Artist Index How to use Artist INDEX

Norah Jones　

Sultry vocalist and pianist Norah Jones developed her unique blend of jazz and traditional vocal pop with hints of bluesy country and contemporary folk due in large part to her unique u ..more

Karen Souza　

Diana Krall　

With her pre-bop piano style, cool but sensual singing, and fortuitously photogenic looks, Diana Krall took the jazz world by storm in the late ’90s. By the turn of the century she was firmly estab ..more

Michael Buble　

Michael Buble’s introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson’s ears with the sounds of the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Fra ..more

Frank Sinatra　

Frank Sinatra was arguably the most important popular music figure of the 20th century, his only real rivals for the title being Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. In a professio ..more

Jane Monheit　

At the tender age of 20, New York vocalist Jane Monheit was the first runner-up in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute vocal competition, winning a $10,000 scholarship to further her musical educati ..more

Carmen Mcrae　

Carmen McRae always had a nice voice (if not on the impossible level of an Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan) but it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretations of lyrics that ..more

Tony Bennett　

Tony Bennett’s career has enjoyed three distinct phases, each of them very successful. In the early ’50s, he scored a series of major hits that made him one of the most popular recording artists of ..more

Marlena Shaw　

Marlena Shaw is among the most versatile and charismatic jazz vocalists on the scene today. Her performances are marked by an artful blend of pop standards and straight-ahead jazz tunes ..more

Peggy Lee　

Peggy Lee’s alluring tone, distinctive delivery, breadth of material, and ability to write many of her own songs made her one of the most captivating artists of the vocal era, from her breakthrough ..more

Halie Loren　

Nat King Cole　

For a mild-mannered man whose music was always easy on the ear, Nat King Cole managed to be a figure of considerable controversy during his 30 years as a professional musician. From the late ’40s t ..more

Helen Merrill　

A fine singer with a warm, expressive voice, Helen Merrill’s infrequent recordings tend to be quite special with plenty of surprises and chance-taking. She started singing in public in 1944 and was ..more

Ella Fitzgerald　

The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald was arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time (although some may vote for Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holiday). Blessed with a beautiful voic ..more

Julie London　

A sultry, smoky-voiced master of understatement, Julie London enjoyed considerable popularity during the cool era of the 1950s. London never had the range of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vau ..more

Nina Simone　

Of all the major singers of the late 20th century, Nina Simone was one of the hardest to classify. She recorded extensively in the soul, jazz, and pop idioms, often over the course of the ..more

Sarah Vaughan　

Possessor of one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century, Sarah Vaughan ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers. She often gav ..more

Holly Cole　

Canadian vocalist Holly Cole isn’t one of those artists who falls into any one category. Her smoky voice is sultry, yet she’s ironically humorous and candid while reshaping traditional {\standar ..more

Mel Torme　

Mel Torme was a jazz-oriented pop singer who worked at his craft steadily from the ’40s to the ’90s, primarily in nightclubs and concert halls. In his 1988 autobiography, {-It Wasn’t All Velv ..more

Chris Connor　

Along with June Christy, Helen O’Connell, and Julie London, Chris Connor epitomized cool jazz singing in the 1950s. Influenced by Anita O’Day, the torchy, smoky singer wasn’t one for ..more