Great female voices

I've seen Rhiannon's name around, but have yet to hear her. Everything T-Bone is involved with is high quality, so no surprise there. Thanks For the tip! There is a great female in T-Bone's crowd (Americana), the wife and musical partner of Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris' guitarist/bandleader, Julie Miller, also well worth giving a listen to. Her voice is a little quirky/mannered, so not for everyone, but she's a great songwriter as well.

Just ordered "Tomorrow Is My Turn." Your recommendations have worked for me before. And with production by T-Bone Burnett, I'm assuming the sound is stellar.

Just loaded "Tomorrow Is My Turn" into Tidal. I'll listen to it this evening. Thanks for the recommendation.

Julie Miller +1

Definitely mannered, but if you listen to female vocal driven Americana, "Broken Things," is an excellent choice.

A very different off the beaten path voice is Shannon McNally

Bdp24 - Absolutely agree with you about Buddy and Julie Miller, I've been a long-time fan. I went to what I thought was an Emmylou Harris concert in Seattle that turned out to be a Buddy and Julie Miller concert with Emmylou as lead singer.

I think I have all their music and one of their latest, "Written in Chalk" is a wonderful introduction to them and to her voice.

As you said, her voice isn't for everyone, it probably is easier to appreciate if you had early exposure to white/Appalachian/gospel but it's great music, regardless of where you grew up.

Thanks for the reminder Jdoris. I have a Shannon McNally CD I haven't gotten to yet (I have thousands---literally---of CD's I have yet to hear). Now all I need to do is find it!

Sfar, after reading your post, I took a chance and bought Tomorrow is My Turn, and I'm glad I did. She has a wonderful voice, the music selection is fine, and the disc is well recorded. Thanks!

gotta mension; Eva Cassidy (listen to Songbird)
Dinah Washington (listen to What a difference a day makes)

Check out Erin Bode, Over and Over.

+1 for Erin Bode.

I have been listening an awful lot to Amanda Shires, Carrying Lightening. Don't know if her's is a great voice, but it is a lovely record. The album's gem, perhaps, is "Detroit or Buffalo," a cover of Barbara Keith, who is also very worth checking out.

Isn't T-Bone the guy who mastered the crappy, boomy, sounding Raising Sand with Plant and Krauss?

Ozzy - Have you listened to the Rhiannon Giddens album? That's what we're talking about here.

The songs Rhiannon sings are my favorite on the New Basement Tapes' Lost on the River album. That's a nice one to pick up too if you guys missed it. Also check out the documentary that shows the making of the album.

Ozzy, yep T-Bone has no audiophile sensibilities, unfortunately. My comment about him was in reference to his musical abilities, not the audio quality of the music he makes. I can't think of a single producer in Pop music who makes great music with great sound, but I have no doubt that statement will be contested shortly.

Actually, I just thought of one example of what some consider good Pop music with great sound---the Cat Stevens album Tea For The Tillerman, produced by Paul Samwell-Smith, bass player of The Yardbirds. But that was, what, forty years ago? And I have no evidence that the sound of that album was the result of Paul's efforts at achieving "great" sound, or was instead the product of Paul's engineer (I don't have the LP handy to look for his name) alone.

Another is a song on a Gordon Lightfoot early 70's LP. Walter Davies (the creator of the Last line of record care products) had a retail Hi-Fi store in the 70's, and I just happened to be making my first visit to it the day that Bill Johnson was as well, bringing with him a full ARC system to initiate Walt becoming an ARC dealer. Walt played "Me and Bobby McGee" on the system (a Thorens 125, with a Decca Blue cartridge mounted on a prototype ARC tonearm that never made it into production, an SP-3 pre-amp, and a pair of Magneplanar Tympani T-1's bi-amped with a D-75 and D-51. The year was 1972, and that was THE system to have at the time), and Bill said "Hey, that IS a good sounding record. What is that?". Walt gave him the record to take back to Minnesota with him. I've used it ever since as demo material---the sound is indeed good, and I kinda like Gordon's version of the song, of which he is the writer.

As a young audiophile (I got my first serious system at age 22), I briefly fell into the trap of playing records that made my system sound good---music in the service of sound. That is a shallow, empty experience. I quickly tired of it, and have ever since considered good sound a bonus. Superior Hi-Fi is that which deepens the listener's connection with the music played on it, even if the sound per se of the recording is not particularly good.

Rhiannon also makes appearances on The New Basement Tapes.

Check out Nikki Hill...

Bdp24: You are speaking my kind of language! I wish I could have made that statement in an earlier thread. Thank you!

Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
Dianna Krall - Live in Paris

There is one other very special woman I believe everyone should hear---Iris Dement. I learned of her from Merle Haggard, who was raving about her at the time of her 1st or 2nd album, about twenty years ago. Her music is that great blend of singer/songwriter, hard country, bluegrass, and a little folk (not too much!). She not only has a great voice, she is also an astounding songwriter. Merle recorded her "No Time To Cry", but hers is the one to have, on her "My Life" album. Mostly acoustic, she has all the first call Nashville musicians on her records, guys like Jerry Douglas (Alison Krauss band) on dobro. For the atheists out there, let me warn you that she comes from a spiritual place (sounds Southern Baptist to me)---but then so do Buddy and Julie Miller (Julie has a couple of OOP Christian albums out there). As a bonus, her records, like many bluegrass albums, have pretty darn good sound.

So many great female singers, in no particular order:

Anything by Shawn Colvin

Sara K, particularly "Waterfalls", one of the best recorded CDs I have

Jonatha Brooke

Sara Jarosz " Build me Up from Bones"

Kate Rusby, an English Folk Singer, anything, but "Underneath the Stars" is great

If you like Fado, anything by Amalia Rodrigez

Iris makes nice records, though her voice might be more raucous than lovely (Atheists can come from a spiritual place, too, btw). For a really strong flavor in the Iris vein, check our Lizzie LaPrelle.

For the great Eva Cassidy, try "Simply Eva." The version "Wayfaring Stranger" found there is a reference track in my listening group.

+1 on Sarah Jarosz; her version of "Come on Up to the House" is another reference track, as it goes pretty low for the genre.

An obvious choice, but I'd not want to overlook Margo Timmons of Cowboy Junkies. Lovely voice, solid recordings. "Acoustic Junk" is a limited release to look for.

John

For lovely in a conventional way try Over the Rhine. For something a little different Mary Gauthier, especially The Foundling. For a Euro flavour try some Sophie Zelmani. The Wailin' Jennies and Be Good Tanya's also. There are so many.

+1 for Over The Rhine

Roc1444, Mary Gauthier is a recent discovery of mine, and I LOVE her! As with most great artists, her work is very personal. I gave her a listen (the Mercy Now album---fantastic!) because I saw that Buddy Miller had produced one of her albums, the one I'm next going to get.

I received "Tomorrow Is My Turn" along with "The Lost Basement Tapes" on which Giddens plays a large part. After a few listens I am a fan. Although I must say I was a bit of a fan all along but didn't know it as Rhianna is a driving force behind the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Listening to the new music prompted me to go back and listen anew to the CCDs. Quite a bit of fun going on there. Can only imagine them live.

Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSfgCIGd7k4

Abuck...That was AMAZING! Thanks for the link! I thought that Leann Rimes at 13 and Joss Stone at 15 were incredible.

This little girl at just 8, might have them both beat.

She's learned to make certain affected sounds with her voice but the voice itself does not impress me. Just my two cents' worth.

I like this girl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAx4o3cXO2U

She's very unique for a little kid, singing like a much older and affected singer. But at that age I suspect its mostly imitation. How affected and genuine can someone that age be singing the blues like the immortal Dinah Washington? VEry impressive nonetheless. I wish her luck.

Mapman,

Give the kid a break. How genuine are most female singers many audiophiles drool over? They pump out easy-listening elevator music. There is no emotion. Their primary objective is to sound pretty and put someone to sleep while they sip scotch.

"Give the kid a break. "

She's very talented for her age.

Not sure how much more of a "break" I can give her.

I just do not find a grade school child singing the traditional blues very compelling. Its more disturbing to me than entertaining. That song and most others are for adults.

There is nothing I find more uplifting than children singing in general. Perhaps that's why I seem to find a child singing the blues disturbing.

My advice would be to apply her singing talents in other ways for now. My wish would be that she never have to truly sing the blues from her heart.

Tostadosunidos, Dynamite!

Dynamite!

Believe me, I'm not trying to be creepy or disrespectful to little Ms. Jordan, but looking at her hair from the front and listening to her as reminds me a bit of Amy Winehouse. Ok,let the verbal bullets fly. I'm ducking.

Silvana Ida of Apoteosi
Annie Haslam of Renaissance Mk II
Jane Relf of Renaissance Mk I 
Jane Dupoc of Bacamarte
Maarit´s 1st album
Inga Rumph of Frumpy & Atlantis
Kate Bush

Anne Bisson Blue Mind

No one has mentioned Vienna Teng. Singer/songwriter/folky/pop vibe. Not a fan of all of her songs, but try Soon Love Soon or City Hall.

And for Eva Cassidy fans, there’s a relatively new double disk release of the Blues Alley sessions that, besides including many more tunes, has, IMO, better sound.

Anita Baker

Martha Davis (The Motels)

I really like Tove Lo 's voice whenever I happen to stumble upon her stuff.

Just listened to The Hissing of Summer Lawns.  Enjoyed it very much.  Was looking for a place to applaud Joni's talents as song writer and singer.  This thread seemed appropriate.  

Just listened to The Hissing of Summer Lawns.

That's probably my favorite Joni Mitchell album.

Hey Mofi. I bought that a long time ago (vinyl cutout) and it is one of hers that I do still play from time to time. Pretty much stopped following her closely after that one. Gave Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter a listen the other night. Somewhat interesting. A bit "rambling", maybe. Any others you would recommend from her post-Lawns "oeuvre"?

(oops...almost forgot, I do have her Hejira).

@Ghost...I have everything that she ever did on vinyl.  Huge Joni fan here.

I really like "Wild Things Run Fast", there was an audiophile reissue and "Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm.  Also, "Night Ride Home" isn't too bad.

Hey ghost - Try Shadows and Light
Recorded live with Pat Metheny's band.

Don P.

Thanks guys.  Spotify has a bunch of her recordings.  I will check those titles out.  
Hello again Don.  Your visit planted the vinyl bug so I've been running the Technics.  Fooled with the gain setting on the pre-amp.  Seems like it perked up the Grado a bit.  

Last albums played after Summer Lawns were all Pat Metheny:  
80/81, Wichita Falls, and now, Rejoicing with Haden.  Used to listen to Miles of Aisles with friends back in the day.  I'll see what Shadows and Light is like.  

Thanks again to both of you.  

Check out Lee Aaron's newer offerings, perfection!