Best Singer of All Time is...

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

Here is one with some high notes. This girl has a God-given gift. It certainly may not be everyone's cup of tea but at age 17 I think she is outstanding and cannot wait to see were she develops "as an artist" when she either writes or is given her own music.

 

(take on me)

[fas42]

We've had a local do the Sinatra thing for some time,

 

 

 

[PYP]

9 hours ago, ducatirider said:

  Ella Fitzgerald for Jazz

 

This reminds me of one of the greatest duets:  Ella (Fitzgerald) and Louis (Armstrong).  

[PYP]

1 hour ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

Here is one with some high notes. This girl has a God-given gift. It certainly may not be everyone's cup of tea but at age 17 I think she is outstanding and cannot wait to see were she develops "as an artist" when she either writes or is given her own music.

 

(take on me)

 

extraordinary talent and so well-developed at 17.  Look at how she moves to and from the microphone for maximum effect.  

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

11 minutes ago, PYP said:

 

extraordinary talent and so well-developed at 17.  Look at how she moves to and from the microphone for maximum effect.  

 

Yes in my opinion spot on. Apart from the fact that she never screams (she has no need to) the microphone technique seems to be a lost art where the vocalist would for example just back off a little bit physically from the microphone when hitting big notes. Frank was a master but these days you tend to see people moving in to the microphone when they hit "big" notes which over drives things into clipping, or at least that's what it sounds like. Where she learnt this I don't know, it appears to be intuitive.

[AudioDoctor]

2 hours ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

Here is one with some high notes. This girl has a God-given gift. It certainly may not be everyone's cup of tea but at age 17 I think she is outstanding and cannot wait to see were she develops "as an artist" when she either writes or is given her own music.

 

(take on me)

 

 

I may end up in the minority here but what I hear when I listen to her is a ton of processing (auto tune perhaps???) to the point where I am not sure what her voice actually sounds like.

[gmgraves]

On 8/22/2020 at 9:01 PM, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

What's your vote for the best singer or vocalist of all time, and why? One male, one female.

 

It could be from any time or any genre. Doesn't have to be an audiophile quality recording.

Gee, that’s difficult. For a male singer, Frank Sinatra comes to mind, but so does Bing Crosby. For a female singer, It’s even more difficult. I’ve always thought that Joan Baez was great, but then so was Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Sylvia Tyson, Shirley Bassey, etc.
Of course, this is for pop singers. For opera, it’s Pavoratti, and probably Anna Netrebko.

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

1 hour ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

 

I may end up in the minority here but what I hear when I listen to her is a ton of processing (auto tune perhaps???) to the point where I am not sure what her voice actually sounds like.

 

There are several Youtube videos across a range of venues including the singing contest in Russia and various guest appearances. I doubt if they could all be auto tuned processed but certainly the ones recorded in what looks like her home could be.

[AudioDoctor]

17 minutes ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

 

There are several Youtube videos across a range of venues including the singing contest in Russia and various guest appearances. I doubt if they could all be auto tuned processed but certainly the ones recorded in what looks like her home could be.

 

I listened to 5 videos or so of her and they all were self recorded and had the same processed sound.

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

5 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

I listened to 5 videos or so of her and they all were self recorded and had the same processed sound.

 

 He was one that could not be self recorded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgD666fRtY&feature=youtu.be

 

The link could not be embedded

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

https://youtu.be/7jv-DQnf2UY

the link could not be embedded

[AudioDoctor]

Just now, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

 

 He was one that could not be self recorded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgD666fRtY&feature=youtu.be

 

The link could not be embedded

 

Thanks, I will give it a listen.

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

5 minutes ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

 

 He was one that could not be self recorded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgD666fRtY&feature=youtu.be

 

The link could not be embedded

damn dictation software, that should be "here is one". I am posting in between dictating reports. One day I'm going to dictate audio/music stuff  into my reports by mistake!

[AudioDoctor]

5 minutes ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

damn dictation software, that should be "here is one". I am posting in between dictating reports. One day I'm going to dictate audio/music stuff  into my reports by mistake!

 

It's okay, autowrong has trained me to interpret typos and wrong words into what was actually meant by the author.

[sphinxsix]

It's all cool on this thread but let's get real, guys .  

As for the 'Best of..' kind of threads - I did say it once..

..but it seems I have to say it again - these are all your subjective, personal opinions!

The best singer of all time has to be objectively the best!!! 

And the only factor which can be objectively measured in case of vocalist skills,

I think everyone here will agree, is - vocal range!

 

Let me announce, and introduce to those who haven't heard of of her - Yma Sumac,

the best singer of all time!!! 

 

Wiki:

Quote

Vocal range[edit]

Sumac had a wide vocal register; she could emit notes from above a coloratura soprano to the low notes of a bass and had one of the widest vocal ranges. She was able to emit notes from the tessitura of sopranino, soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone and bass, and was the only person able to do the triple coloratura or the trill of the birds. Her singing voice ranged from ti₁ to re₇.

One source claims that in the song "K'arawi", she reached a Re₈ (00:26). This would extend her vocal range to almost 6 octaves.^[21]

In the song "Chuncho" she sang from a ti₁ (at minute 0:40) to a Re₇ (at minute 2:56).^[22]

In this live she performs a duet with the flute reaching an E₆

 

 

 

Huh.?

[GregWormald]

On 8/25/2020 at 10:41 PM, GregWormald said:

I've seen/heard some Morgan James and she's good but she's not "my cup of tea".

OK, with the recommendations I decided to listen further—I'd heard her on Postmodern Jukebox, and everybody should have a chance to show on their own song choices.

Ella Fitzgerald for example, blows me away on some of her tracks, but she was apparently 'forced' to sing everything they put in front of her.

[GregWormald]

Diana Ankudinova. Sort of off-topic.

...........................

13 hours ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

This girl has a God-given gift. It certainly may not be everyone's cup of tea but at age 17 I think she is outstanding and cannot wait to see were she develops "as an artist" when she either writes or is given her own music.

Diana has had about 12 years of vocal/performance training.

Brief history. (Parts may be distressing to some.)

At age 3 some relatives found Diana roaming the street in eastern Russia. She had been kicked out of home by mom after attempting to drown her.  Mom is alcoholic with 11 abortions and one failed abortion—Diana. Nobody wanted Diana as it was assumed she was retarded. She was unable to speak much at all and spent much of her time crying. Investigation at the rescue home showed knife scars, cigarette burns and a broken collarbone. The masseuse at the home often brought her teenage daughter to work and the daughter said if mum didn't adopt Diana, as soon as she turned 18 she would.

After mum adopted her, Diana was sent to singing lessons to see if her speech could be improved and they discovered her talents. The family moved away from the east when Diana's mum, seeing that she was becoming famous, threatened to try and take Diana back.

Diana had won over 50 child competitions before appearing on the Russian talent show for disadvantaged/orphaned kids, You Are Super. She triumphed, winning 48% of the final vote between 8 finalists. Second place received 9%. The master of the show, Igor Krutoy, provided Diana and family with a residence in Moscow so she could continue her music training with the best teachers. The result is what you hear today. Diana was 17 on 31 May this year and is competing for entry to tertiary education at a prominent music and performance academy.

She has now had 3 or 4 songs written for her and has started arranging.

 

[JoeWhip]

Come on guys, everyone in the know knows who the best singer is! 😎

 

 

[christopher3393]

Jonna Jinton

 

 

[sphinxsix]

2 minutes ago, christopher3393 said:

Jonna Jinton

 

 

 

Also a kind of product placement, I guess.. 

 

[PYP]

4 hours ago, christopher3393 said:

Jonna Jinton

 

 

Strange.  I started to get closer to the screen...something to ruminate...

[gmgraves]

20 hours ago, PYP said:

 

This reminds me of one of the greatest duets:  Ella (Fitzgerald) and Louis (Armstrong).  

Well, Louis Armstrong did have a unique voice all right. Not sure what he did was considered “singing“, though. OTOH, it was fun to listen to him.

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

42 minutes ago, gmgraves said:

Well, Louis Armstrong did have a unique voice all right. Not sure what he did was considered “singing“, though. OTOH, it was fun to listen to him.

Yeah but for me there is more to a great singer than technical chops (not that I am implying that is your intention George). I think the basic requirement is to sing in tune but after that I go for tone and originality. It may be a bit different for opera singers but even then, there appears to be an endless amount of cookie-cutter voices or copycats in just about every genre.

 

So while I have heard it argued many times that Bob Dylan was a terrible "singer" I think he has a great original voice. That said, I really don't listen much to his music. I think there are quite a few that fit into this category and especially in pop or rock. As soon I hear James Taylor's voice I instantly like it. I wouldn't call him a great singer by any stretch. It's about the tone, the mannerisms, the phrasing and all the little quirks that go into make his voice individual and make his personality and charisma shine through. If it becomes more relatable, more personal, it becomes more emotionally convincing for me. I go full circle and this is why I think Frank was so good because he had such a great charismatic one-off voice and was a great singer, technically and otherwise.

[fas42]

On the female side I go for Shirley Bassey, too - but Toni Childs has a truly remarkable, "one-off", voice which has such fabulous oomph to its tone ... she could sing anything, and it would be a pleasure, 🙂.

[PYP]

1 hour ago, gmgraves said:

Well, Louis Armstrong did have a unique voice all right. Not sure what he did was considered “singing“, though. OTOH, it was fun to listen to him.

 

 I think that is a common reaction, however, I seemed to remember that several singers, including Frank Sinatra, thought Louis could sing:  

 

"As early as 1924, Armstrong was summarily dismissed by bandleader Fletcher Henderson when he asked to sing on a record.

Henderson's disparaging comments were neither the first nor the last Armstrong would hear about his singing. Ironically, he soon became the central singer in jazz and pop history. His gritty tenor mirrored his trumpet style and influenced practically every singer in pop and jazz. Artists including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan deeply admired Armstrong's singing and used his example to mold their own vocal styles."

 

On Ella and Louis, the juxtaposition of the fluid and the gritty delivery is just a wonderful stew.  I especially like when Ella imitates his singing.  You can "hear" them smiling at each other in appreciation of their respective talents.