Favorite Newly Discovered Female Vocalist

Thanks for the suggestions.  I’ll add these artists that are new to me within the past couple of years:

Alison Krauss - She’s great as solo artist, with her band Union Station, or with Robert Plant.

Sarah Jarosz 

Patricia Barber

I'd like to suggest a listen to my all time favorite female singer ... 

Album.. "Jacintha is her name"

Try track..."Something cool" or "Willow weep for me"

Late night, sultry, mesmerizing. A natural born singer with a sweet perfect vibrato and pitch.

Her secomd album "Lush Life"  try "Boulevard of broken dreams"

Great Sax and piano also. All good.

Allison Russell is great!

Just discovered Sophie Milman and she is as easy on the ears as she is on the eyes.

Just add Eva Cassidy’s “Live At Blues Alley” to your playlist. She does the best version of “Take Me To The River” I’ve ever heard!

^ I'll check it out. I thought the Talking Heads nailed it with the slower, melodic beat (than the original A. Green).

Here's another I just discovered last night... Jim Tomlinson playing with his wife Stacey Kent, called "The Lyric". I liked the whole album and will dive into Stacey's stuff next time.

Sydnie Christmas won Brittan's Got Talent in 2024. She has one of the strongest voices I had ever heard. Her Over the Rainbow version is incredible. There are YouTube videos of her three songs that she sand in the competition.

https://open.qobuz.com/album/tfo84vzg6ldpa 
hurray for the riff raff can’t get enough of her. 

Sandy Denny

Bonnie Koloc

June Tabor

Priscilla Herdman

Joan Baez

Judy Collins

There's a ton of them and too many are not nearly known enough.

Samara Joy

https://youtu.be/pVGGQ_WwR00?si=FtpDYcModme6UjV0

Andrea Motis

https://youtu.be/QWxriapsDes?si=XSbJYuVuVsy5oEwn

Jesse Sykes 

Beth Hart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boOp3HkgZSE

Rebekah Todd

Madison Cunningham

Eivør - Falling Free (Live at the Old Theater in Torshavn) I dont think there is a better vocalist alive. This song is amazing the entire concert is fantastic

https://youtu.be/pVGGQ_WwR00?si=FtpDYcModme6UjV0

Does @chrisoshea  "also" feel the same way about that artist?

Nouela - The sound of silence

https://youtu.be/uMYpfk7RegM?si=TnLCKyYlXcVJjXLT

Kris Davis Trio

Youn Sun Nah

I do like Johanne Blouin...

I LOVE Anais Mitchell...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shr47LVcA5I

Saw her here in Colorado Springs years ago...Unreal talent, beautiful vibe.  Anais is now a hit composer on Broadway with her show Hadestown..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm7rZ_9wTkU

Based on what’s already listed, might I suggest Imelda May. I try to avoid “ Cookie Cutter Pop “. Cheers, Mike B. 

Maria Bethania - Tua

https://youtu.be/wodgAIvI4kQ

The song has been nominated for and won several Latin Grammy Awards, including Best Portuguese Language Song

Concha Buika

Her album Niña de Fuego was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and La Noche Más Larga was nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.

https://youtu.be/qvl5tCzn4Fo

I realize it’s ASR but

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/female-vocals-stunning-recordings-you-love.84/

is a great resource

+1 on Madison Cunningham

https://youtu.be/7EECpiKTz8Y?si=-hE9Ql1lV1ytPttz

https://youtu.be/rsG7P0HPKOI?si=DRcIUq1eG26GxXSD

Give these a try.

You my friend have good taste in female singers.

Don't forget Rhiannon Giddens. She is also a great musician.

Tennessee Waltz- Holly Cole Trio

https://youtu.be/i0kYuZfiEIM?si=Y7mJQucOPIpHoN4B

Angus Obel - eclectic, spacey compositions that are a fusion of classical chamber, jazz, electronic and pop music. Classically trained with a haunting, elegant, and flowing voice.  Try her albums Aventine and Philharmonics.  
 

Katja Werka, Contact Myself 2.0, Stockfish Records SFR 357.4102.2 powerful emotional folk rock/ jazz fusion.  Emotional.  Excellent  rhythm guitar work.  

Anette Askvik, like Obel, a fusion of classical, jazz, electronic and folk/pop.  Liberty is her most popular release.  

All albums references are will engineered with good SQ. 

Carmen Gomes. All of her stuff is on Soundkeeper recordings which are generally fantastic and supposedly available on Qobuz now. Sublime voice.

Taylor Momsen.  Only women to front a band with seven #1s

chrisoshea

442 posts

05-24-2025 at 09:22am 

I do like Johanne Blouin...

Chriso, I guess it is not surprising that the Shea "brothers" have the same taste in music.  

Chriso, I guess it is not surprising that the Shea "brothers" have the same taste in music.  

@immatthewj Very funny and very insightful man.  Goodonya!  A couple more…

https://youtu.be/tj9XwDLue5A?si=YT428gzfB6QamNR4

https://youtu.be/6rYKz1J9zS4?si=ukm9FBXHoU5ODlxA

Here’s a few absolutely, fabulous female vocalists I don’t think have been mentioned

Raye - from London. Started as song writer. Now absolutely fabulous writer, singer, performer. Check her recent highly acclaimed jazzy studio and live performance recordings

- My 21st Century Blues; 21st Century Symphony (Live); and Live at Montreaux

Niia - highly sophisticated, very groovy.  From Philly, but I would never have guessed.  Start with Niia I; Niia Ii

Emmaline - classical violinist turned writer/singer/violinist doing retro-jazz with a  nightclub sound. Band includes swanky jazz guitar, bass, keyboards, drums snd Emmaline brings silky vocals and violin. Based in Cincinnati.  Seen her live set twice.  Her latest is Indiana Skies.  Did I say she looks like a brunette Marilyn Monroe?

Rozzi - from SanFran. Discovered when she was 19 by Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Very strong. You will enjoy. Start with an earlier 2018 recording, Bad Together  

it’s a start. Look forward to hearing what you think  

Sarah Jarosz - start with Undercurrent. If you like that, she has 7 other albums just as good. 

Sierra Hull

Sarah McLaughlin 

Roseanne Cash 

Nancy LaMott

If you haven't, check out Sierra Ferrel. Good ole girl from my state, West Virginia. 

And ditto on Allison Russell. 

Jonatha Brooke, cover of "Eye in the Sky", originally recorded by the Alan Parsons Project. 

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2807538

@ kingbr

+1

LOREN ALLRED ( see the secret she shared in BGT) 

https://youtu.be/oTw8AECmUNA?feature=shared

Laufey

Emily King  

Love threads like this.  Have already picked up several CD’s recommended here including Eva Cassidy, Songbird.  Great performance and SQ.  Check out Eva’s life story on another thread here.  Such a tragic account of a life that was cut way too short by a potentially curable malignancy. (With summer coming wear your spf 50 and have an annual skin exam by a competent pcp-it can truly be a life saver.)

This may fall outside the spectrum of singers listed here, but I have to add Susan Tedeschi who is a terrific blues singer.  That said, I have all of Eva Cassidy's CDs, amazing voice.

Basia Bulot ("heart of my own"

Vienna Teng

Susan Tedeschi is The Eighth Wonder of the World….

Melody Gardot (who also happens to have recorded a great version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow).

Maiah Wynne.  Her album Out of the Dark is excellent. 

She is also singer in Envy of None.  A really cool band featuring Alex Lifeson of Rush. It’s not hard rock like Rush. 

https://youtu.be/XhCc23EthNQ?si=ff0y78bFMwxoFhDN

Lot of discoveries for me in this thread. 

I’ll add one of my all time favorites that I did not see here:

Malia - Black Orchid

Some excellent renditions of a few Nina Simone songs and others. 

Thanks to all contributors to this list !

Taylor Rae - Mad Twenties

Katie Pruitt - Expectations

Kathleen Edwards - entire catalog

Many thanks to the OP and all the respondents.  Threads like this are a great source of music recommendations.  I will listen to them all eventually.  Many I would never have stumbled on by myself.  Best wishes.