Best female vocal recording on CD?

Tracy Chapman is fantastic. 

I’m a huge Rickie Lee Jones fan and know every inch of that record... so I was pleasantly surprised when I read your post! I was even at the live show supporting that album; so I think I may know where you’re coming from... I own and have listened to 95% of all the standards mentioned in this thread... Norah, Patricia B, Holly Cole, etc... many excellent choices... and yes, I have a hi-fi system worth two or three brand new SUVs I could have parked in the driveway instead.

Given this; My favorite all time female vocal track for CD (non-high res) is:
*Barbra Steisand’s Send In The Clowns (track 8) ’Broadway Album’ ... it’s an older recording, but just an astonishing track - both musically, vocally, emotionally and sonically. I even own the vinyl (for the day I go that route!)

Important to know; My system is is based on hi res SACD, Pure Blu-Ray Audio and DVD-A spec. The next track is going to surprise a lot of people:
*Dolly Parton’s In The Sweet By And By from her ’Little Sparrow’ SACD release (Track 13).The entire album sonically is a masterpiece... conceived, recorded, mixed and mastered from the studio mics to your D/A ENTIRELY in DSD. Few pop albums can claim this. It’s not remastered from low or even hi res digital masters or analog tapes; rather, it is the purest of the pure - like Chesky SACDs/DVD-As releases. IMHO this is an example of how good hi-fi content gets. I’m a musician and recording engineer. I have very little consumer gear in my hi fi setup. The heart is a 6-ch Emm Labs mastering DAC, dedicated DSD transport and 6-ch transparent pre. I challenge anyone to find a finer recording than this on VINYL or otherwise. I have heard 100’s and 100’s of great hi-fi albums on vinyl that simply can’t touch this recording... same with other hi res discs (I have a sizable collection). Although sweet sounding, the physical properties of vinyl are severely limiting. Ie: (S/N and dynamic range). Add to this the required encode-decode RIAA eq curve in your preamp to compensate for all this and it just won’t allow vinyl to do what this hi-res recording does... STUNNING 5.1 clarity and an emotional performance that will blow you away. I have played this as my reference recording for almost a decade. I have left friends and dozens of crazed vinyl-heads audiophiles speechless; jaws on the floor.  If you don’t have an SACD (spec) setup w a good DAC this recording alone would be the enough reason to make the plunge.

Honorable mentions:
CD:
Eva Cassidy, Fields of Gold
Sarah McLachlan, Angel, (if you have a player with the HDCD chip, get the ’Angel’ album soundtrack version vs the standard ’Surfacing’ album CD version).

SACD:
*Sarah McLachlan, Answer, album ’Afterglow’ (a relatively new release!)
*Alison Krauss, Ghost In This House, album ’Forget About It’
*Rickie Lee Jones, Stewart’s Coat, album Traffic In Paradise

Enjoy your journey!

ps.. there is track 'Little Sparrow REPRISE' after the Dolly track 13 I mentioned feom
the same same album that demonstrates how good dobro and guitars can get on a hi fi system, so let the disc run and get treated to a reference STRING track as well! Note: these are recordings you can really crank up, so highly suggested, do it and you'll be amazed. 

Lavay  Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers if you want some jumpin jive.
Mari Muldaur A Woman Alone with the blues and Meet Me where they Play the Blues
And
Esperanza Spaulding.    Esperanza

Can't add a lot to a great list of vocalists here, but a minor suggestion, Jane Monheit has a lot of pedestrian stuff out there, but she seemed to find her strength in the "Surrender" album. 
Gardot, Barber, Peyroux, etc. are all great ... might also look at Nancy Moore for interesting interpretations.

Granny ring, I also really enjoy Ricki Lee Jones and have been looking for quality vinyl or digital recordings of hers. I used to audition speakers  with an album of hers in the '80s. I am spending more time with Hi Fi again. Do you have a favorite? 

Some great artists have already been mentioned.

Here's a few that haven't been:

Sarah Vaughan (USA)
- her SACD with Clifford Brown is sublime. (Japanese remaster)

Beverly Kennedy (USA)
- a jazz singer from the 50's. She only released 4 albums. She killed herself in 1960 at 28 years of age. The Japanese are fanatical about her so there are some very good remasters on CD available now. Her LPs go for +$500 in Japan.

Cara Dillon (IRL) - Live at the Opera House
- available on 24/96 download

Kate Rusby (UK) - Awkward Annie
- I could listen to her Yorkshire accent all day long! 

And of and of course Phobe Snow, by who else, Phoebe Snow. 

Shawn Colvin ....

There is no best female recording, it means you are willing to sacrifice some of other recordings if you look for best female recordings listed here? While I agree some of here listed are indeed "some" of the best, but it just impossible to list them all, I like to go by tracks instead of female artists alone, it’s hard to compare which is the best, each unique in a way that you are not going give up listen to.

My first impression of female voice from Whitney Houston, it came out of radios, though that time when I was child, the time back then was start of 90s, I would say that her voice is not as soulful as Aretha Franklin or Nina Simone, but her voice is kinda unique in it’s own, both technically and emotionally, she kinda create more "well known" recording or live ballads than anybody else, these singers are not much considered as "clean" audiophile", as they sing on the go soulful way as opposed to the likes like Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Eva Cassidy, and Katie Melua which I think few tracks like Piece By Piece & Nine Million Bicycles are indeed nice, but some of other Katie’s tracks maybe too young in her presentations, the 3 former white Jazz singers are very well known to audiophiles I assume, here are some of my favourites:

Adele - Hometown Glory
Alison Krauss - When You Say Nothing At All
Aretha Franklin - Ain’t No Way
Astrud Gilberto - It’s A Lovely Day Today
Barbara Streisand - Evergreen
Barbara Cook - My Funny Valentine
Barbara Bonney - Ave Maria
Basia - Third Time Lucky
Cara Dillon - There Were Roses
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
Chaka Khan - Lullaby Of Birdland
Crystal Gayle - Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
Dana Winner - Moonlight Shadow
Des’ree - Laughter
Diana Krall - I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Dionne Warwick - Alfie (Live from The Mike Douglas Show 1972)
Dionne Warwick - One Less Bell To Answer
Doris Day - It's Been A Long, Long Time
Dusty Springfield - The Look Of Love
Ella Fitzgerald - Summertime (Ella in Berlin 1960)
Enya - I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls
Erma Franklin - Light My Fire
Etta Jones - Don’t Go To Strangers
Etta Jones - What A Wonderful World
Eva Cassidy - Tall Trees In Georgia
Holly Cole - Calling You
Inva Mula - Lucia Di Lammermoor + The Diva Dance
Jennifer Holliday - And I’m Telling You (I’m Not Going)(Live from Radio City Music Hall 1986)
Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Judy Collins - Send In The Clowns
Julie London - I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Julie London - The End Of The World
Katie Melua - Nine Million Bicycles
Katie Melua - Piece By Piece
Kelly Sweet - Dream On
Kelly Sweet - We Are One
KOKIA - ありがとう (泪的告白)
Lady GaGa - Applause
Lisa Ono (小野リサ) - あたしの赤ちゃん (Drume Negrita)(Cuban Children’s Songs)
Lykke Li - Little Bit
Mariah Carey - Hero (Live from concert at Proctor Theatre, New York on July 15, 1993)
Momoe Yamaguchi (山口百恵) - さよならの向う側
Montserrat Caballé - O mio babbino caro (Oh My Beloved Father)(Live from Munich 1990)(Giacomo Puccini)
Nana Mouskouri - Der Lindenbaum (菩提樹)
Nancy Wilson - All Night Long
Nina Simone - I Loves You Porgy
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
Ofra Haza - Im Nin’Alu
Patsy Cline - Crazy
Peggy Lee - Sans Souci
Radka Toneff - My Funny Valentine
Radka Toneff - The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem
Rihanna - Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko)
Rimi Natsukawa (夏川りみ) - キセキノハナ (奇蹟之花)
Sade - Kiss Of Life
Sade - Your Love Is King
Sara K. - What’s A Little More Rain
Sarah Brightman - O mio babbino caro (Oh My Beloved Father)(Live)(Giacomo Puccini)
Sarah Vaughan - Misty
Sissel Kyrkjebø - I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls (Live from Dalhalla Concert)
Suzanne Vega - Luka
Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart
Whitney Houston - I Am Changing (Live from San Francisco 1986)
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You
Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love Of All (Live from Arista 15th Anniversary 1990)
Yael Naïm - New Soul
崔萍 - 今宵多珍重
崔萍 - 南屏晚鍾
張露 - 靜心等
徐佳瑩 - 失落沙洲 (我是歌手 I Am Singer)
徐小鳳 - 不了情
王菲 - 矜持
王菲 - 致青春
蔡琴 - 月光小夜曲
蔡琴 - 機遇 I
蔡琴 - 被遺忘的時光
蘇芮 - 奉獻
鄧麗君 - 又見炊煙
降央卓瑪 - 一剪梅
降央卓瑪 - 紅梅贊
降央卓瑪 - 鴻雁
陳永馨 - 三月
陳芳語 - 我愛你你知道嗎？
順子 - 回家

I am not able to list them all I guess, so conclusion there is no best female recordings for me, hmm if got one I would choose Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You, I’m still finding a version as opposed to the market album recording, the sound is more lively, not sure is it some Dolby Digital sound effect on it

Susan Tedeschi

My gosh, this is my first entry on this forum and I must recommend Jennifer Warnes "Famous Blue Raincoat" for strong consideration. It was a staple of audiophiles in the 80's and 90's. One could feel her chest vibrate mid-soundstage. Her voice is very engaging and palpable, her enunciation so nearly perfect, even her inspiration of air was part of the magic. And the emotion she conveyed with each word or phrase was felt in one's marrow. It remains a must hear for anyone being introduced to my system ( Apogee Divas or Scintillas, Krell, Mapleknoll....)

Mary Black, Babes in the Woods album. I used to use this as a reference for modifying CD players in years gone by. Currently using Audio Note OTO Signature with modded AN DAC 1 via Marantz CD 17 Mk II KI Special and modded Audio Note K speakers. Having heard Mary Black live, she translates very similarly to CD as does Lisa Gerrard and Loreena McKennitt. Cowboy Junkies, Trinity Sessions,  Sweet, Sweet Jane is another knockout on standard CD format. Holly Cole, album Don't Smoke in Bed, track The Tennessee Waltz and several others on that album are quite special.
Regards Craig

Wow, we have many great suggestions above. I would also suggest Buika.

Best
Ari.

...concha Buika...all her cds.

Does no one listen to Classical music?  Emma Kirkby, Renee Fleming, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson come to mind.

How about these two amazing voices:

Neko Case

Karen Carpenter

Dianne Reeves, the most talented female singer with the letters D-I-A-N in her name. Her live recordings are the ones to look for.

right now i come back tp bonnie raitt "you cant make me love you" from luck of the draw.  big, warm, strong voice. not a perfect recording. but hmmmm that voice.

That's exactly the song I'd recommend. You can tell how great Bonnie Raitt is when you compare her to Adele's version of that song. Adele absolutely butchers it. Definitely one of my references.

I'll tell you right now, I don't get the audiophile fare (Diana Krall, Norah Jones, etc.). I just don't think their voices are that good ... I don't care how good their recordings are. So take that into consideration when viewing my reference material.

Dream of the Archer by Heart (remaster). Hard to beat Ann Wilson in her prime.

You might be sick of it, but there's no denying that Celine Dion shines on My Heart Will Go On (Titanic theme).

I dislike Mariah Carey's breathy singing, but believe it or not, she was actually a hell of a powerful singer on her first album. Check out the song Vision of Love.

And you might not like the rest of the album because it's metal with Beauty and the Beast vocals, but the song Sunlight by Oceans of Slumber is just excellent clean female vocals.

Also metal (but this song doesn't sound like it), I like the atmospheric breathy detail of Trees of Eternity's singer, Aleah. Try the song Sinking Ships. It sounds like your ear is next to the microphone.

And, while not vocal perfection, I do like the smokey vocals of Sade's Cherish The Day.

I'll second the Joni Mitchell "Hejira" album pick. Mitchell always seemed to use 1st class musician on her albums with high production values. I like the entire album but the Amelia, Refuge Of The Roads and Hejira tracks standout for me.

Regular old CD of Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust." The mastering was phenomenal!

Many good ones already mentioned.

I also recommend

• Rebecca Pidgeon - The Raven album
  

• Spanish Harlem song is awesome. You can get it on HD Tracks Hi Res if you want.
  

Her other newer albums are nice too.


Luis D. Paret
Keller, TX USA 

Siris Svale - Blackbird (Norwegian jazz singer with a beautifully twisted sense of songs - excellent recording and great music)

Mariza - Fado (originally from Mozambique of African & Portuguese ancestry, she's brought the ancient sound of Fado into the 21st century - decent recording, great musicality)

The female lead on Blue Tofu (Andrea Mathews).  It never fails; when I play a BT disc for friends/audiophiles who have never heard her - they either get mezmorized by her voice or they simply cream.  Both their CD's are audiophile grade, which makes it a bonus.  Enjoy!

Ray

Hi guys, here's my list, in no particular order:

1. Karen Dalton - In My Own Time
2. Karen Dalton - Its So Hard To Tell Who's Going to Love You the Best
3. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry
4. Joan Baez - 5
5. Joan Baez - David's Album
6. Joan Baez - Blessed Are
7. Richard and Mimi Farina (Joan's kid sister) - Memories
8. Joan Armatrading - 1st album
9. Judy Collins - Colors of the Day
10. Tracy Chapman - 1st album
11. Sibylle Baier - Colour Green
12. Joni Mitchell - 1st album
13. Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon
14. Marissa Nadler - Little Hells
15. Maxine Sullivan - on Period Records, SPL 1207
16. Amy Winehouse - Hidden Treasures
17. Eva Cassidy - the 4 LP set Live at Blues Alley
18. Sade - Any of her first three albums 
19. Wanda Jackson - Right or Wrong
20. Black Orpheus - Soundtrack, listed here for that ONE SONG on side two
21. Kiri te Kanawa - Blue Skies
22. Emmylou Harris - Luxury Liner
23. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris - Grievous Angel
24. Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris - GP
25.  Tona la Negra - La Sensacion Jarocha
26. Blanca Rosa Gil - La Triunfadora de Cuba
27. La Lupe - La Lupe Es La Reina
28. Billy Holiday - Songs for Distingue Lovers
28. Billy Holiday - Lady in Satin
29. Joy of Cooking - Closer to the Ground
30. Janis Joplin - In Concert

That should get you going. 

I know that you asked for CD, but as I have 5,000+ LPs and a handful of CDs, I'm speaking for the VINYL LP issues of these recordings only and bothered to list them because these disks deserve a listening regardless of how well they were digitized. I suspect that, except for the Latin LPs, they are at least "VG+" to "EX". The Gil is "VG+" on both LP and CD, an outstanding bolero set from Hialea. 

Regards - 

Hah. I left one out. I forgot it because it is only available on CD, and I rarely listen to CD:

Pink Martini - Sympathique

The Sandy Denny sets are also only on CD and they are great. Prefer to listen to the vinyl. 

Ive scratched the surface, but I'll let it go here because you want CD. 

Exceptional recording quality for all 3 Albums: (Hi Rez)

Melissa Menago - "Little Crimes" 
Blubell & Black Tie - "Blubell & Black Tie"
Kasia Lins - "Take my Tears"

Here's my current top 10 not in order:

Beth Orton- Pass in Time
KT Tunstall- Invisible Empire
Laura Marling- A Creature I don't know
MaMuse- Integration of the Awkward
Natalie Merchant- Paradise is there
Rachel Sage- Blue Rose
Shelby Lynn- Suit yourself & I can't imagine
Sophie Barker- A Rare Collection of songs
Vienna Teng- Warm Strangers
Ayleen O'Hanlon- Blend and spill

I have limited folk experience, but I want to second the vote for Linda Thompson.  The previous album, I Want to See the Bright Lights, is one of my favorites, mainly for her voice on several of the songs. 

Here is another to add,
Check out Grey Delisle
Homewrecker
The Graceful Ghost
Recorded analog

Rosanne Cash for sure

Youn Sun Nah
- voyage
- same girl
Albums

Too many choice you see, I'm busy exploring new voices hehe

+1 Holy Cole, Eva Cassidy, Melody Gardot, Cassandra Wilson, Paula Cole, Patricia Barber, and most others mentioned.

My rotation this past week has included Lydia Gray, Anne Bisson, Vanessa Fernandez, Erin Bode, Tori Amos, Gretchen Perlato, Lhasa, Rachel Z, Karrin Allyson, Eden Brent, Patty Carpenter, Amanda Carr, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Karen Lovely, Ruthie Foster, Valerie Joyce, Stacey Kent, Ana Caram, Beth Hart, Janis Ian, Rickie Lee Jones, Josi Davis, Connie Evingson, Astrud Gilberto, Billy Lee Hart, Barbara Jungr, Katia Labeque, k.d. Lang, Allyson Krauss, Claire MArlo, Sophie Milman, Jane Monheit, The Nields (sisters), Madeleine Peyroux, Ambar Rubart, Mary Stallings, Susan Tedeschi, DAr Williams, Lucinda Williams.

All CDs. Fine voices, arrangements, performances and recording production (not heavy handed post production).  Probably a few more that I can't recall. I am retired, music plays 12-16 hours every day when I am home. I have a 4K plus CD collection (and vinyl which I rarely bother with) which is a drop in the bucket of talent. I felt guilty mentioning these folks because there are so many others. 

THE SOPRANO Arleen Auger possessed a pure-toned voice of great flexibility and absolute accuracy of intonation. She excelled in the music of Monteverdi, Bach, Gluck, Haydn, Handel and in particular of Mozart, but also sang works by 20th-century composers such as Carl Orff with great success. Also consider the amazing Dutch soprano Elly Ameling and the very fine American Barbara Bonney.  Don't let the idea that these are "Classical" artists keep you from your investigation.  Like a fine Scotch or Beer, although new and distinctive at first they will soon become favorites.   

Also, give Halie Loren - Waiting in Vain, Priscilla Ahn - Dream, Izzy Bizu - Diamond, Macy Gray - Annabelle a listen.  Some different names....

How about Lucinda Williams, Stacy Kent & Mary Gauthier

Oh yeah, Mary Gauthier is a fairly new discovery of mine. I have a couple albums of hers, still have to get the one produced by T-Bone Burnett.

Ok, I’ve come back with new discoveries, I think you need a female voice, a piano playing, and your ears to listen to these 2 songs to complete a story and journey on your own, note that the recording is not available on YouTube, you can try download somewhere else:

Akiko Yano (矢野顕子) - 中央線
Akiko Yano (矢野顕子) - Prayer

So many great suggestions here, many that I already enjoy and many more I've not heard. I just ordered 10 new cd's based on the suggestions here. I don't want to repeat many of my favs already mentioned but here are some I don't think I've seen mentioned here:

Lydia Loveless, Real
Connie Evingson, Gypsy in my Soul
Jeannie Bryson, Tonight I Need You So 
Jen Chapman, Open Wide
Haley Westerns, Pure
Diane Birch, Speak A Little Louder

enjoy!

surprised no one mentioned Roberta Gambarini, born in Italy.
try:
Easy to Love, 2006
so in Love, 2009
You are there, 2007.
I use her first two tracks as test CD's from EAsy to Love when auditioning new gear...great vocals, and awesome musicians.

Another fresh track, pure evil demon voice and instruments:
Sidsel Endresen - Traveling Still

Perhaps she's been mentioned: Jennifer Warnes! Alison Krause.

Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat (songs of Leonard Cohen) and
The Well. Very well recorded.

I believe she was labeled "boring" earlier in this thread but.............
Norah Jones recordings are excellent from an audiophile standpoint and I could literally listen to her sing a phone book and smile.  

Hannah Reed of London Grammar- ("If you wait" is my favorite)
Shelby Lynne
Loreena Mckennitt

All the above have gorgeous, involving and emotional voices. Worth a listen if you aren't familiar

Check out Margo Timmons of the Cowboy Junkies and Kelly Flint of Dave's True Story.  Amazing voices!  Rene Marie is also very good, and let's not forget Jennifer Warnes!

Calvin - yes Cecile Mclorin Salvant Womanchild Fantastic!
Tooblue - you are right, Patricia Barber, Diana Krall and Nora Jones are also Fantastic. Boring? Really? To who?
Eva Cassidy - breathtakingly beautiful as some pointed out
Anything by Joni Mitchell "Blue" is out of this world
Aretha Franklin - Has there ever been a woman with a more soulful voice?
Lisa Gerrard - Tremendous
I am going to add Alison Krauss. Has anybody heard " Ghost in this house".
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dWRGZaHb8xE