Ella and Billie of course, but lets not forget the newcomers.

Cassandra Wilson,Diane Reeves and If I may recommend

Carmen Gomes.

This Dutch-Portugese singer imbodies tradition but is looking foreward with out loosing the essence of music.

I find her op there with the best of the young Americans.

here is a review from Sound Stage!

American Blues from the Netherlands 

Sound Liaison Studio Showcase Series No.                                                                          1 
Format: 24-bit/96kHz FLAC (download)

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

I've been among the prophets saying that high-resolution downloads are the future of audiophile music sales. Surely it will benefit the majors to make high-quality downloads a first choice rather than an MP3 extra, but I believe that individual artists can benefit as well. Most new-to-the-scene performers have little money for middlemen and disc manufacture, yet can get things together for the Internet.

Frans de Rond and Peter Bjørnild have taken this approach with Sound Liaison, producing recordings available only in 24-bit/96kHz downloads that mirror the master recording. And man, are they ever sweet. I've seldom heard recordings that were so successful in both performance and sound aspects.

De Rond hails from the Netherlands, where he studied double bass at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague while concurrently studying recording techniques. Bjørnild also studied double bass, moving to the Netherlands to continue studies at The Hague. Since graduating, he has played almost every type of music, from classical to jazz. Together de Rond and Bjørnild bring two pairs of golden ears to their label. Bjørnild claims that, "a recording should be as realistic and beautiful sounding as possible. As if, when closing your eyes, you find yourself in the best seat in the hall."

The partners discovered a fine recording hall (Studio-Eleven, Hilversum) and set out to record amazing musicians in this great acoustic place in front of live audiences. It's a daring feat; one take and no place to hide, but the abilities of the musicians involved make it seem easy. I chose to talk about the first album by Carmen Gomes Inc. It was a tough choice because all of the three current albums were worthy of review.

Carmen Gomes has won many awards in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. Like so many new European singers, she sings in English -- excellent English, I might add. She's formed a group called Carmen Gomes Inc., with Folker Tettero on guitar, Peter Bjørnild on double bass, and Marcel van Engelen on drums. Her style is bluesy and intimate with a sexy voice that's sweet as dark tupelo honey, and her interpretations are unerring. The musicians play to her and to each other, and the ensemble is so tight that the four musicians breathe and move as one.

There are some standards on the set that knocked me over with their fresh approach. Any singer can misplace a few accents and rhythms and come up with something that's original, but perhaps also uneasy and a little strange. Not Gomes, who has taken the songs to their bones and then restructured them to suit her style. Thus "Fever" doesn't sound like a cover of Peggy Lee; it sounds like a brand new take on a familiar song. You emerge from hearing it not thinking it's better or lesser than Lee's version, but that it's a valid new interpretation that could have come first.

The same approach works on "Angel Eyes," "You Don't Know What Love Is," and "I'm on Fire." Most of the rest, including the title song, "Oblivion," "Time Will Tell," "Gasoa Blue," and "The Sea," are Gomes originals that fit right in with the standards. The recording achieves exactly what Bjørnild set out as his goal. It can provide the best seat in your listening room. Go to the Sound Liaison site, listen to a few samples, download an album, and see if you don't agree that this intimate effort is one of the best and best-sounding jazz vocal albums to come along in many a day. By the way, the small audience applauds enthusiastically enough after the last chords of a song die away, but the attendees never interrupt or make themselves known while a song is going on. No doubt they were completely mesmerized into silence, as was I.

Be sure to listen to: On "Dock of the Bay," Gomes creates a languid, bluesy version that is a little bit reminiscent of Bobbie Gentry while still coming across as quite original. It'll cast a spell over you.

the Carmen Gomes album is a Wav download not Flac as mentioned in the review

yes  that is a great album.

But even better recorded is the "Torn" album,same artist, same label.

      Tray vith singapoor based singer Jacintha

According to the liner notes she doesn't speak a word of English and sings phonetically. I have two of her recordings. I like her singing quite a bit.

Jacintha records for Groove Note. Groove Note recordings are all audiophile quality recordings. They are done live to two track masters using passive mixers. They have no dubbing, mixing or studio sweetening. The CDs and LPs are made directly from the two track masters. Groove Note recordings are available through all the usual places such as Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds.

They are giving away 2 downloads at the Sound Liaison label.

1 is from the Carmen Gomes album mentioned above.

Very good sound Quality and very good music. Maybe Carmen Gomes is not the new Ella Fitzgerald but she sure is a welcome addition to the world of good Jazz singers, and her choice of repertoire and sense of timing and control of emotion is remarkable.

http://www.soundliaison.com/

Say what you will, K.D. Lang has the most powerful and seductive voice I've ever heard. While not Jazz specific, she can croon with the best ever when she goes that direction. Diana Krall and K.D. Lang get a ton of spins in my room.

RGibran wrote:

while on the subject of properly categorizing...that you would classify your above new Japan and Scandinavian recommendations as 'jazz' singers is, well...

you're kiddin', right?

RG

the most played download in my collection of jazz singers the last year or so is Dutch/Portuguese Carmen Gomes. Her ''Thousand Shades of Blue''download (soundliaison....)
is not only a sublime sounding album, one of the best in my collection, but her very personal and heartfelt interpretation of the standard repertoire and of her own songs shows and artist who really can tell a story and dare to let the music speak without putting herself above the music.
http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2014-06/1401864771_jhhj.
BTW how do I make a picture vissible? I only see the link.

Anne Bisson.

Mister wrote:

They are giving away 2 downloads at the Sound Liaison label.

1 is from the Carmen Gomes album mentioned above.

Very good sound Quality and very good music. Maybe Carmen Gomes is not the new Ella Fitzgerald but she sure is a welcome addition to the world of good Jazz singers, and her choice of repertoire and sense of timing and control of emotion is remarkable.

http://www.soundliaison.com/

Hi RG this is the one I am talking about and check this you tube link;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cESlSxcBEdo
I think this European can compete with any of the best Americans.
Jazz has gone international, I could make a whole list of top notch non US jazz musicians.

...right now, by a margin i think. play Danilo Perez "until then". get your jaw off the floor. appreciate. :-)

Diane Schuur may not be considered jazz but what pipes she has.

peterBj wrote:

the Carmen Gomes album is a Wav download not Flac as mentioned in the review

http://www.soundliaison.com/images/TSOB200v4-130-10-10-75.png

My "Thousand Shades of Blue" is a flac file.
You can choose; flac, wav or DSd on the site; http://www.soundliaison.com/

PCM wrote:

RGibran wrote:

while on the subject of properly categorizing...that you would classify your above new Japan and Scandinavian recommendations as 'jazz' singers is, well...

you're kiddin', right?

RG

the most played download in my collection of jazz singers the last year or so is Dutch/Portuguese Carmen Gomes. Her ''Thousand Shades of Blue''download (soundliaison....)
is not only a sublime sounding album, one of the best in my collection, but her very personal and heartfelt interpretation of the standard repertoire and of her own songs shows and artist who really can tell a story and dare to let the music speak without putting herself above the music.
http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2014-06/1401864771_jhhj.
BTW how do I make a picture vissible? I only see the link.

I agree. I have found myself listening more to Carmen Gomes than Dianna Krall this year.

(If you click on quote you can see how I managed to insert an img)

Get her latest, it has a haunting version of Little Girl Blue and the SQ is incredible

Mister wrote:

PCM wrote:

RGibran wrote:

while on the subject of properly categorizing...that you would classify your above new Japan and Scandinavian recommendations as 'jazz' singers is, well...

you're kiddin', right?

RG

the most played download in my collection of jazz singers the last year or so is Dutch/Portuguese Carmen Gomes. Her ''Thousand Shades of Blue''download (soundliaison....)
is not only a sublime sounding album, one of the best in my collection, but her very personal and heartfelt interpretation of the standard repertoire and of her own songs shows and artist who really can tell a story and dare to let the music speak without putting herself above the music.
http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2014-06/1401864771_jhhj.
BTW how do I make a picture vissible? I only see the link.

I agree. I have found myself listening more to Carmen Gomes than Dianna Krall this year.

(If you click on quote you can see how I managed to insert an img)

http://www.soundliaison.com/
Get her latest, it has a haunting version of Little Girl Blue and the SQ is incredible

Mister wrote:

PCM wrote:

RGibran wrote:

while on the subject of properly categorizing...that you would classify your above new Japan and Scandinavian recommendations as 'jazz' singers is, well...

you're kiddin', right?

RG

the most played download in my collection of jazz singers the last year or so is Dutch/Portuguese Carmen Gomes. Her ''Thousand Shades of Blue''download (soundliaison....)
is not only a sublime sounding album, one of the best in my collection, but her very personal and heartfelt interpretation of the standard repertoire and of her own songs shows and artist who really can tell a story and dare to let the music speak without putting herself above the music.
http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2014-06/1401864771_jhhj.
BTW how do I make a picture vissible? I only see the link.

I agree. I have found myself listening more to Carmen Gomes than Dianna Krall this year.

(If you click on quote you can see how I managed to insert an img)

Excellent albums by;
Norah Jones
Katie Melua

I always liked her.

RIP

Diana Krall has a new disc releasing this Spring!

She only has one album that I know of, but what an album!

Patricia Barber - Café Blue
Inga Swearingen - Let Me Call This Home
Vanessa Fernandez - Use Me
Eliane Elias - Dreamer
Connie Evingson - Let It Be Jazz
Dave's True Story - Unauthorized
Jaimee Paul - Melancholy Baby
Dusty Springfield - Live in Memphis
Karen Souza - Hotel Souza
Kathy Sanborn - Six Degrees of Cool
KJ Denheert - Another Year Gone By
Lorraine Feather- Language
Melanie De Biasio - No Deal
Natalia M. King - Bluezzin T'ill Dawn

Mister wrote:

PCM wrote:

RGibran wrote:

while on the subject of properly categorizing...that you would classify your above new Japan and Scandinavian recommendations as 'jazz' singers is, well...

you're kiddin', right?

RG

the most played download in my collection of jazz singers the last year or so is Dutch/Portuguese Carmen Gomes. Her ''Thousand Shades of Blue''download (soundliaison....)
is not only a sublime sounding album, one of the best in my collection, but her very personal and heartfelt interpretation of the standard repertoire and of her own songs shows and artist who really can tell a story and dare to let the music speak without putting herself above the music.
http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2014-06/1401864771_jhhj.
BTW how do I make a picture vissible? I only see the link.

I agree. I have found myself listening more to Carmen Gomes than Dianna Krall this year.

(If you click on quote you can see how I managed to insert an img)

The Carmen Gomes albums are also avaiable on these BandCamp sites;

https://soundliaison.bandcamp.com/
in 24/96 flac

and in redbook CD and 16/44.1 on her own https://carmengomes.bandcamp.com/