Jazz Vocals

Throughout its history, jazz has produced dozens of remarkable singers who have brought their own brand of dexterity and improvisation to the music, giving voice to the freedom and passion that are jazz trademarks. Here are the greatest interpreters of jazz song, including Frank Sinatra and Nina Simone.

From the famous crooners who cut their teeth with the big bands, to the distinctive voices who have become jazz legends in their own right, singers have forced their way to the forefront of the jazz experience. Take your pick, from the martini-lounge sensuality of Julie London or the blues and rock leanings of Mose Allison.

Just as instrumental soloists pushed jazz into new realms, vocalists created new vistas of their own with techniques like scat singing and vocalese. To hear the unadulterated pleasure in the voice of Louis Jordan as he knocks out "Choo Choo Ch'boogie", or Oscar Brown, Jr. riffing through "Dat Dere," is to let the good times roll.

The greatest of jazz singers did more than simply belt out a tune or two: they transformed their vocal cords into an instrument that both led, and complemented, great bands and combos. All of the artists listed here take the human voice to new heights, whether they're improvising through the joyous gibberish of scat, or adding their own passion and unique tone to more formal material. Marvel at Nina Simone's breathy tremolo, Sinatra's peerless croon, Anita O'Day's dazzling dynamics, and much more.