Looking for good recordings of female vocals I have not yet tried...

Some great offerings here…

Try: Youn Sun Nah - Shenandoah ; Album = On Voyage.

Spectacular recording on a highly resolving system…

Beegie Adair for jazz piano

Sara Gazarek jazz vocals

Halie Loren jazz vocals

Chantal Chamberland jazz vocals

Stacey Kent jazz vocals

Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue "Un-mastered"  SACD

The Queen  — Nina Simone

If she has not been mentioned…Laura Nyro. 
Enjoy. 

I suggest you try "Calypso Blues" by Youn Sun Nah. It's just female vocal and upright bass.

Cyrille Aimee…Live At Smalls album

Petra Haden…her version of Shenandoah on the new recording from the jazz group Rope

Eva Cassidy…almost any recording 

Kate Bush - The Hounds of Love!

Another +1 on Alison Krause

Emmy Lou Harris

Sheryl Crow's duets are very soulful

Permission in advance to laugh

Janis Joplin, listen to the song Try - she's all in

Patsy Cline, a true natural and sounds so effortless

Etta James

Whitney Houston

Aretha Franklin the original diva

Sarah Jarosz

Mary Fahl

++1 Roberta Flack

Randy Crawford

I have enjoyed Italian singer, Laura Pausini. 

Puccini wrote amazing stuff for the female voice.  His operas Tosca, La Boheme, and Madama Butterfly contain gorgeous writing for the female voice.  To my taste, his final opera Turandot is unsurpassed in this category, with two great soprano roles.  Try this:

I would suggest both of the following are worth purchasing on vinyl:

Kari Kirkland - Wild is the Wind

Margriet Sjoerdsma - A Tribute to Eva Cassidy

She’s been mentioned before, but it bears reemphasis: Ella Fitzgerald! Arguably the greatest vocalist of any gender or style of music in the history of recording.

In the realm of the living, Kate Bush is a great vocalist.

And do not miss Ute Lemper. Try this:

Very honorable mention to DeeDee Bridgewater.

In the classical realm, there are many great female singers. Maria Callas. Joan Sutherland. Renata Tebaldi. Among living, active sopranos, Lise Davidsen.

Wagner wrote great stuff for the female voice. But perhaps surpassing him in this category is Giacomo Puccini.

Carla Morrison, Mexican alternative pop singer from Tecate, MX. she has an amazing voice and sings extremely passionately and re-recorded her Amor Supremo in an acoustic version Amor Supremo (Desnudo)

Grace Potter

Gin Wigmore

Jacqui Naylor :is someone new to me who I just acquired an album. 

Nora Jones

Brandi Carlile 

Anne Bison:

Tedeschi Trucks Band : Midnight in Harlem :  Revelator album

I am going to mention some artists, already listed.

Diana Krall

Eva Cassidy

Natalie Merchant

Alison Krause

Aretha Franklin

Rachel Price

Norah Jones

Alisa Amador

Bonnie Raitt

Sade

Gillian Welch

Roberta Flack

All these singers sound best on MQA playback and albums found on Tidal.

2nd Nora Jones, any of the earlier Linda Ronstadt when she was in the country folk phase, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Carly Simon, or just open Tidal and search Female Voices....25 different playlist popped it many different formats...

XRCD

https://www.diamondgroove.com/Best-Audiophile-Voices-Selection--XRCD-x1-CPRMXR27978N

Barb Jungr (esp. her Dylan albums)

Maura O’Connell

Betty Levette

Lucius

+1 Margo Timmins / Cowboy Junkies 

Sara K

Jenifer Warnes blue raincoat, Eva Cassidy, Signe Egg, Susan Wong very nice music, Jacinta, Rebecca Pigeon Spanish Harlem...Lyn Stanley.

Some great suggestions above.

Try Dominque Fils-Aimé, Nameless album.

Norah Jones

Nina Simeone

Thank you. 

I'm buying female to male records at about a 5-1 ratio. Kudos to the female artist for all the great music being put out. 

My recommendations in order based on your interests.

1: Agnes Obel (album Aventine) Danish singer from Berlin writes and plays. Classical, Neoclassical,  Jazz, Indie. Have on lp and yes its mastered wonderfully. 

2: Hindi Zahra (album Homeland) Moroccan, Jazz, Folk, Blues, World

3: Eilen Jewell (albums Sea of Tears / Queen of the Minor Key) Idaho lady Bluesy, Folk, Country, edgy

4: Khruangbin (album Live at Lincon Hall) actually a trio group but has some vocals leed by female artist. Mostly instrumental and very creative fun live recording. Classic soul, rock, psychedelic,  surf rock

5: Lp (Laura pergolizzi) (album Lost on You) NY gal  rock, alternative rock, touch of country/Midwest, modern style alternative unlike the 90s.  Great recording good mastering.  Unique vocals you will either really like or hate. But give it a chance it's takes a minute to digest her sound but once you do gets stuck in your head.  Try song Lost on you first. 

6: Lake Street Dive (rachael price) (song What I'm Doing Here). See her live performance of this song. It's amazing. I have the single, not crazy about her albums but this song is special and she kills it on the vocals. 

Hope something I recommended works out to you or others

Katie Melua 

+++1 for Eva Cassidy

And on the classical side, Get all four volumes of Wagner's Ring Cycle which features numerous very competent female vocalists.  Use the recordings of the Vienna Philharmonic under Solti.  They were recorded by Decca in the early 1960's if memory serves.  Available on vinyl and lesser quality on CD.  (no heat seeking missiles, I have both.)

One of the most insanely badass albums I've been listening to lately is Cande y Paulo, it's mind blowing...  She is amazing... Honorable female vocal albums mention goes to London Grammar, Lake Street Dive, This is the Kit... All incredible female vocals that will change your life

I might suggest Amanda McBroom. Has several albums on Sheffield, maybe other labels.  And also, just to perform the song she wrote, "The Rose," Bette Midler.

Roberta Flack, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, on the album Fist Take.   Simply breathtaking.

VanessaFernandez, both in SACD.

Cassandra Wilson and Norah Jones, both on Blue Note Records (and in audiophile pressings by Analogue Productions).

Jane Birkin

Nico

Francoise Hardy

Rickie Lee Jones

Holly Cole

Shelby Lynne

First Aid Kit

Everything But The Girl (especially earlier albums)

Thanks to all.  Some of these artists I already have and in some cases...all they have recorded..but also some new ones to explore.  Thanks for sharing.  Jim

What, no Joni Mitchell mentioned yet?

Margo Timmins

Natalie Merchant

Sandy Denny

Ella Fitzgerald (mentioned)

jusam 

“Map To The Treasure” by Billy Childs has a splendid array of ladies singing the songs of Laura Nyro. A beautiful recording. 
 

Susanne Abbuehl “April” is nice for something less ordinary.
 

Thanks for starting a fun thread. 

(Lyn Stanley) If you like acoustic backing try here London is Calling album. The Bye Bye Blackbird cut is just her and an upright base this will test the resolution of your system.. Everything she does is good. Most of her stuff is in Tital and available on vinyl. Let me know if you like her.

Someone here recommended the album, “The wonderful Sounds of Female Vocals”. I bought it… outstanding album.

Nina Simone, Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Joan Baez, Shelby Lynne, Ricki Lee Jones, Dusty Springfield, Patricia Barber, Janis Ian, Julie London, Joan Armatrading, Judy Collins… great sampler.

Oh yeah… Barbra Streisand and Sara Brightman… Rita Coolidge, Lara Fabian, Kate Bush.

Give Loreena McKennitt an audition. Amazing voice coupled with a hypnotic style.

Lisa Bassenge

Kristin Asbjørnsen 

Mary Stallings

+1 thx Danager, wow great find.

Carla Werner

Lani Hall, Fay Lovsky, Rumer, Nancy Wilson.

Jenna Mammina - You Can Close Your Eyes

• Melody Gardot
• Madeleine Peyroux
• Erin Bode - Over and Over

Rhiannon Giddens / Carolina chocolate drops.