08. Mad about the boy - Dinah Washington

Dinah Washington was technically flawless, got sass for miles, and could emote the hell out of any song she recorded. It may come as no surprise that her version of many jazz/blues numbers have often been the more popular one. She’s one of a handful of artists I’d immediately take to upon first listen. I remember going through my first Jazz collection, The Mercury Songbook, and noting how much ‘tude this woman had. She made “I get a kick out of you” stuck to my head for days and days (even though I don’t think “flying with some guy in the sky” is “nothing to do” - still, I feel compelled to go along with whatever she sings about because she sounds like she means BUSINESS). But Dinah’s more than her queen sized attitude; she could also do intimate conversing. So assured is her vocal ability that she could sing on a track without music accompanying it and it would not feel wrong. Witness one of the greatest jazz recordings by the prolific Ms. Blues:

And that’s how you do a number!

{My 50 ALL-TIME FAVOURITE FEMALE VOCALISTS list continues (tagged Female Vocalists)! The criteria are simple: they are female of the species, I love their voice, and they have attempted to sing in English at one point in their career. The present list is focused mostly on the quality/uniqueness of their tone (voice box), and their ability to emote the hell out of the songs.}