Best female vocals on CD

Eva Cassidy. (I havent read all the entries above and dont know if anyone mentioned her). Try her Live at Blues Alley and Eva by Heart. Honorable mention: Mary Black (not the last 3 cds, go for her earlier stuff), Gilliam Welch (Revival mentioned above), Etta James, Irma Thomas. Iris Dement and Lucinda Williams belong in a class of their own because they are singer-songwriters and, well, because there's non one else like them.

Reba is one of a handful of the very best non-classical singers in the last 30 years. Wonderful voice and knows how to use it. Only problem is the materal she chooses to sing. I still have several of her lps, but have never bought one of her cds.

Barbara Keith. Japanese reissue of WB lp, available through Amazon. No. 2, Barbara Keith on the Stone Coyotes cd, Changing of the Guard. Also Amazon. You probably wont find these in the stores. I mentioned Eva Cassidy a long time ago and several others, and there's been a lot of repetition of her name and others. But I seem to be the only Barbara Keith fan in audiophiledom. Maybe because I'm NOT an audiophile (see nilthepill on another thread).

If you try the reissue, and you can, reverse phase.

Stereokarter, there are five Eva Cassidy cds, not counting the very latest, which should be ignored. "The Other Side" with Chuck Brown, "Live at Blues Alley," "Eva By Heart," "Songbird" - a compilation from the previous three, and "Time After Time," the last good one. I'm guesing you don't have The Other Side. Get it.

About your comment on someone else's favorite. There was a mention above, of a singer whose name I wont mention now because I dont want to criticize anyone's taste in music or performers, when I saw her name I had to grit my teeth and restrain myself from SHOUTING "RIDICULOUS." Now, you were polite (and you're certainly not going to get any negatives from me), but I still think we should keep threads like these reserved for positive recommendations, and refrain from disagreeing with each other.

Have fun.

Fitzterry, glad to "meet" another Maura O'Connell fan. Do you have "Wandering Home"? And have you heard her duet, "Love Won't Come" with Tracy Nelson on one of Tracy's cds? Stunning. Two of the best voices ever.

When Alison Krauss accepted her first Grammy, she thanked her Mom and Dad and Maura O'Connell.