Who's your favorite female Jazz musician?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

Poll question: Who's your favorite female Jazz musician?

Had to do it.

[arcane1]

1. Keiko Matsui

:loveya:

[Bushknew]

2. Elaine Elias

[BlueEyedSon]

3. What, no NORAHJONES.

I think she's a yawn, but she sells records....

[Fovea]

4. Keely Smith

Great Singer.

[sangh0]

5. Shirley Scott

Queen of the B-3

[felonious thunk]

6. Gilberto and Getz doing It Might as Well be Spring

Is music at its apex.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Any Blossom Dearie fans?

http://www.blossomsplanet.com/

[smirkymonkey]

50. Here's one!! This was a tough

one - I really love almost all mentioned (w/ a few exceptions). Blossom should really be on the list though.

[HuckleB]

8. No Nina Simone or Mary Lou Williams?

For shame. They should definitely be on the list, well ahead of many of those named.

I'd have to give the nod to Mary Lou Williams. Nobody broke down doors like she did.

Gotta give a shout out for Maria Schneider, Margaret Johnson, Barbara Dennerlein and Shirley Scott too.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

23. If my fiance finds out I forgot Nina the wedding will be canceled

I am horrified

[HuckleB]

32. Don't worry.

We won't tell.

[gottaB]

27. I like the Zodiac Suite a whole lot

I dig Geri Allen, think she's the best person to represent Mary Lou's legacy.

Other pianists, I like Junko Onishi and Jessica Williams for different reasons. J. Williams has a nice angle on Monk's sound.

Junko has a mean left hand like Allen and Mary Lou, and also an ear for the low end. Her treatment of Mingus is sweet.

[HuckleB]

31. Hey, gotta, are we long lost cousins?

Hmmm.

;)

[tigereye]

45. Mary Lou was great

I love Geri Allen! Have several of her CDs. Saw a great ML Williams tribute show a while back with Geri, Marian McPArtland, and Dorothy Donegan ( she was wild - glad I got to see her before she died) There was also another great woman pianist,,, kind of cerebral... whose name I can't recall. That was a great show!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. Ella wasn't a musician. Emily Remmler is my fave

or shall i say...was...too much cocaine..gone too soon.

In fact few of the women in the poll are MUSICIANS, they are singers.

[HuckleB]

14. Instrumentalists definitely need to be better represented...

in any such poll.

However, a singer is a musician.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. While I agree that a voice is an instrument and I can make my guitar sing

I think the distinction is worth noting.....

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

24. I agree, Unfortunatley I'm alittle ignorant in this area

If people can school me to female instrumentalists I will be indepted

[HuckleB]

34. I listed a few, as have others.

A great way to get a taste, is to take down the names, hit the 'Net and reserve what you can at your local library. Cheap and easy!

Also, the ye olde Rough Guide to Jazz is great for noting the seminal works of various artists, which gives you a great place to start when exploring new artists, IMHO.

[Dookus]

15. I disagree

I think singers are musicians, and Ella used her voice as well as anybody ever played an instrument.

She also was a bandleader - one of the very first women to do so. She led the Chick Webb Orchestra after his death.

Edit: PLUS... she wrote "A Tisket - A Tasket"

[ronzo]

17. Yeah! Emily!

Beat me to it. ;)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. Wow another Emily fan!

Amazing how many never heard of her...she would have been the Wes Montgomery of her lifetime had she lived...even had Benson whipped.

[ronzo]

26. Yeah you right.

Emily could channel Wes. Now, where'd I put those hotlicks tapes? :)

[noiretextatique]

18. sarah was a musician

and the best vocalist in this poll, next to ella and billie.

[corporatewhore]

10. nina !!!!

[bif]

11. Singer or musician?

Many of those listed, didn't play anything.

[bif]

12. Marianne McPartland

[TahitiNut]

54. Yes!! You're somebody who knows Jazz, bif. (If not spelling)

:silly: It's really tough to choose, though. Ella is a giant and nobody does scat like Ella. Just nobody. But Lady Marian, Jimmy McPartland's war-bride, weaves a tune on the ivories with more subtlety, harmony, and nuance than I've ever heard. She was a real treat to hear in person (right up front and cozy, of course).

Marian's fans included Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Steve Allen, Oscar Peterson, and Artie Shaw. That's a helluva fan club.


Just listen to a snippet ... http://mama.indstate.edu/users/novotney/marian/scrat.wav

[shadu]

13. Flora Purim

[Kahuna]

16. Okay. You left off Nancy Wilson. Not cool...

I'll go with Astrud... But just know... You left off Nancy. Really, not cool.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. Another great one...seen her live many times

[NNadir]

19. Carla Bley

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

25. Karen Hammack

Karen is a very talented local jazz pianist in the L.A. area, frequently playing with the great jazz drummer Paul Kreibich. I sat in with Karen back in the late 70's at a gig and she's still going strong.

http://www.instrumentalwomen.com/Artists%20Pages/hammack_k.htm

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

28. My secret intention here was to learn new people. You guys Rock!

:toast:

[tigereye]

47. that is why these types of threads are so wonderful

thanks... I was hoping to see a female jazz thread. I love female jazz pianists and vocalists.

[Emboldened Chimp]

29. Definitely Ella

I love Billie, too, but Ella had much more range...

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

30. Agreed, but

Billie personified hurt. When I'm feeling like crap - she's the one I go to

[Whitacre D_WI]

33. Alice.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

35. Nice - I wondered if she'd get any votes!

[buddhamama]

36. Ella

Sarah second and honorable mention to Carmen McCrae--Inside a Silent Tear is amazing.


Bessie Smith will always be The Queen of the Delta Blues.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

38. I know that Bessie was a blues singer but I often put her on mixes of

old jazz music. I thought she was important to the growth of these women, you know?

Many a jazz musician has said that jazz would not exist without the blues.

[buddhamama]

40. i would agree

wasn't making a statement against her being on the list.
more of a statement that Bessie is in a category all her own!

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

41. amen

[Zomby Woof]

46. mmmmBessie Smith!

I am glad someone else on DU appreciates her greatness. :-)

[GumboYaYa]

37. Billie and Ella are both so amazing.

I can't choose. I also think that Mahalia Jacksonm should be considered as she was a forerunner for many of the later female jazz greats.

Another unkown female jazz singer I love is Germaine Bazzle. She teaches voice at the University of New Orleans. She only has a few albums, but they are all phenomenal.

[arwalden]

39. Jazz Singer? Dinah Washington.

[King_Crimson]

42. Two...actually...

Corinne Drewery of Swing Out Sister...a succulent voice indeed
www.swingoutsister.com

Joyce Cooling...this chick is an EXCELLENT jazz guitarist
www.joycecooling.com

[mulsh]

43. mimi fox

up and comming guitarist. joe pass adored her.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

53. Yeah!

[Blue-Jay]

44. A few of my favorite female instrumentalists in no particular order:

Shannon LeClaire, alto saxophone
Toshiko Akioshi, piano/composer/arranger
Joyce DiCamillo, piano
Lynn Arriale, piano
Cindy Blackman, drums
Ingrid Jensen, trumpet
Terri Lyne Carrington, drums
Rachel Z, piano
Joanne Brackeen, piano
DIVA (all-female big band)
Elaine Elias, piano
Bobbi Humphrey, flute
Regina Carter, violin
Geri Allen, piano
Saffire the Uppity Blues Women (yes, technically it's Blues, but these women have the "chops" that rival many jazz musicians)

I guess I should include Jane Ira Bloom (soprano sax). She's very talented, but *I* don't really care for her stuff, personally.

I won't include Candy Dulpher (alto sax) because she sucks. She only gets press because she's attractive. Sad, but true.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

48. I do know Regina Carter - Thanks - this helps ALOT!!!

:toast:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

49. Billie & Ella are tied

People - we can't have our cake and eat it too. Or can we?

[mvd]

51. Ella Fitzgerald

Amazing vocal range.

[smirkymonkey]

52. Where's Dinah Washington??

She's right up there w/ Billie, Ella & Sarah, in my book.