1. NAT "KING"
COLE
Nat Cole was born in 1919 in Alabama, but grew up in Chicago,
where he started singing in his father's church and got
attention as a pianist while in his teens. He made his first
recordings in 1936 with his brother Eddie's group, and soon
left for Los Angeles, where he formed the Nat "King"
Cole Trio, the forerunner of many of today's small jazz
groups. Cole gradually became more comfortable as a singer,
and had his first big vocal hit with "Sweet
Lorraine." Eventually, Cole branched out into doing more
popular singing with orchestras, and played less piano than in
the past. However, he never entirely abandoned his jazz roots,
and returned to the trio format in 1956 with the famous
"After Midnight" album. He also recorded with such
jazz and big band figures as Count Basie, Stan Kenton and
George Shearing, and worked with such jazz singers as Mel
Torme and June Christy on his short-lived TV show. Cole's warm
voice and personality, precise diction and phrasing, and
near-flawless pitch combined to make him into one of the
greatest of jazz and popular singers. His untimely death in
1965 was a blow to the music world. However, his influence
continues today in the work of such jazz singers as John
Pizzarelli and Diana Krall, and recordings continue to show
what an exceptional singer Nat Cole was.
2. FRANK SINATRA
Francis Albert Sinatra, born in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1915, was one of the greatest of all popular singers, and had considerable jazz influence in his work. Much of that came from his work in the big bands of Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, and also from his listening to such singers as Billie Holiday, Mabel Mercer and Bing Crosby. Sinatra took what he learned to create something all his own. As Sinatra matured from a bobby-sox idol into a jazzier singer, he worked with such arrangers as Nelson Riddle and with many great jazz musicians to create a more swinging and dramatic style. Also, Sinatra made albums with Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Quincy Jones that drew on his phrasing and sense of swing. To this day, Sinatra, who died in 1998, has the admiration of countless numbers of jazz singers, players and listeners.
3. MEL TORME
Mel Torme was born in Chicago in 1925, and started singing professionally at the age of four. At 15, he wrote the hit song "Lament to Love," and his first big break as a singer was at age 17 with the Chico Marx big band. He also showed talent as a drummer, arranger and as the composer of such standards as "The Christmas Song," "A Stranger in Town," and "Welcome to the Club." Although he was called "The Velvet Fog" as a young man because of the veiled sound of his voice, Torme outgrew that label to become one of the most virtuosic singers in jazz history, able to sing anything from the fastest scat to the gentlest ballads. Like many jazz singers in the 1960s, Torme had a hard time due to the advent of rock, but enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He also acted in many movies, had a recurring role as himself on TV's "Night Court," and wrote books about himself, Buddy Rich and Judy Garland. A stroke ended Torme's career in 1996, and he died in 1999, but his reputation as jazz singing's Renaissance man is secure.
4. LOUIS ARMSTRONG
Louis Armstrong, born in New Orleans in 1901, set many of the standards for jazz singing. His talent for improvisation, which made him one of the greatest of all trumpeters, carried over into his use of scat singing, which he made into an important part of jazz vocalism in the 1920s. Also, his phrasing changed popular singing into something much freer than before, and his style had a profound influence upon Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and every other jazz and popular singer in the succeeding decades. Even in his later years, Armstrong had hit records as a vocalist with "Hello, Dolly" and "What A Wonderful World." Despite a rough vocal quality and occasional problems with his vocal cords that required surgery, Armstrong's musicianship and personality made him one of the founders of vocal jazz as we know it, and his place in jazz history was secure long before his death in 1971.
5. JOHNNY HARTMAN
Johnny Hartman, born in Chicago in 1923, studied voice in college and sang for Special Services in the Army during World War II. He also sang in the big bands of Earl Hines and Dizzy Gillespie during the rise of bebop. Hartman made several fine LPs during the 1950s, but much of his best recorded work is from the 1960s, including a legendary album with John Coltrane that is regarded as one of the greatest jazz vocal albums ever made. Although Hartman continued to record, he did not get the acclaim that he deserved during his lifetime, and much of his fame has come since his death in 1983. Hartman gained many new fans when some of his recordings were included on the soundtrack of "The Bridges of Madison County," and reissues of his recordings show what a smooth, rich voice and great musicianship he had.
6. TONY BENNETT
Antonio Benedetto was born in Queens in 1926. He sang from an early age, and sang with military bands and on Armed Forces Radio during World War II. Bob Hope gave Antonio a stage name, Tony Bennett. Bennett soon gained fame as a pop singer, but learned a lot from hearing jazz musicians, and
got to stretch out musically on many albums of the 50s and 60s that included some of the best sidemen in jazz. When rock became dominant in the music business, Bennett could not get a recording contract for years, although he made some fine albums for small labels with such giants as Bill Evans and Marian McPartland. After his 1986 album "The Art of Excellence," Bennett was discovered by a new generation, and he appeared in music videos and in an MTV special that won a Grammy for its soundtrack. Tony Bennett is still one of the top singers of standards, and his appeal reaches across generations.
7. JOE WILLIAMS
Joe Williams, born Joseph Goreed in Georgia in 1918, started singing in gospel groups in Chicago, and started out as a big band singer in the late 1930s and early 1940s. However, a nervous breakdown slowed down his career, and he did several non-musical jobs before replacing Jimmy Rushing as vocalist for the Count Basie Orchestra in 1954. The album "Count Basie Swings/Joe Williams Sings" made him a star and also helped revive the Basie band, which had been off the road for several years. Williams also recorded solo albums and left the Basie band in 1961, but had occasional reunions with them. Williams kept working steadily, but his recording career slowed down until the 1980s, when he recorded for several major jazz labels and gained new fans with his appearances on "The Cosby Show." Williams' rich voice and bluesy style kept him one of the biggest stars in jazz until his death in 1999.
8. BILLY ECKSTINE
Billy Eckstine, born in Pittsburgh in 1914, was the first African-American male vocalist to defy convention by singing romantic ballads that appealed to listeners of all races. Eckstine started singing at the age of seven, and gained his first fame as a vocalist with Earl Hines' big band. He then formed his own bebop big band with such stars as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. When the band did not prove a commercial success despite its musical innovation, Eckstine concentrated on his singing, and his lush voice and movie-star looks gained him many fans. He was even a fashion trendsetter, with many men adopting the "Mr. B." shirt collar. Along with his pop success, Eckstine kept recording jazz with such artists as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Helen Merrill and Quincy Jones until the late 1980s. He also performed throughout his later years in Las Vegas and Europe until shortly before his death in 1993.
9. FREDDY COLE
Freddy Cole, born in Chicago in 1931, is the brother of Nat "King" Cole and the uncle of Natalie Cole. However, as he sings, "I'm not my brother, I'm me;" although Freddy sounds a little like his late brother, his voice is a little deeper and rougher, and he has a delivery all his own. Freddy Cole almost became a football player, but went into music after a hand injury. Although Cole has recorded since the 1950s, he was in Nat "King" Cole's shadow for a long time, and had to wait until recent years to be recognized in his own right. Freddy Cole's recordings of the last few years show that his voice has lasted well, and that he can handle anything from Michel Legrand ballads to humorous numbers with ease, while also playing excellent piano.
10. RAY CHARLES
Ray Charles, born in Georgia in 1930, developed glaucoma as a child andlearned to sing and play many instruments in a school for the blind.
His early style was rather like that of Nat "King" Cole, but he soon developed a soulful sound all his own in both his singing and his piano playing. Although much of his work has been in such styles as R & B, country, and mainstream pop, Charles has recorded a lot of jazz as well, and has worked with such jazz stars as Betty Carter, Milt Jackson, Tony Bennett and David "Fathead" Newman. Charles' unmistakeable gospel-influenced voice has been an inspiration to singers in many types of music, and he continues to be in great demand all over the world.
11. JON HENDRICKS
Jon Hendricks, an Ohio native, was born in 1921, and did his earliest singing as a child on the radio. Hendricks almost became a lawyer, but decided to use his musical gifts instead. In the late 1950s, he joined up with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross. They created the album "Sing a Song of Basie," where they used overdubbing to sing instrumental lines and create the effect of a vocal orchestra. Hendricks wrote such clever vocalese lyrics that Time Magazine called him "the James Joyce of jive," and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross greatly influenced such later groups as the Manhattan Transfer and the New York Voices. Hendricks continues to perform with Jon Hendricks and Company, and with younger stars like Kurt Elling and Kevin Mahogany.
12. KEVIN MAHOGANY
Kevin Mahogany, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1958, is one of the finest male jazz singers of his generation. Before Mahogany decided to sing, he was experienced on clarinet, piano and saxophone. While in college, Mahogany received classical voice training, sang in R & B groups, and started a jazz choir on campus. Mahogany decided to specialize in jazz singing in the 1990s, and after some struggle, got the attention of the jazz world with his albums for the Enja label. Since then, he has achieved great acclaim for his rich voice, scat singing, versatility, and presence as a live performer. Mahogany will certainly help carry great jazz singing into the 21st century.
13. LOU RAWLS
Lou Rawls, born in 1935 in Chicago, was a gospel singer before he broke into jazz on a Les McCann album. Much of Rawls' fame over the years has been as a soul and R & B singer. However, his smooth, manly baritone has also been featured on a number of jazz recordings, from big band sides with Benny Carter in 1964 for Capitol to a series of albums for Blue Note in the 1990s. Also, in 1998, he recorded a CD, "Seasons 4 U," that features jazz songs about the seasons and a duet with jazz diva Dianne Reeves on "Baby, It's Cold Outside."
14. GEORGE BENSON
Singer and guitarist George Benson was born in 1943 in Pittsburgh. He began as a singer at the age of 8, and while still in his teens, Benson was playing guitar alongside such stars as Jack McDuff. Record producers John Hammond and Creed Taylor soon had him playing with Miles Davis and recording solo albums. Benson caught on as a singer with "This Masquerade" on the very popular "Breezin'" album in 1976. After many hit albums in the pop-jazz style, Benson recorded "Tenderly," an album of standards, and also recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra and Jon Hendricks. Benson has a smooth voice and great stylistic range, enabling him to work in many types of jazz.
15. AL JARREAU
Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee in 1940. Jarreau earned a master's degree in psychology and tried being a social worker, but soon decided to pursue his lifelong love of music, and recorded an early album of standards in 1965. However, Jarreau did not get much public notice until thr 1970s, when he became one of the leading stars of contemporary jazz, and also had a number of hits on the pop charts in the 70s and 80s, such as "We're In This Love Together" and the theme from "Moonlighting." Jarreau is noted for his virtuosity, and his vocalese and unique voice quality have earned him millions of fans around the world.
16. HARRY CONNICK, JUNIOR
Harry Connick, Jr. was born in New Orleans in 1967, and was a child musical prodigy who made his first recordings when he was only 10. Connick made his first album as a professional in 1987, and soon attracted attention for his piano playing and his singing, which showed a love of standards and the influence of Frank Sinatra. Connick's soundtrack album for the film "When Harry Met Sally..." made him a household word. Since then, Connick has recorded albums with big bands, small groups, and in jazz and pop styles. His most recent album, "Come By Me," was a return to a big band style, and it was a Grammy nominee. Connick has also acted in a number of movies, and has written many of the songs for his albums in recent years.
17. JIMMY RUSHING
Jimmy Rushing, born in 1903 in Oklahoma City, was nicknamed "Mister Five-By-Five" for his size, but his talent was the biggest thing about him. Rushing sang with such early Kansas City bands as Walter Page's Blue Devils and the Bennie Moten band. When Moten died in 1935, Count Basie took over his band, and Rushing sang with Basie until 1950, becoming famous for his powerful, bluesy singing. After Basie temporarily broke up his band in 1950, Rushing began a solo career in which he made many recordings. He was in the historic 1957 "Sound of Jazz" TV special that also featured two of his former Basie colleagues, Lester Young and Billie Holiday. Rushing died in 1972 after a distinguished career.
18. EDDIE JEFFERSON
Edgar "Eddie" Jefferson was born in Pittsburgh in 1918. He started out as a dancer, but had become a singer by the late 1940s, and a live 1949 recording exists of him singing vocalese lyrics to "Parker's Mood" and to a Lester Young solo, showing him to be a pioneer in that musical style. Jefferson's first studio recording was in 1952, and he worked with saxophonist James Moody in the 50s and late 60s; one of Jefferson's most famous efforts was his text to "Moody's Mood for Love." However, even though King Pleasure and other stars cited Jefferson as a founder of vocalese, his work was largely overlooked until the 1970s. Jefferson's comeback was cut short when he was murdered in 1979 outside a Detroit nightclub. However, his recordings show the significance of his work, and his last recordings were recently released on CD.
19. ERNIE ANDREWS
Ernie Andrews was born on Christmas Day, 1927 in Philadelphia. He did his first recordings in the 1940s while still in high school. Andrews sang with Harry James' big band for six years, and did a number of recordings in the 1950s, but was in the shadow of bigger stars such as Joe Williams for many years. However, Andrews was rediscovered in the 1980s, and has recorded in recent years with Jay McShann, the late Gene Harris, and the Frank Capp/Nat Pierce Juggernaut. Andrews has also done a number of solo albums, and has a gift for doing impressions of other great singers in his act.
20. OSCAR BROWN, JUNIOR
Oscar Brown, Jr. was born in Chicago in 1926. He started as a teenage actor in Chicago's famous radio soap operas, and tried several careers before becoming a singer and songwriter. He has written lyrics to such jazz classics as "Dat Dere," "Work Song" and "Watermelon Man," and worked with Max Roach on the famous "Freedom Now Suite." Brownhas also recorded many albums, the most recent in 1995, and has been the host of jazz programs on TV and on public radio.
21. JIMMY
WITHERSPOON
Jimmy Witherspoon, born in Arkansas in 1923, was equally at home in both jazz and blues. His earliest recordings were with Charlie Parker's mentor, Jay
McShann. Things were not easy for Witherspoon in the 1950s, but his appearance at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival brought him renewed attention from jazz and blues fans. Over the years, he worked with such jazz greats as Groove Holmes, Ben Webster and Buck Clayton. Witherspoon continued singing even after surviving throat cancer in the 1980s, and some of his best recordings have been reissued since his death in 1997.
22. CHET BAKER
Chesney Henry Baker, born in Oklahoma in 1929, became known to the world by his nickname, Chet. In the 1950s, Baker became famous for his trumpet playing with Gerry Mulligan's famous pianoless quartet. Baker also became famous for his boyish looks and romantic light voice, and became so popular in Europe that he even made movies and became something of a teen idol. However, his career and personal life were hampered by a drug problem, and he was even out of music for a while after his teeth were knocked out. Eventually, he made a comeback, and was the star of a film biography, "Let's Get Lost." Baker died in 1988 under still-unexplained circumstances, but his singing and playing continue to be popular.
23. JACK TEAGARDEN
Weldon Leo Teagarden, born in Texas in 1905, became famous under the name of Jack Teagarden. He was not just one of the finest trombonists in the history of jazz, but was equally famous for his relaxed, smooth vocals. Over the years, Teangarden played and sang with such stars as Louis Armstrong, Paul Whiteman, and Bob Crosby, and also had his own big band and small groups. By the time of his death in 1964, he was one of the all-time greatest figures in both swing and Dixieland jazz.
24. MARK MURPHY
Mark Murphy was born in Syracuse in 1932 and grew up in Central New York as part of a musical family. He made his first album, "Meet Mark Murphy," in 1956. Several record labels tried to develop Murphy as a pop singer, but he developed his own jazz style with scatting, improvisations on the poetry of Jack Kerouac and others, and using songs that were not always part of the standard repertory. Murphy has spent much of his career in Europe, and also has a loyal following in America for his very individual style.
25. KING PLEASURE
Clarence Beeks was born in Tennessee in 1922, and said that he was called "King Pleasure" because he was born to bring pleasure to the world. He fulfilled that mission as one of the founding singers of the vocalese movement, setting lyrics to famous jazz instrumental solos. Pleasure had a short career and died at only 60 in 1982, but with such famous recordings as "Moody's Mood for Love," he influenced such singers as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Mark Murphy, the Manhattan Transfer, and such up-and-coming stars as British vocalist Ian Shaw.
26.
JOHN PIZZARELLI
27. CAB CALLOWAY
28. JIMMY SCOTT
29. JOHNNY MERCER
30. FATS WALLER
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