http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=24&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rssTop Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody OnlineVocal Jazzen720Tue, 1 Dec 2009 00:29:05 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&category=genre&genreId=24&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2923&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:56 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2923 art.2923 Frank Sinatra art.2923 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2923&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2923&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4194&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:42 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4194 art.4194 Diana Krall art.4194 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4194&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4194&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss When I Look in Your Eyes, her output drew almost entirely from a body of songs penned before she was born. That changed somewhat when she co-wrote (with husband Elvis Costello) most of the songs on The Girl In the Other Room. Krall gives refreshingly unmannered performances, using her vocal and piano skills to sell standards and not herself. She's now topped the traditional jazz charts longer than any other artist in history. While Krall isn't an innovator, she doesn't need to be. Diana Krall's classy take on classic material shows that jazz still speaks to modern, mainstream audiences. - Will York]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1449&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:01:02 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1449 art.1449 Nat King Cole art.1449 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1449&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1449&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5199&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:55 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5199 art.5199 Ella Fitzgerald art.5199 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5199&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5199&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62135&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:57 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.62135 art.62135 Billie Holiday art.62135 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62135&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62135&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4516&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:31 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4516 art.4516 Nina Simone art.4516 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4516&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4516&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss
Simone began singing in church and taught herself piano and organ by the time she was seven. She took classical keyboard lessons and attended New York's Juilliard School of Music, then began playing East Coast clubs and concerts. Her first hit was a 1959 gold record of Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy."

In the '60s she moved toward R&B, recording Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (a subsequent hit for the Animals). This led to sizable popularity in England, where she had hits with "Ain't Got No/I Got Life" (from Hair) in 1968 and the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" in 1969.

By then she had become a black-power activist (her first protest song, "Mississippi Goddam," mourned the death of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers), and politically oriented tracks like "Four Women" (on an out-of-print Philips album) alienated her white audience. She became even more intense and unpredictable in concert, and despite continuing critical acclaim, she gradually lost her commercial standing. Financially, she fell upon hard times, and she divorced her manager/husband (her first marriage had also failed). In 1974 Simone quit the music business. Leaving the States, Simone took up residence in Switzerland, Liberia, Barbados, France, and the U.K. in the mid-'70s. By 1978, however, she had returned to music, releasing Baltimore and touring the U.S. again. While the early '80s were a fallow period, Simone experienced a comeback in 1987 when a television commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume used her early recording "My Baby Just Cares for Me." Her candid 1991 autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, and an appearance on Pete Townshend's Iron Man boosted her revival. In 1993, with her music featured in the film Point of No Return and with a new studio album, A Single Woman, Simone gained a new audience for her fiercely elegant fare. In 1995 Simone was ordered to pay a $4,600 fine for shooting at two teenaged boys whom she maintained were disturbing her peace while she was gardening; that year also, she was fined $5,000 for leaving the scene of a car accident that had occurred in 1993. The '90s concluded, however, on a happier note, as her music was presented again in a number of well-crafted anthologies. In 2003, Simone died at age 70 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65269&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop-Jazz Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:28:13 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.65269 art.65269 Harry Connick, Jr. art.65269 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65269&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65269&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss is big -- both as an performer and actor. A native of New Orleans, he was a child prodigy who fell in love with jazz piano, and the rich musical legacy of his hometown has always informed his work. After moving to New York City, the handsome and charismatic Connick took a friend's advice and threw on some retro duds, he quickly landed a major recording contract. Connick's first two albums were jazz piano affairs, but when his pseudo-soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally (done in Frank Sinatra's patented 1950s Swingin' Lovers style) became a surprise smash hit that stayed atop the jazz charts for years, Connick kept the Sinatra thing going for a while. Then came an ill-advised but heartfelt New Orleans R&B detour. His old school R&B wasn't embarrassing, but since he'd always incorporated the feel of the city into much of his work, it did feel a bit redundant. When Connick returned to jazz-based pop music with 1997's To See You, one could hear his renewed enthusiasm - in fact, his recordings from this point on are often better and more exciting than some of his earlier, better-selling releases. Many critics have failed to see (or hear) how much Connick's singing, songwriting and piano playing have matured over the years. His single greatest development may be in the unheralded field of arrangements; his imaginative band charts on albums such as Come By Me and Songs I Heard show an originality and spark that would earn him acclaim in the jazz world if he weren't a pop star. At the same time, Connick take pains to strip all the other instruments away and show off his uncompromising jazz piano playing, often on Branford Marsalis' label. In 2007, he returned to New Orleans for Oh, My Nola, an album that contains all the verve and fire that his earlier efforts in the style sometimes lacked. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.28963&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:01 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.28963 art.28963 Madeleine Peyroux art.28963 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.28963&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.28963&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Dreamland, her major label debut, and showcased an ageless voice that belied the fact that she was a fresh-faced 22 year old at the time. The album earned rave reviews, and coupled with strong word of mouth from fans, the album moved from the top of the jazz world to the pop/rock charts without the aid of any radio play or TV exposure. Believe it or not (actually, believe it), this wasn't good enough for the major label that she was signed to, so Peyroux went back to performing on Parisian streets only to return in 2004 on Rounder Records, the famed independent roots label. Careless Love took off where Peyroux left off, even improving on her debut and quickly went to the top of the jazz charts before starting to sell to mainstream pop rock audiences. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5792&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Cool/West Coast Jazz Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:58 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5792 art.5792 Chet Baker art.5792 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5792&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5792&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2106&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:15 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2106 art.2106 Sarah Vaughan art.2106 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2106&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2106&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3846&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:26 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.3846 art.3846 Al Jarreau art.3846 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3846&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3846&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Tenderness is a breathtaking mainstream document of an artist at the top of his game. Jarreau continues to spellbind audiences at jazz festivals around the world. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61239&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:55 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61239 art.61239 Peggy Lee art.61239 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61239&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61239&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69335&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.69335 art.69335 Nancy Wilson art.69335 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69335&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.69335&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss The Swinging's Mutual) and the other with Cannonball Adderley). Catapulted to the pop stratosphere, Wilson was the bestselling artist on Capitol Records' roster (beating out everyone from Nat King Cole to the Beach Boys) until the Beatles crossed the pond and eclipsed everything and everybody in their culture-changing wake. Other fine albums from this '60s period include Yesterday's Love Songs, Today's Blues and But Beautiful, a jazz ballad set led by pianist Hank Jones. In the '70s and '80s, Nancy Wilson slowly made the transition from pop star to adult contemporary soul singer. From the 1990s to the present day, Wilson returned to alternating jazz standards, quiet storm and adult contemporary ballads, while putting on a sensational jazz show in concert. The longevity of Wilson's career and the continuing strength of her voice are almost unheard of in modern pop music, though her career -- and her affinity with jazz, blues and soul -- shares many parallels with one-time Capitol labelmate Lou Rawls. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61145&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:01:06 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61145 art.61145 Rosemary Clooney art.61145 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61145&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61145&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Blue Rose is amazing), Clooney also recorded with such heavyweights as Benny Goodman, Harry James and (her secret love) Nelson Riddle. After a complete breakdown, Clooney resurfaced to great critical acclaim in the mid-'70s on the Concorde jazz label -- accent on the jazz. Now Clooney is free to concentrate on great standards instead of silly tunes and crossover material. While her once pure, perfect voice has aged, Clooney's sense of swing, nuance, and emotion has only grown richer over the years. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9491&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:59 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.9491 art.9491 Julie London art.9491 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9491&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.9491&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.52710&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:34 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.52710 art.52710 Steve Tyrell art.52710 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.52710&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.52710&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62114&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:54 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.62114 art.62114 The Manhattan Transfer art.62114 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62114&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62114&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocalese (a collaboration with mentor Jon Hendricks and a host of jazz greats), 1986's Brasil, 1997's Swing, and 2000's The Spirit of St. Louis (although the sainted one they toast on this album is Louis Armstrong, not the city famous for its arch). Manhattan Transfer can even surprise on a mixed bag like 1991's The Offbeat of Avenues, on which they suddenly drop the programmed beats and dig deep into the moody Miles Davis classic "Blues for Pablo." All of Manhattan Transfer are superb vocalists in their own right, but Janis Siegel has had the greatest success as a solo artist. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55039&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:57 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.55039 art.55039 Mel Torme art.55039 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55039&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55039&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Night Court and Sienfeld. Jazz fans know Mel Torme as the singer who best exemplified the Cool West Coast sound. A child prodigy, Torme entered show biz at the age of three. A short stint as a big band drummer left him with a firm grasp of complex rhythms and he enjoyed a brief period as a crooning teen idol in the 1940s (film roles included). During the 1950s, Torme began a collaboration with arranger/pianist Marty Paich, and together they brought the Miles Davis/Gerry Mulligan "Birth of the Cool" sound to popular music on a series of classic albums. These remain his finest recordings, but Torme was popular during the '80s, where sold-out concert crowds were dazzled by his high-flying scat abilities and razor wit. Torme also wrote many songs, including the standard "Stranger in Town," penned when he was fifteen years old, as well as "The Christmas Song" ("...chestnuts roasting on an open fire"). - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38095&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:55 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.38095 art.38095 Karrin Allyson art.38095 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38095&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38095&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss From Rio to Paris, Allyson shows that she doesn't even have to sing in English to get at the heart of a song, though it was Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane (2001) that finally broke this talent to most jazz audiences. With a hit album under her belt, Allyson looks like someone who could actually receive the kind of reception with the general public that Diana Krall enjoys. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3265&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:06 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.3265 art.3265 Holly Cole art.3265 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3265&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.3265&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Temptation is an excellent peek into Tom Waits' considerable catalogue and proves to Generation X that good songs gain new life when interpreted by intelligent artists. If you have a date coming over, put on Diana Krall; but if the evening doesn't turn out well, it is Holly Cole who will ease the soul. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2402&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:20 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2402 art.2402 Dianne Reeves art.2402 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2402&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2402&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68163&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:54 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.68163 art.68163 Cassandra Wilson art.68163 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68163&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68163&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Blue Light Till Dawn in 1993. The album lived up to its title by combining her serious jazz chops with a bluesy, nocturnal feeling on ancient tunes and modern pop classics that don't usually appear on vocal albums (only the lead off track, "You Don't Know What Love Is," can be considered a standard). Blue Light established Wilson as a star, sailed to the No. 1 spot on the jazz charts, and stayed in the top 20 for two years. Her follow-up album, 1995's New Moon Daughter, was even more successful and won a Grammy for best jazz vocal. Promoting these smashes may well have slowed Wilson's recording of more solo projects; in the interim, the more traditional Diana Krall replaced her as the nation's young jazz singer of choice. But that break seems to have done Wilson well: her subsequent albums have contained even greater strains of country blues, experimental rock and world music, and they've all hit the No. 2 spot on the jazz charts (behind Krall or Norah Jones). - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63597&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Adult Contemporary Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:15 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.63597 art.63597 Regina Belle art.63597 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63597&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.63597&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Stay With Me, went all the way to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's R&B charts. In 2004, Belle released Lazy Afternoon, an album that uses jazz standards as a springboard for a superior set of bedroom soul vamps. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.34686&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:21:31 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.34686 art.34686 Jane Monheit art.34686 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.34686&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.34686&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Never Never Land, in 2000, kicking off the set with the self-deprecating "Please Be Kind." Monheit needn't have worried, since the CD was a big hit, shooting up to the No. 2 spot in the jazz charts and reaching No. 3 in the then-new Internet sales chart. Her 2001 follow-up did even better, going to the top spot in the jazz charts and featuring a cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" that shows that Monheit could've easily entered the Sarah McLachlan pop realm if she had wished to. In the Sun, released in 2002, grafted lush string arrangements onto a small-group jazz palette, while the next year's Live at the Rainbow surprisingly had more of an old-fashioned, Streisand-in-the-1960s vocal feel to it than her studio albums. Monheit signed to Sony in 2004 and released Taking a Chance On Love, a run-through of the standards originally written for MGM films. Another mix of small-group and orchestral numbers, the album returned Monheit to No. 1 in the jazz charts and showcased her strengths as both a jazz and classic pop vocalist. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2415&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:55 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2415 art.2415 Jo Stafford art.2415 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2415&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2415&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61144&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:01:05 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.61144 art.61144 Lena Horne art.61144 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61144&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61144&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4042&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss A Cappella Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:49:57 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4042 art.4042 Bobby McFerrin art.4042 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4042&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4042&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Circlesongs (1997) did away with intelligible language all together while still utilizing the group format. Meanwhile, the world waits for McFerrin to return as a solo performer in his own right. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2229&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:13:24 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2229 art.2229 Johnny Hartman art.2229 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2229&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2229&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Songs From the Heart (1955), I Just Dropped By to Say Hello and John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (both 1963) easily rank alongside the greatest jazz albums ever, vocals or no vocals. Esquire magazine even chose his collaboration with Coltrane as the greatest album ever made, and while rock fans would argue that point, the masterpiece is certainly one of the most exquisitely beautiful ever recorded. Although a select group of loyal fans and (especially) jazz musicians loved these albums, by the late-1960s Hartman was working primarily in Japan and Australia (where he even starred in his own TV specials). By the late-'70s Hartman was working back in the States, where he earned a Grammy nomination in 1980. Then, just as his career was taking off again, he developed cancer and died in 1983. In the mid-'90s, longtime fan Clint Eastwood included a handful of Hartman tracks in his darkly romantic adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County. The film introduced Hartman to a whole new generation of listeners, and the resulting soundtrack CD, as well as two re-issued Hartman albums, quickly sold more than any of his work had during his lifetime. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7527450&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Thu, 8 Oct 2009 11:45:27 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.7527450 art.7527450 Sophie Milman art.7527450 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7527450&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7527450&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55034&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:12 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.55034 art.55034 Carmen McRae art.55034 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55034&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.55034&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65891&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:03:38 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.65891 art.65891 Lizz Wright art.65891 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65891&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.65891&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42122&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Contemporary R&B Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:56 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.42122 art.42122 Rachelle Ferrell art.42122 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42122&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.42122&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Individuality (Can I Be Me?). - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1698&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:22:04 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.1698 art.1698 Shirley Horn art.1698 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1698&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.1698&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss You Won't Forget Me, resulting in her first No. 1 jazz album. Davis died before the two could cut an entire album together, but Horn would continue racking up No. 1 jazz poll positions and Grammy awards for Verve. While originally Horn had to fight to be able to accompany herself on piano, her finest album may be Here's to Life (1991), an orchestral set she recorded with master arranger/composer Johnny Mandel. Though Shirley Horn could do up-tempo swingers with the best of them, the ballad "Quietly There," from Here's to Life, may best sum up her approach. Shirley Horn valiantly kept performing and recording even as her body was being attacked by diabetes and cancer. Severe illness kept her from playing the piano for her final album, May the Music Never End (2003), a powerful but typically clear-eyed look at love, regret and mortality. Horn passed away in 2005, but not before influencing such followers as Roberta Flack, Diana Krall and Norah Jones, giving her far greater impact on modern music than name recognition would imply. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62122&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Cabaret Sun, 4 Oct 2009 09:42:39 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.62122 art.62122 Blossom Dearie art.62122 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62122&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62122&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5666&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:50:35 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5666 art.5666 Anita O'Day art.5666 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5666&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5666&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39683&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sat, 6 Jun 2009 08:29:31 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.39683 art.39683 Susannah McCorkle art.39683 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39683&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.39683&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies (1999) may just be her finest release. Tragically, McCorkle was a longtime sufferer of deep depression. She committed suicide in 2001. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60158&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:03:42 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.60158 art.60158 Joe Williams art.60158 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60158&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.60158&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2075&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:51 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2075 art.2075 Keely Smith art.2075 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2075&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2075&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38396&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Jazz-Funk Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:32 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.38396 art.38396 Gil Scott-Heron art.38396 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38396&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.38396&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2201&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:39:19 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.2201 art.2201 June Christy art.2201 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2201&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2201&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss the label for jazz singers in the 1950s. She recorded Something Cool, her brilliant debut L.P, in 1953 with her old Kenton cohort Pete Rugolo and a host of the West Coast's best cool jazz musicians (including her husband, saxophonist Bob Cooper). Something Cool was a major success and instantly became one the biggest sellers of its time. At once accessible and challenging, the album became a benchmark for the rest of her career. It showcased her knack for finding offbeat and often bleak tunes (the famed title track, for instance, is about a lonely, deluded woman who scares away a potential pick-up at a bar). After that artistic and commercial high-water mark, Christy was given free rein at Capitol and split her time between orchestral albums with Rugolo and small group jazz sessions, often with her husband. Even though she was a popular concert draw, Christy never enjoyed touring; when rock supplanted classic pop in the album charts in the mid-'60s, she called it a day, coming out of retirement occasionally to sing with the old cool jazz crowd until her death in 1990. - Nick Dedina]]> http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47517&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Sun, 2 Aug 2009 08:58:49 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.47517 art.47517 Laura Fygi art.47517 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47517&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.47517&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4196&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:19:14 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.4196 art.4196 Diane Schuur art.4196 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4196&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4196&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6196&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:04:31 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6196 art.6196 Mark Murphy art.6196 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6196&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6196&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25213&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:52 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.25213 art.25213 Stacey Kent art.25213 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25213&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.25213&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15721&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss French Pop Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:38 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.15721 art.15721 Henri Salvador art.15721 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15721&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.15721&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6596956&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Sat, 3 Oct 2009 10:44:44 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.6596956 art.6596956 Erin Bode art.6596956 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6596956&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6596956&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62124&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:38:17 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.62124 art.62124 Billy Eckstine art.62124 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62124&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.62124&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68793&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Vocal Jazz Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:07:23 -0700 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.68793 art.68793 Luciana Souza art.68793 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68793&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68793&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5558&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss Pop Standards Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:01:10 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.5558 art.5558 Kay Starr art.5558 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5558&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5558&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.899&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss A Cappella Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:38:16 -0800 Top Vocal Jazz Artists on Rhapsody Online art.899 art.899 The Swingle Singers art.899 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.899&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.899&variant=data&rws=%2Fjazz%2Fvocal-jazz%2Fartist-chart.rss