Most unusual/mesmerizing female voice.


Natalie Merchant gets my #1 vote!
128x128slaw
Yoko Ono has a very unusual voice but John Lennon seemed to be the only person that was mesmerized by it!!
Well, this may be a stretch but Antony Hegarty from Antony and the Johnsons comes to mind. I would argue that it is a female voice though not necessarily from a female. Joanne Newsome fits the unusual but some may feel not so mesmerizing. One I think would have more universal appeal is Marisa Nadler. I would strongly recommend giving her music a try.
What about Barbara Streisand? Her new Village Vanguard release will keep your attention, or mesmerizing.
I like Beth Gibbons from Portishead, she captivates me with her voice.

I first thought of Joanna Newsome because she is unusual but her voice does not mesmerize, me it annoys me...

Cat Powers is a good pick too.
Dinah Washington, maybe not mesmerizing but definitely demanding of attention
Jane Relf . . . not necessarily that unusual (ie odd), but unusually beautiful and indeed mesmerizing.
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Elizabeth, great call on Callas, was just going to add her glad you did.
Joan Sutherland early, early in her career what she could do with her voice, flexibility and strength, has yet to be equaled.
Yma Sumac, unusual, Dusty and Carly Simon mesmerizing plus Janis Joplin for being Janis Joplin.
Seconding Dodgealum on Jesse Sykes. Definitely some unnerving stuff on "Reckless Burning." Julie Miller on "Broken Things" a bit off the path too.

And yes, we do love Margo. :)

John
Billy Holiday in her prime.

I always liked the chick from Sixpence None The Richer also.

Beth Gibbons (Portishead) is another.

And lets not forget Eartha Kitt
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (more for the mesmerizing part of the question than the unusual part).

Kathleen Ferrier (both mesmerizing and unusual despite the ancient mono recording technology).

And a second for Elizabeth's mention of Emma Kirkby.

Regards,
-- Al
Antony, of Antony and the Johnsons. Though he's not female, his voice certainly qualifies. Many of my other favorites have already been named; Joanna Newsome, Margo Timmons, Nina Simone (sounds like Antony), Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Laurie Anderson, Carla Bruni, Diamanda Galas (personally a bit too much for me), Montserrat Figueras, Imogen Heap, Kate Rusby, Vienna Tang, Lhasa, Teresa Salgueiro (Madredeus), Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine), Karen Peris (Innocence Mission), Frazey Ford (The Be Good Tanyas)....

I love female vocals...I could go on!
Grace Slick
Harriet Wheeler (Sundays - Blind)
Bobby Gentry (Ode to Billy Joe)
Julie Driscoll (mesmerize me Baby)
Dianna Krall
Ricky Lee Jones
Dawn Upshaw
There is some very good talent mentioned.I would have to say Nancy Wilson is one woman,,and there is a few others that have already been mentioned, that always pull me very deep into the song!
I am a jazz listener who keeps his palette clean with everything else 10% of time.But I would have to say that mesmerizing and therefore unusual would go to Beth Orton.So many fine voices to choose from but her music and voice combine to be almost trance inducing.You here many voices with pleasant quality or pitch perfect but for me Orton though very musically different hits you the way that Nick Drake does as a male singer.
Chazz
I'll add Marti Jones (formerly of Color Me Gone) and Maddy Pryor, the contralto(?) voice from Steeleye Span.

Marty