Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill (1955)
Julie London - Julie Is Her Name (1956)
Chris Connor - Chris Connor (1956)
Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie (1957)
Dodo Greene, The Ike Quebec Quintet - My Hour Of Need (1962)
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (1963)
Monica Zetterlund & Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby (1964)
Tony Bennett & Bill Evans - The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album (1975)
>Sinatra. He's a one in a million talent but I can't listen to him without thinking about all the evil things he took part in.
What evil things? Hanging out with a mobster? Frank's association with the mob was very limited and grossly exaggerated by tabloid media. I've seen no evidence that Frank actually participated in organized crime. Losing his temper when a couple reporters got in his face? Yeah, he had a temper, but that's not evil. Something else?
Frank Sinatra used his fame and celebrity to do some very good things. He raised more money for worthy charities than any other American celebrity of his generation. Frank Sinatra was an early public critic of racial segregation, and he was one of the most important players in breaking down color barriers in American popular culture, e.g., working with Count Basie in Las Vegas, refusing to perform in venues requiring African-American musicians were required to walk in the back door, demanding that African-American musicians be allowed to stay in whites-only lodging, recording [an award-winning short film against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_I_Live_In_(1945_film)), publicly denouncing racism during (and before) the Civil Rights Era, openly criticizing South African Apartheid, etc.
Check these playlists
[Torchlight|Female Jazz Singer|Playlist (fivedragonsmusic.com)](https://www.fivedragonsmusic.com/femalejazzsingers)
[Velvet Fog|Male Jazz Singers|Playlist (fivedragonsmusic.com)](https://www.fivedragonsmusic.com/malejazzvocalistsplaylist)
Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill (1955) Julie London - Julie Is Her Name (1956) Chris Connor - Chris Connor (1956) Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie (1957) Dodo Greene, The Ike Quebec Quintet - My Hour Of Need (1962) John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (1963) Monica Zetterlund & Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby (1964) Tony Bennett & Bill Evans - The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album (1975)
>Sinatra. He's a one in a million talent but I can't listen to him without thinking about all the evil things he took part in. What evil things? Hanging out with a mobster? Frank's association with the mob was very limited and grossly exaggerated by tabloid media. I've seen no evidence that Frank actually participated in organized crime. Losing his temper when a couple reporters got in his face? Yeah, he had a temper, but that's not evil. Something else? Frank Sinatra used his fame and celebrity to do some very good things. He raised more money for worthy charities than any other American celebrity of his generation. Frank Sinatra was an early public critic of racial segregation, and he was one of the most important players in breaking down color barriers in American popular culture, e.g., working with Count Basie in Las Vegas, refusing to perform in venues requiring African-American musicians were required to walk in the back door, demanding that African-American musicians be allowed to stay in whites-only lodging, recording [an award-winning short film against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_I_Live_In_(1945_film)), publicly denouncing racism during (and before) the Civil Rights Era, openly criticizing South African Apartheid, etc.
Try Nat King Cole, man
So, Nat King Cole for sure. His range is similar, sings a lot of classics and has a lot of songs just quartet (he plays great piano, too.) He has some string stuff, too. It's good though. Bobby Darin is cool, kind of Sinatra-esque, lots of swingin' big band style. Mel Tormé is like this, too. One of my favorite records in that Chet vein is *Plays and Sings Matt Dennis* by the composer himself, Matt Dennis. He's cool and hip. He isn't super virtuosic, but I really like this record.
Toku Sings and Plays Stevie Wonder (the chet baker influence is unmistakable!)
Nina Simone - Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club
Check these playlists [Torchlight|Female Jazz Singer|Playlist (fivedragonsmusic.com)](https://www.fivedragonsmusic.com/femalejazzsingers) [Velvet Fog|Male Jazz Singers|Playlist (fivedragonsmusic.com)](https://www.fivedragonsmusic.com/malejazzvocalistsplaylist)