5 GREAT JAZZ VOCAL ALBUMS

Been back on my Jazz groove lately and having watched a few YouTube videos with various experts expounding on their favorite albums of all time I thought I would lay down my "truth" on the subject. ^^

So in no particular order, here are 5 of my personally selected great Jazz vocal albums.

1. Johnny Hartman And John Coltrane (Impulse)

I defy anyone to find me a better Sunday morning Jazz vocal album than this one. Hartman's voice is smooth like a bar of Galaxy chocolate and without any excessive affectations or ornamentations. Coltrane as his dance partner on this album is supreme (pun intended) and provides his empathetic sax (as close to a human voice as this instrument could ever get) to shadow Hartman's pure vocal lines in a perfect meeting of musical minds. Essential.

2. Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie - Ella Fitzgerald (Verve)

Ella for me is the Mozart of Jazz. She was a genius of phrasing, tone, and musicality. You could give her a phone book or code book to sing and you'd be in rapture. The only downside of being an Ella fan is having so many incredible albums to listen to at any one time. If forced to choose one album to demonstrate the versatility of her voice then I would go for 'Clap Hands, Here Comes Charle' as here you get a perfect marriage of fast-tempo tracks with teary ballads and bluesy laments encapsulating perfectly Ella's full palette of colors.

3. In The Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra (Capitol)

The Edward Hopper "Nighthawks" of Jazz vocal albums. For the broken-hearted sleepwalkers of the early hours, there has never been a better soundtrack. Aside from creating the first proper concept album, Sinatra's song selection combined with Nelson Riddle's sublime orchestrations makes for one of the greatest collections of songs ever put together in a recording studio. Facts.

4. For One To Love - Cécile McLorin Salvant (Mack Avenue Records)

I first heard Cécile McLorin Salvant singing a cover version of John Lennon's "Oh My Love" with Jacky Terrasson as her accompanist and fell instantly in love with her voice. There's always the fear with new modern Jazz artists that they won't make good choices with their song selections for their albums unlike their predecessors in the genre but with 'For One To Love' (2015), Cécile manages to get a near-perfect balance of old and new songs. Having the range of Sarah Vaughan with the flexibility of Anita O'Day, Salvant appears to have been blessed with a potent combination of musical genes.

5. Satch Plays Fats - Louis Armstrong With His All-Stars (Columbia)

He may have a voice that resembles a gravel pit that's smoked too many cigarettes and drank too much coffee, but Louis Armstrong's are probably the most recognizable vocals in the history of jazz and therefore I think it's fitting to choose what I believe to be his best vocal album 'Satch Plays Fats'. With help from co-vocalist Velma Middleton, Armstrong delivers a perfect 9-track selection of Fats Waller's greatest songs including 'Honeysuckle Rose', 'Ain't Misbehavin', and 'What Did I Do To Be So Black And Blue' to name just a few standouts from the classic album. Of course, in addition to great singing, there's the added bonus of Louis's iconic trumpet blasting throughout. Glorious.