Have fun and thanks again Thelonious

[Thelonious Funk]

Hey, I start threads for selfish reasons. I want new stuff to check out and you just gave me more..

I think you'd like Feist, and I know that this band has been recommended before on this site a few times.


Is it wrong to still love the song Black Coffee by Peggy Lee more than most any other song by a female singer?

Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville is terrific, but don't go into it thinking about pretty melodies and sweet love songs. It's her answer to the Stones Exile on Main Street.

If you want to get down and funky, and who doesn't, check out Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. They have successfully brought 50's motown back. I submit that it is impossible to dislike her.

And last but not least.... Because I like her more than the other names we won't mention because everyone already knows them... Circe Link. She's great in her own jazzy-americana way.

So with that, I leave. In the words of the great Wesley Willis, Rock on Chicago, Rock on McDonalds.

[Herbonbay]

I'll check them out. I've got a few jazz sampler CDs that have Peggy Lee cuts and whenever I hear them I make a mental note to purchase some of her CDs. Unfortunately, most of my mental notes tend to have a short shelf life. I love to find new, or old, artists that I'm unfamiliar with. When you occasionally fall in love with a find, that is one of the defining aspects of the "double boner". Is it OK to say boner on the Guide? 8O

[Thelonious Funk]

It has to be ok to say Boner, right?

But double boner... I'd be careful. People might get jealous.

[David Meek]

It's all in the context. :W

In this case, as a reference to an emotional state brought on by certain aspects of a performance you have listened to, it's quite acceptable.

[aud19]

Nina Simone, Etta James, Ella Fitgerald, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones...sure I forgot someone...:lol:

[miner]

Beth Hart - 'Screamin' For My Supper' - sings from the heart.

[Blindamood]

Leah Andreone. Her album "Veiled" is one of my 'reference' discs for testing system updates. Her stuff is a little off-beat, but she sure can belt it out...

[Chris D]

Boner? Mmmmmm, maybe. Just don't say "badgers badgers badgers".

[bigburner]

Is it OK to say boner on the Guide?

boner is OK, bigboner isn't.

[bigburner]

I've bought lots of female artists over the past year or so. My favourites are:

Alison Krauss on the "Alison Krauss + Union Station Live" DVD.

Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy on the "Adieu False Heart" CD.

KT Tunstall on the "Eye to the Telescope" CD.

Pieta Brown on the "In the Cool" CD.

Rhonda Vincent on the "Ragin' Live" DVD.

Norah Jones on "The Little Willies" CD.

Zolani Mahola (from Freshly Ground) on the "Nomvula" CD.


Going back in time my favourite female artists are:

Alanis Morissette
Aretha Franklin
Big Mama Thornton
Billie Holiday
Bonnie Raitt
Diana Ross
Dusty Springfield
Ella Fitzgerald
Eva Cassidy
Janis Joplin
Joan Baez
Joni Mitchell
Mary Wells
Nina Simone
Patsy Cline
Ruth Brown
Sheryl Crow

Apologies to all the wonderful women I missed!

[aud19]

Dang forgot Janis!!!

[bigburner]

And I forgot Joan Armatrading. It's endless...

[Burke Strickland]

Joan Baez – album Diamonds and Rust, song Bangladesh, song The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Judy Collins – song Someday Soon, song Mr. Tambourine Man and of course song Both Sides Now
Holly Cole – album Temptation, album It Happened One Night, album and song not on the album of the same name Blame It On My Youth
Patricia O’Callaghan – album Real Emotional Girl
Jennifer Warnes – album Famous Blue Raincoat
Emmylou Harris – album and song Wrecking Ball
Rita Coolidge – song All Time High (my favorite of the James Bond theme songs)
Sara K – album hobo
Dionne Warwick – song First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Janis Joplin – song Piece of My Heart, song Me and Bobby McGee
Kelly Flint (of “Dave’s True Story” jazz ensemble) – album Sex Without Bodies
Shirley Horn – album Light Out of Darkness (tribute to Ray Charles), May The Music Never End
Dusty Springfield -- song Son of a Preacher Man, song The Look of Love, song Windmills of Your Mind, song Yesterday, When I Was Young

[sokoban]

Here are some of my favorite females:

Tori Amos (albums are okay, concert recordings and B-sides are amazing)
Ani DiFranco (great live musician, very good guitarist)
Beth Gibbons (Vocalist for Portishead, also see her cd with Rustin Man, "Out of Season")
Nina Simone
Astrud Gilberto
KT Tunstall (Saw her live at my local music shop when eye to the telescope first came out, very cool.)
Erin McKeown
Diamanda Galas

[crackyflipside]

I've really been enjoying the new Norah Jones album, really well recorded.


(As well as great singing to go along with the good recording techniques. :B )

[Martyn]

Glad you picked out Holly Cole, Burke.

Someone on HTG alerted me to Katie Melua a while back. Maybe not an exceptional voice, but very enjoyable compositions and arrangements nonetheless.

[Thelonious Funk]

Um... K.D. Lang

and my uncle's favortie... Ricki Lee Jones. Her cover album Pop is very good, and the Jefferson Airplane cover on there is worth it by itself.

[David Meek]

Sarah Brightman
Stevie Nicks - love that "whiskey" voice

[spyboy]

Joan Baez – album Diamonds and Rust, song Bangladesh, song The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Judy Collins – song Someday Soon, song Mr. Tambourine Man and of course song Both Sides Now
Holly Cole – album Temptation, album It Happened One Night, album and song not on the album of the same name Blame It On My Youth
Patricia O’Callaghan – album Real Emotional Girl
Jennifer Warnes – album Famous Blue Raincoat
Emmylou Harris – album and song Wrecking Ball
Rita Coolidge – song All Time High (my favorite of the James Bond theme songs)
Sara K – album hobo
Dionne Warwick – song First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Janis Joplin – song Piece of My Heart, song Me and Bobby McGee
Kelly Flint (of “Dave’s True Story” jazz ensemble) – album Sex Without Bodies
Shirley Horn – album Light Out of Darkness (tribute to Ray Charles), May The Music Never End
Dusty Springfield -- song Son of a Preacher Man, song The Look of Love, song Windmills of Your Mind, song Yesterday, When I Was Young

Burke has a lot of good singers on this list...

I would add:
Jennifer Warnes - The Hunter (total album).
Kim Richey -Glimmer... Almost the entire album especially... Didn't I
Emmylou Harris About 8 albums. Including the new release... All the Road Running plus the DVD + CD combo
Lucinda Williams Sweet Old World

[Briz vegas]

Ok here is an alternative list with a more anglo flavour

Female singers are great, but female musicians that write play and record their own stuff have far more cred in my book. Pianos are pretty cool but I reckon anyone who straps on a guitar suddenly takes it to a new level - probably why there are a few female guitarists in this list.

Kate Bush
Beth Orton
P J Harvey
Any of the many female artists that have sung with Massive Attack
Clouds (on ya Jodie & Trish)
Ani Difranco

and just to make sure this list divides the audience.......Bjork !!!!!!!

[gd]

I like 'em artsy...

Björk
Laurie Anderson
Kate Bush
Evelyn Glennie
Amy X Neuberg

[spyboy]

I like 'em artsy...

Björk
Laurie Anderson
Kate Bush
Evelyn Glennie
Amy X Neuberg

I second Kate Bush.

[spyboy]

Joan Baez – album Diamonds and Rust, song Bangladesh, song The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Judy Collins – song Someday Soon, song Mr. Tambourine Man and of course song Both Sides Now
Holly Cole – album Temptation, album It Happened One Night, album and song not on the album of the same name Blame It On My Youth
Patricia O’Callaghan – album Real Emotional Girl
Jennifer Warnes – album Famous Blue Raincoat
Emmylou Harris – album and song Wrecking Ball
Rita Coolidge – song All Time High (my favorite of the James Bond theme songs)
Sara K – album hobo
Dionne Warwick – song First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Janis Joplin – song Piece of My Heart, song Me and Bobby McGee
Kelly Flint (of “Dave’s True Story” jazz ensemble) – album Sex Without Bodies
Shirley Horn – album Light Out of Darkness (tribute to Ray Charles), May The Music Never End
Dusty Springfield -- song Son of a Preacher Man, song The Look of Love, song Windmills of Your Mind, song Yesterday, When I Was Young

For anyone who wants to not only hear Emmylou Harris sing Wrecking Ball but see her with the Spyboy Band...there is a DVD called Sessions at 54th...2nd Volume that has her doing Wrecking Ball live in a compilation that has several other good performers including Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Ani DiFranco, Ricki Lee Jones, Sinead O'Connor, Patti Smith, and Jane Siberry.

[Burke Strickland]

there is a DVD called Sessions at 54th...2nd Volume that has her doing Wrecking Ball live in a compilation that has several other good performers including Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Ani DiFranco, Ricki Lee Jones, Sinead O'Connor, Patti Smith, and Jane Siberry.

Actually that is Best of Sessions at West 54th Street Volume One which you are describing, and it is exceptionally well produced and very entertaining. The good news is that every track is by a different artist, so you get a wide cross section of music styles on one disc. The bad news is that every track is by a different artist, so you only get one track of each artist that you really like (and you will probably end up likiing almost all of them -- the only one I cannot stand on the album is Rickie Lee Jones, and since some folks really get off on her performances, there really is "something for everyone"). So I bought six CDs (including Wrecking Ball) and two other performance DVDs based on what I experienced with that DVD.

[wkhanna]

When I first saw this thread ‘Female Musicians’ I immediately and apparently incorrectly discounted vocalists. The one female ‘musician’ who instantly came to my mind above all others:
Jazz Pianist, Marian McPartland, widow of cornetist Jimmy McPartland. If you have never heard her play, well, you’ve just never heard a piano transcend a chorus of angels, IMHO.

[Nick M]

Etta James, Edith Piaf, Diana Krall, Christina Aguilera (not the overproduced pop tracks), Lead singer from Cranberries (whatzername?).

Recently I've been getting into Imogen Heap and KT Tunstall (they won grammys this year).

Countless others of course, many of which have already been named.

[Alaric]

Nancy Wilson.....Not 'cause she's great,but because she's part of one of the great rock bands of my era. Her sister used to belt out a chord or two as well.

[2Below]

Sarah McLachlan - What a voice. That's all I need to say.
Loreena McKennitt - Celic themed music. Check out "Book of Secrets"
Lucinda Williams
Alicia Keys
Big Mama Thornton - A great early blues singer. She was the first to sing "Hound Dog" and may have wrote it. Elvis turned it into the Rock & Roll hit 3 years later

[chinets]

Diane Krall and Feist !!

[chrispy35]

Edie Brickell
Nellie McKay
Holly Cole

[Chris D]

Amy Lee of "Evanescence", as far as female vocals. Too bad the new album isn't better.

[wkhanna]

If we’re just going with vocalists:

Ella Fitzgerald

Billie Holiday

Linda Ronstadt

Dolly Parton

Emmylou Harris

[Alloroc]

Almost all above but I'm surprised I didn't see Aimee Mann (correct me if I'm wrong!). She is probably my favourite.

[8thDwarf]

Once,original poster mentioned Aimee.

I could probably listen to The Chairman of the Board,Elvis,Velvet Fog ,Bryan Ferry or Peter Gabriel,sing 1040 forms or menus.
My taste in female vocalists is heavily song dependent.I like the vocals of Laurie Anderson(but it's really more like talking isn't it?).

I like the vocal sound of Stevie Nicks(early),Ann Wilson,Annie Lennox,Jane Siberry,Emiana Torrini,Alison Goldfrapp,Billie Meyers,even Madonna(maybe it's top dollar studio trickery) and most of the previously mentioned artists(yes Siberry and Ann Wilson's sister where mentioned).

The list I had is mostly covered. I'll add , Rene Fleming,Jane Monheit,Nikka Costa,Anna Nalick,Dana Glover,Suzanne Vega,Karen Dreijer,Angela McCluskey,Macy Gray for a song or few each.
It just depends on how they connect with the right song...two spinning plates.

[NMG]

Among the others mentioned, I've been listening to allot of Jewel's stuff lately. For the most part, the recordings are very good and I just love her voice. Really good stuff.

[Thelonious Funk]

Just don't buy her very latest record... unless you like the Britney Spears meets a yodeler thing.

[aud19]

Among the others mentioned, I've been listening to allot of Jewel's stuff lately. For the most part, the recordings are very good and I just love her voice. Really good stuff.

LOVE her voice....she's pretty easy on the eyes too :W :P



Her latest record I agree as a whole is not as good as her past efforts but there's three or so tracks on it that I really like...the rest of the album is anywhere from mediocre to mearly "good" IMO.

[NMG]

I would agree with that take on the newest album, although I find that some of her stuff does tend to take a number of listens before it comes around . . . of that makes any sense . . . LOL

[David Meek]

Just don't buy her very latest record... unless you like the Britney Spears meets a yodeler thing.

T, that's a good one! :roflmao:

[Chris D]

Ever notice how she looks like the cheerleader in "Heroes"?

[Thelonious Funk]

Chris, the Hero's thread has created a monster, hasn't it?

Jewel looks a little like the cheerleader, but the thoughts you are having aren't illegal in this case.

[aud19]

....but the thoughts you are having aren't illegal in this case.

If it's wrong, I don't want to be right :B

[aud19]

I would agree with that take on the newest album, although I find that some of her stuff does tend to take a number of listens before it comes around . . . of that makes any sense . . . LOL

I find that as well...some music needs to kind of seep in to you before it reveals itself

[Beermoney]

My musical taste is wide and varied but here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order)...

Nora Jones
Maysa (formerly with Incognito)
Jill Scott
India Arie
The late, great Ella Ruth Piggee (formerly with Fatburger)
Tracey Chapman
The late, great Emily Remler
K.D. Lang
Cyndi Lauper (yes, Cyndi Lauper)
Erykah Badu
Alicia Keys
Byonce Knowles
Pat Benetar
Nancy Wilson
Dione Warwick
Candy Dulfer
Mary J Blije
Christina Aguilera