Sunday, September 15, 2024

Traditional Pop/Vocal Jazz: Top 25 Albums

Traditional Pop/Vocal Jazz:

The Top 25 Albums

While traditional pop and vocal jazz aren’t quite the same thing, they share a lot of commonalities. Traditional pop is considered a genre of music that generally pre-dates rock and roll in the 1950s and generally consists of artists performing standards from the American songbook. Crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como are popular singers of the genre. Musically, the singers were frequently backed by swing bands.

Vocal jazz is a sub-genre of jazz in which a singer’s voice is used as an instrument, which includes techniques such as vocal improvisations and scatting in which the singer imitates the instruments. It emerged out of the New Orleans jazz tradition which was built on the field hollers and work songs of African-American slaves. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan are some of the genre’s most notable performers. Like traditional pop, it often leans on standards.

18 sources focused on the best traditional pop, vocal jazz, and standards albums were aggregtated to create this exclusive Dave’s Music Database list.

Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.

1. Norah Jones Come Away with Me (2002)
2. Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)
3. Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours (1955)
4. Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love (1991)
5. Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live, 1961)

6. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956)
7. Billie Holiday Lady in Satin (1958)
8. Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (1958)
9. Ray Charles The Genius of Ray Charles 10. Frank Sinatra Come Fly with Me (1957)

11. Frank Sinatra September of My Years (1965)
12. Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me (1959)
13. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Ella & Louis (1957)
14. Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy (1954)
15. Frank Sinatra A Swingin’ Affair (1957)

16. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (box set: recorded 1959)
17. Billie Holiday Lady Sings the Blues (1956)
18. John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963)
19. Chet Baker Chet Baker Sings (1954)
20. Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967)

21. Nina Simone Pastel Blues (1965)
22. Frank Sinatra Songs for Young Lovers (1953)
23. Nina Simone Wild Is the Wind (1966)
24. Billie Holiday Songs for Distingué Lovers (1957)
25. Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (1955)


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First posted 9/15/2024.