CD-Charts Position 121
Average Rating:

Time Is on My Side

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Irma Thomas

Release Date December 27, 2004
I am from New Orleans, so Irma is like a household name to us. I sang along to her music as a teenager, have heard her perform, and even seen her in the grocery store. She's one of our local treasures, and a wonderful lady.

If you never heard her sing, you are in for a treat. This cd is not the best quality, but is a good example of her early years in the business. She's in her 60's now, and still going strong. She's always been a favorite of mine. Buy this, and treat yourelf to a dose of "The Soul Queen of New Orleans"

CD-Charts Position 122
Average Rating:

Something Good: The Muscle Shoals Sessions

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Irma Thomas

Release Date July 19, 1990
Chess Records signed Irma Thomas in 1966 and almost immediately sent her to work with producer Rick Hall at his Fame Studios in the world famous Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Thomas recorded over a dozen tracks while backed by seasoned in-house rhythm and horn sections, plus Spooner Oldham on keyboards. Of the tracks she recorded, Chess released only three 45s, including Otis Redding's "Good To Me", the only song from these sessions to crack the Billboard charts. Unimpressed - and despite some fine unreleased material - Chess decided Thomas was a poor seller and scrapped plans to release an LP by her. She did one more session for the label in Chicago (I'm not sure if it was ever released), then she and the label parted ways.

That none of ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 123
Average Rating:

20th Century Masters: The Best Of Etta James (Millennium Collection)

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Etta James

Release Date April 06, 1999
Etta James has gone over a long, long and kaleidoscopic road around the most different rhythms and categories; soul, blues, country and ballads appear beautifully phrased and remarkably sung, thanks to her prestigious and refined voice and enviable charisma.

More than a successful singer, she has become a real icon of the pop throughout these years.

CD-Charts Position 124
Average Rating:

Music for Torching: The Billie Holiday Story, Vol. 5

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Billie Holiday

Release Date May 23, 1995
Billie Holiday is here joined by small Jazz combos for some of the best vocal performaces of her later years. Her vocals are warm, rich and full of nuances. Her interpretive powers are still very strong and these standards are all given the unmistakable Holiday stamp. I love the way Billie sings around the beat like an instrumentalist would when taking a solo. This set is as good as anything you will hear from Billie Holiday's later years, and I can highly recommend it.

CD-Charts Position 125
Average Rating:

Empty Bed Blues

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Bessie Smith

Release Date October 15, 1996
Elsewhere in this space I have mentioned that in the early days of the blues, at least the recorded blues, women vocalists dominated the market. One thinks of Mabel Smith and Ma Rainey in that regard. But the queen of the hill, and the one still best remembered, for roaring out those barrel house blues is Bessie Smith. This little album gives a very nice beginner cross section of the kind of subjects that she sang about-mainly broken-hearted love, no good men and the trials and tribulations of being a black woman on her own.

Bessie's music also represents the place, as with Blind Willie McTell on the male side, where the blues go from the Saturday night juke joints of the farm, make that cotton, country to the more sophisticated Southern ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 126
Average Rating:

House of Blues: Essential Women in Blues

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Various Artists

Release Date January 28, 1997
This is one CD I never tire of! Everyone I have turned on to this CD feels the same way! The music is timeless.

CD-Charts Position 127
Average Rating:

Remixed & Reimagined

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Billie Holiday

Release Date October 28, 2008
Every song is perfectly remixed with an ambiance of House, Down Tempo, Trip Hop, Funk, and Acid Jazz. If you want to hear Billie Holiday in her natural style then buy the original Billie CD's but if you love remixes that take the past and make it a blast for todays generation, this is it!!! The flow of the CD never misses a beat. Each song is perfect in its remix style. This is much better then the Nina remix because it's smoother and the producers really meshed Billie Holidays vocals and original music to the new remix style they intended. Once again, if your looking for original Billie this is not the CD for you but if you want original Billie with a bit of Cayenne Pepper this is it!!!!

CD-Charts Position 128
Average Rating:

At Carnegie Hall: The Billie Holliday Story, Vol.6

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Billie Holiday

Release Date July 25, 1995
this album is as good as anything billie holiday recorded--better, because it's "live". tony scott's clarinet playing around and under billie is wonderful! classic stuff--cut two years before she died.

CD-Charts Position 129
Average Rating:

At Newport Live

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday

Release Date August 07, 2007
As noted in the album liner notes this CD is a poor example of even Ella Fitzgerald's work. Second, as noted in the Amazon Review: "Worse, the stage announcer's audible suggestion that she (Ella) move closer to the microphone results in overmodulated distortion on four-fifths of the set." Finally, Billie Holiday's voice is weak and Carmen McRae's voice is harsh in these performances.

As suggested (between the lines) in the D. Davis review this CD is really only for hardcore collectors of live music. If you want to have the feeling of being at Newport for these 1957 performances including the original sound distortions and performance glitches this CD will take you there. Ella's scat singing on "Airmail Letter" is undeniably charming. Nonetheless, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 130
Average Rating:

Female Blues Singers, Vol. 12: 1922-35

CD-Charts > Music > Classic Female Vocal Blues
by: Various Artists

Release Date March 18, 1997
As noted in the album liner notes this CD is a poor example of even Ella Fitzgerald's work. Second, as noted in the Amazon Review: "Worse, the stage announcer's audible suggestion that she (Ella) move closer to the microphone results in overmodulated distortion on four-fifths of the set." Finally, Billie Holiday's voice is weak and Carmen McRae's voice is harsh in these performances.

As suggested (between the lines) in the D. Davis review this CD is really only for hardcore collectors of live music. If you want to have the feeling of being at Newport for these 1957 performances including the original sound distortions and performance glitches this CD will take you there. Ella's scat singing on "Airmail Letter" is undeniably charming. Nonetheless, ... Read More: