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Female Vocals: Stunning Recordings You Love

VHV - Verified Human Voice ;)

Emilia Zamuner – Once Upon A Time


Label : Philology – W489.2
Country : Italy
Released : 2019
Genre : Jazz

Tracklist
1 I've Got The World On A String 3:47
2 I'm Old Fashioned 4:11
3 What A Little Moonlight Can Do 4:32
4 Fotografia 4:56
5 Yesterdays 4:50
6 Joy Spring 4:48
7 What's New 5:13
8 St. Vitus Dance 3:25
9 Self-Portrait In Three Colors 4:32
10 But Not For Me 5:05
11 Chega De Saudade 4:24
12 The Nearness Of You 3:05

Double Bass – Massimo Moriconi
Drums – Massimo Manzi
Piano – Piero Frassi
Producer – Paolo Piangiarelli
Vocals, Liner Notes – Emilia Zamuner

Recorded at Indiehub Studio, Milano, on October 6, 2016
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VHV - Verified Human Voice ;)

Emilia Zamuner – Once Upon A Time


Label : Philology – W489.2
Country : Italy
Released : 2019
Genre : Jazz

Tracklist
1 I've Got The World On A String 3:47
2 I'm Old Fashioned 4:11
3 What A Little Moonlight Can Do 4:32
4 Fotografia 4:56
5 Yesterdays 4:50
6 Joy Spring 4:48
7 What's New 5:13
8 St. Vitus Dance 3:25
9 Self-Portrait In Three Colors 4:32
10 But Not For Me 5:05
11 Chega De Saudade 4:24
12 The Nearness Of You 3:05

Double Bass – Massimo Moriconi
Drums – Massimo Manzi
Piano – Piero Frassi
Producer – Paolo Piangiarelli
Vocals, Liner Notes – Emilia Zamuner

Recorded at Indiehub Studio, Milano, on October 6, 2016
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VHV - Verified Human Voice ;)

Jessica Pilnas - Precis som förr


Artist: Jessica Pilnas
Title: Precis som förr
Year Of Release: 2025
Label: Ladybird Production
Genre: Jazz, Vocal Jazz
Total Time: 35:25

Tracklist:

1. Den vackra dag (3:48)
2. Mera av dig (2:57)
3. Precis som förr (3:35)
4. Lingon (3:29)
5. Min prins (5:23)
6. Bittra bönor (4:51)
7. En sång om kärlek (4:18)
8. Snäll (3:02)
9. Var inte rädd för mörkret (4:05)
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VHV - Verified Human Voice ;)

Marte Eberson & Jon Eberson - Forgetful


Artist: Marte Eberson, Jon Eberson
Title: Forgetful
Released: 2025
Style: Jazz

Tracklist:
1. Forgetful (2:36)
2. He Was to Good to Me (2:22)
3. The Night We Called It a Day (4:21)
4. Laura (2:05)
5. Everything Happens to Me (4:12)
6. Don't Explain (4:34)
7. It Never Entered My Mind (4:46)
8. I Concentrate on You (2:32)
9. The Thrill Is Gone (4:07)
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VHV - Verified Human Voice ;)

Ellen Williams - Lumina


Artist: Ellen Williams
Title: Lumina
Year Of Release: 2025
Label: Felt Records
Genre: Pop, Classical
Total Time: 42:32 min

Tracklist:

01. Time To Say Goodbye
02. A Thousand Years
03. O Mio Babbino Caro
04. Angels
05. Skyfall
06. Run
07. Over The Rainbow
08. Sway
09. You Are The Reason
10. Song To The Moon
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VHV - Verified Human Voice;)

Wanda Felicia - Now Is The Time


Artist: Wanda Felicia
Title: Now Is The Time
Year Of Release: 2025
Label: Timmion Records
Genre: R&B, Soul
Total Time: 43:48

Tracklist:

1. Until You're Mine (03:21)
2. Flowers In The Garden (05:27)
3. Stuck On You (03:35)
4. Reflections Of Love (04:11)
5. You Don't Care (03:40)
6. Ain't No Way (part 1) (03:52)
7. Ain't No Way (part 2) (01:49)
8. Words Of Wisdom (04:14)
9. Oh It Was Love (03:39)
10. All In The Game (04:34)
11. Now Is The Time (05:20)

New York-born singer Wanda Felicia arrives with a voice that sounds weathered in the best way, carrying the grain of experience. Backed by Finnish house band Cold Diamond & Mink, she lands squarely in that space where deep soul meets quiet resilience. The music glows with restraint as horns sigh, guitars curl around tight rhythm sections and every detail polished but not sterile. 'Until You're Mine' opens with the warmth of early-70s southern soul while 'Flowers in the Garden' blooms with easy optimism and layered harmonies. 'Reflections of Love' slows the pace, Felicia's phrasing loose yet deliberate, adding weight to every word. The second half deepens further, 'All in the Game' and 'Now Is the Time' radiating calm authority. It's a reminder that true soul never ages - it just waits for the right voice to carry it again.
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Here's a very rare occasion of singing recorded by Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) titled "Doggin' Man Blues". She was a pianist prodigy as well as a prolific jazz arranger/composer for many bands. In an interview she recounts that sitting on her mother's lap at 2 years of age was soon playing along on the keyboard and recounted at age 6 being taken out to perform sitting on someone's knees.

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Fats Waller said she she had the best left hand of any player he ever heard. (does not sing on this one)
 
 
This Dinah Washington song "I Know How To Do It" never gets skipped by me when my playlist shuffles to it.

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love minimal arrangements like this
Oklou - what's good
(french singer Marylou Vanina Mayniel)

some early demo (?)
tiny desk version
 
"Mother of the Blues" Gertrude "Ma" Rainey (1886-1939) long ago in the distant jazz discography recorded with Louis Armstrong the song "See See Rider" (below 'Take 2' has preserved the clearest recording of it.) While on the subject of the recording phase of Armstrong and Rainey for Paramount Records at one point the record company installed a single electric light in the studio along with the usual kerosene lamps and then advertised their records were electrically recorded.

Many have since sung "See See Rider" and I've added at the end way below the smooth clear version by another famous jazz songstress who went by the name Peggy Lee (1920-2002). Newer female singers' recordings have likewise taken liberties with Ma Rainey's original lyrical arrangement.

Some ASR members may associate 'See See Rider" with Elvis Presley and/or when it reached #10 on the 1966 USA hit record charts by The Animal's with Eric Burdon. Actually these and other notable male vocalists' recordings change not only the protagonists' sex but obscure the song's underlying basis. Namely that a "see see rider" was back in the early 1900s slang for a man who lived off of women; somewhat akin to how newer USA slang refers to someone "sponging off women".

SEE SEE RIDER lyrics sung by Ma Rainey (Take 2) [note: the Cannonball was a train from Mississippi to Tennessee] =

"I'm so unhappy,
I can't go home.
I'll always feel so sad,
I made a mistake,
Right from the start.
Oh, it seems so hard to part.
All about this letter,
That I wrote,
I hope he will remember,
When he receives it.
See see rider,
See what you done done.
Lawd, Lawd, Lawd,
You made me love you,
Now your gal done come.
I'm goin' away baby,
Lord I won't be back 'till fall.
Lawd, Lawd, Lawd,
I won't be back 'till fall.
I find me a good man,
I won't be back at all.
I'm gonna buy me a pistol,
Just too long as I am tall.
Aw Lawd, Lawd, Lawd,
I'm gonna kill my man,
And catch 'de Cannonball.
If he don't have me,
He won't have no gal at all."

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Julia Lee (1902-1958) had a great delivery and style. Down below is one of her records titled "Tell Me, Daddy".

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"Oh Daddy, Daddy how come you,
Passed me by last night?

I left my front door open,
But my back was locked up tight.
Tell me, tell me Daddy,
What are you gonna do?

You might ask for some kisses,
I might give you one or two.
Oh Daddy, Daddy let me tell you,
How I stand.

I only want a winner,
Can't use no also ran.

You better snatch and grab it honey,
Or it may not be here very long.


I'll be the cream in your coffee,
You the sugar in my bowl.

Tell me Daddy, Daddy
Are you havin' any fun?

Who's knockin' on the door now?
You better grab your things and run.
Ah it was only the milkman.
Let's finish up what we've begun.
…"
 
Mary Ann McCall (1919-1994) is the melodic singer on the (1940) recording "Wandering Blues" played by Charlie Barnett's big band. She sang in a lot of the famous names' jazz bands of her day.

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Someone's post in the humor thread disparaging Kate Bush's voice reminded me that this is one album I can listen to from start to finish. Not one bad song. I think she has an amazing voice:
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The image is a link to the album on YouTube.

Martin
 
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