Greatest Jazz Vocals
Of course such a topic of this will generate a thousand opinions. Most of these, however, are consensus greats. Atop this list stands t he great Bessie Smith (1894-1934) Like so many artists of African American descent, she grew up in poverty, and lost both parents and a brother while a young child. She was raised by her sister, who was barely a teenager, and was unable to gain an education. She and her brother Andrew busked on the streets of Chattanooga for pennies: he playing guitar while she sang and danced. She got jobs after a while, singing, or dancing, and she was coached by the legendary Ma Rainey (1882 or 1886-1939), Mother of the Blues. Then she got work in a chorus line in Atlanta, stood out, and soon became a star. Here is her rendition of W.C. Handy's St. Louis Blues Billy Eckstine (1914-1993) Originally from Pittsburg, Eckstine was multi-talented. He