Best female vocals on CD

I agree with most of the above and vote for Diana Krall.I like Barbra immensly but something about DK's subtle approach is great. When you can get emotion without maxing out a four octave voice like Celine or Whitney on every song means you can sing. Old timers Lena Horne, Dinah Shore, Jo Stafford, Peggy Lee, Keely Smith were not mentioned and were simply awesome. Also not mentioned were sixties and seventies stars Melanie and Helen Reddy. Nashville singers Mandy Barnett and Shana Petrone have not (yet) enjoyed commercial success but are among the best ever.

OK Craig. I cry uncle. I certainly don't mean to discourage anyone from trying any artist and I certainly don't see you as intellectually or emotionally limited. But, I have listened to a number of D.K.'s CD's to see what all the fuss was about. And other than the recording quality, I still don't understand it. I just thought that guys like you who like her might be willing to share in a little detail why you do with infidels like me.

Rachelle Ferrell

First, let me admit that my previous post was a bit over the top - I wrote it as I was listening to Billie on my headphones and was struck (as always) by how "different" DK is from . Now clearly, "different" is not the same thing as worse, and I certainly did not mean to indicate intellectual superiority over anyone who likes DK. To my ears DK, despite (and ironically, perhaps because of) her lush voice sounds superficial and uninteresting - that's all. I agree with Craig's assessment of Margo Timmins - intimate, seductive, haunting - she certainly is all of that and more - and these are precisely the adjectives that DON'T come to my mind when I hear DK. To paraphrase another cliche, its all in the ears of the listener, I guess.

Gentlemen; I like the idea of a truce too, and I admit my post re: Diana Krall was sarcastic in places. To tell the truth, I have not yet been able to put into words what it is about her music that appeals to me, but I listened to DK for 3-4 hours last night and just sort of "melted" into her soft, breathy, husky, intimate vocals on her ballads; very relaxing and engaging. I also note that her band creates an amazing amount of "music" for just three pieces. BTW I program out all the uptempo songs. Happy Listening. Craig.