More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals
More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals, A Sophisticated Portrait of Female Jazz Singing
More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals is a refined female jazz vocal compilation that continues the elegant concept of the original Women: The Best Jazz Vocals. Released as a 2-CD jazz compilation, the album brings together classic and modern voices from the world of vocal jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Anita O’Day, Carmen McRae, Astrud Gilberto, Peggy Lee, Blossom Dearie, Diana Krall, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Cassandra Wilson, Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln and Helen Merrill. Listings identify the album as a Verve/Universal release, with editions appearing in the early 2000s. (Discogs)
What gives More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals its strength is the way it connects generations. The first disc leans heavily into the golden age of jazz singing, opening with landmark names such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. Tracks listed for the album include “Cheek to Cheek,” “All of Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Perdido,” “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “How Insensitive,” “Blue Moon,” “Caravan” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” (Massive Music Store)
The second disc shifts the mood toward later vocal jazz, where classic standards meet more contemporary interpretation. Diana Krall brings cool precision, Cassandra Wilson adds shadow and atmosphere, Dee Dee Bridgewater delivers theatrical swing, Shirley Horn offers understated elegance, and Abbey Lincoln gives the collection a deeper emotional weight. The tracklist includes performances such as “All or Nothing at All,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “I’m Old Fashioned,” “Easy to Love,” “Hit the Road, Jack,” “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.” (Massive Music Store)
As an album, More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals is not just a casual collection of famous names. It works as a guided journey through the art of the jazz voice. The listener hears swing, balladry, blues feeling, bossa nova elegance and late-night torch-song intimacy. That variety makes the album valuable for anyone searching for best female jazz singers, classic jazz vocals, smooth jazz vocal music, Verve jazz compilation, audiophile jazz vocals or relaxing jazz music.
The cover art also fits the sound. Its soft, blurred minimalism suggests intimacy, quietness and sensuality without turning the music into background decoration. Like the album itself, the image is restrained and atmospheric. It promises a listening experience built around mood, elegance and human expression.
For collectors and streaming listeners, More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals remains a strong entry point into female vocal jazz. It gathers some of the most influential women in jazz history and places them beside later interpreters who kept the tradition alive. The result is a tasteful, highly listenable compilation that celebrates the voice as jazz’s most direct emotional instrument.
More Women – The Best Jazz Vocals is best heard slowly, preferably through good speakers or headphones. Its appeal lies in phrasing, tone, silence and timing. For anyone building a serious jazz vocal collection, this album deserves attention as a polished and accessible portrait of women who helped define the sound of jazz.
