Your favourites of this-generation jazz singers (and their bassists)

Aaron Saunders · #1 01-08-2005, 11:07 PM

Is anyone else really digging this generation's jazz singers? I'm talking Jane Monheit, Matt Dusk, Diana Krall (albeit more experienced than most of the others), Jamie Cullum, Norah Jones, Michael Bublé, etc.

I started to get into 'em with Jane Monheit's version of "Honeysuckle Rose" (GREAT basswork on this from Christian McBride, the entire first chorus is bass and vocals, complete with bass solo). There are definitely some great songs to be found here, although I'd like a few more originals than just covering the old bases (Blame it on my Youth seems pretty popular

).

Of all of them, my favourite guy has to be Michael Bublé. This guy is *spectacular*, and does the single best versions of Cry Me A River and Moondance that I've ever heard (Harry Connick, Jr.'s being a close second here). He also does a great rendition of "I Won't Dance" with Jane Monheit on her CD "Taking a Chance on Love".

Of all of the bassists in the backing bands, though, Christian McBride for Jane Monheit really seems to stick out above the rest though. From his spectacular upright playing on Honeysuckle Rose to his high register fretless melodies on A Case of You, this guy is a really smokin' player.

Note: I would've put this in the Bassists forum, but I'd prefer to keep the main focus on the singers here.

BelfastBass · #2 01-09-2005, 02:25 AM

Check out English Jazz vocalist Claire Martin - absolutely superb, and great band. Her last album 'Too Darn Hot' particularily good.

anonymous0726 · #3 01-09-2005, 10:56 AM

Canadian Carol Welsman is a favorite of mine, although I'm not nuts about her last CD -- she's desperately trying to 'get over'. Do check out her first 3, though.

Marcus Johnson · #4 01-09-2005, 02:39 PM

I played with Michael Buble last year. He's a really nice kid. He sounds great, he knows what he's doing. He's also got a spectacular girlfriend

I'm not sure that he's a jazz singer per se. The audiences really loved him, whatever you call him.

As far as pure jazz singers go, I like Kitty Margolis a lot. I played with her last month. That girl can sing.

Another one I like is Jackie Ryan. I used to gig with her a lot. Beautiful girl, beautiful voice, check her out.

Here in Hawaii, there are two that I like: Azure McCall, from Honolulu, and my dear friend Kelly Covington, from here on Maui.

I just realized how much I love backing up great singers!

bluemonk · #5 01-09-2005, 04:19 PM

"The" jazz singer of this generation is Diane Schuur. She's amazingly good, like scary good with amazing pitch and range. The last time I saw her the bassist was playing an EUB into (I think) a GK rig. Then there's Kristen Korb who is a bassist and a singer and was 'discovered' by Ray Brown. He's the bassist on her first CD. He ain't too bad.

BelfastBass · #6 01-09-2005, 06:23 PM

Guys - this is great - new singers to check out! Must re-emphasise - Claire Martin....I heard her do a duo gig with UK piano player Dave Newton last year in Belfast and it was a virtuoso performance from both of them - astonishing - almost as good as a solo Dave Holland gig I was at in Dublin about 8 years ago! Also, I live with, and am married to, Irish jazz vocalist Siobhan Pettit who has released a couple of albums, the most recent being a collection of Burt Bacharach/Hal David classics given the treatment (samples at www.siobhanpettit.com - well I HAD to include that chaps!)

Wow - I lurv this site!

hdiddy · #7 01-10-2005, 04:06 AM

Not that she is a breakthrough artist, but I heard a cover of Moody's Mood for Love by Queen Latifah today on the radio. She apparently is striking into the jazz realm on an album titled with her real name. At first I thought it was pretty good although I didn't know who it was until they announced it. I was rather surprised, and it wasn't bad. I have no idea who the bassist is.

Personally, I like Kurt Elling alot. Rob Amster is pretty good too i 'spose and tours with him last I checked.

brianrost · #8 01-10-2005, 08:22 AM

Are Cassandra Wilson and Dianne Reeves too old to be considered from "this generation"?

Of younger singers, I like Lizz Wright a lot. Live she sounds more mainstream than her CD "Salt" might suggest.

Bruce Lindfield · #9 01-10-2005, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelfastBass

Check out English Jazz vocalist Claire Martin - absolutely superb, and great band. Her last album 'Too Darn Hot' particularily good.

Claire Martin lives in Brighton and she does Jazz workshops around here - at one of these, no drummer turned up - so Claire played drums and I was the bass player - it was quite funny, as she was asking me if she was putting me off - but her drumming was quite good - especially as she was coaching the singers at the same time!!

Bruce Lindfield · #10 01-10-2005, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Govithoy

Of all of the bassists in the backing bands, though....

Geoff Gascoyne, who plays with Jamie Cullum and does a lot of the arrangments, is a very good Jazz DB player (he plays BG as well) - I've seen him in several different Jazz groups in the UK and was in the film "The Talented Mr. Ripley" !

Ed Fuqua · #11 01-10-2005, 10:01 AM

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Christian McBride isn't Jane Monheit's bassist, he's the bassist the record company hired to be on her record.

Her bassists have been Joe Martin and more currently Orlando Fleming.

Alexi David · #12 01-10-2005, 10:13 AM

Roseanne Vitro passed through Cyprus - she's a fine singer too. Dean Johnson, of ex-Gerry Mulligan groups, plays in her group. Great bassist, though not my style at all (a la Gomez). He was playing an eminence EUB, which I have to say, sounded exactly like a low-string-height DB through a fishman, if that's the sound you're into! Seems like a great product - and portable (which is why he brought it).

Bob Branstetter · #13 01-10-2005, 11:42 AM

Tierney Sutton - Her bassist is Trey Henry.

klepto · #14 01-10-2005, 12:15 PM

Sasha Dobson - she is probably unknown to most of you unless you currently live in NYC or have lived in the SF bay area or around Santa Cruz/San Jose California...
I guess I am biased because she is a personal friend, but I feel that she really is happening as a singer

During the past year she's played here--in California--with local guys Devon Hoff and most recently John Wiitala

I know she has a record out on the Smalls label w/ Neal Miner on bass

tzadik · #15 01-10-2005, 02:47 PM

Christine Correa - absolutely AMAZING singer. She was born in India and lives now in NYC with her husband, the great pianist/composer, Frank Carlberg.

I have never heard anything quite like her. If you go to www.SteveGrover.com and click listen, then on the 3rd album down, click "I Was Of Three Minds", yo ucan hear her a little. She is so amazing and unique.

One of my favorite bassists that she sings with is John Hebert, though there are some other great nes too. Hebert recorded with Christine and Frank on a wornderful record, came out in 2003, "The Land of Art".

This link has a few clips. Although this isn't my very favorite album of theirs, it's still cool. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=music

Marcus Johnson · #16 01-10-2005, 04:26 PM

Geez..that was NOT an easy head they gave her to sing!

Wil Davis · #17 01-10-2005, 05:20 PM

Anna Callahan - great voice, plays trumpet as well - sort of like a female Chet Baker, but actually I think her voice is better than his - her trumpet playing is excellent - she does all her own arrangements…

- Wil

jlattuada · #18 01-14-2005, 09:22 PM

I'm partial to Rene Marie on Max Jazz

http://maxjazz.com/marie/

bassgeek · #19 01-15-2005, 11:16 AM

I'll second Marcus Johnson's mention of Jackie Ryan. I had the chance to back her up once and it remains one of the most enjoyable gigs I've had. Great voice, repertoire, stage presence, etc.

Incidentally, I think her boyfriend or husband is the bassist Hans Sturm. They've done some duo albums and I picked one up, "Landscapes". There's some strange stuff on it, but overall it's a good album.

Another happening young singer is Gretchen Parlato. She won the Monk Vocal Competition. She often plays with the great young African guitarist Lionel Loueke. I saw her in a quartet with Lionel, Richard Bona, and Jeff Tain Watts that was just ridiculously good.

Also worth mentioning is Kate McGarry. Sean Smith plays with her.

Marcus Johnson · #20 01-15-2005, 01:32 PM

Not sure about the Hans Sturm thing; I was talking to a mutual friend about Jackie Ryan a couple of nights ago, and I got the impression that she was now married to someone who's not in the biz.

In days past, she was partners with my friend Bob Harrison. Bob is a tremendous bassist who's done time with Joe Farrell, Airto and Flora, and other folks on that level. He now lives here on Maui.