Attn Jazzheads: If I like Billie Holiday, what else am I likely to enjoy?

(ie my experience is: if you like billie a lot, you will possibly like NO OTHER SINGERS USUALLY CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE FIELD OF JAZZ)

(others will doubtless consider this evil nonsense)

Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone?

I've heard a lot about Madeline Peyroux recently (she's a new singer, very much in the Billie style, but good?. Set your Joss Stone/Katie Melua detector to mild suspicion, I haven't heard her so it's not much of an recommendation).

But do get (at least) a cheapo Billie Holiday box set first!

Essential tracks to look out for: Don't Explain, Strange Fruit, Loverman, I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues, That Ole Devil Called Love, etcetera.

God damn, I also misread your question as artists, not tracks. Apologies.

I'm kind of on a jazz kick, I've got a few Charlie Parker tracks. And as far as modern stuff, I love Paris Combo. I feel like there's stuff out there beyond Brubeck and I just am missing it. I suppose I could start reading on the subject.

My taste is all over the place, thanks for all and any recommendations in the jazz direction, acutally.

Unusual timbres?

I'm planning to get more into jazz over the summer (cheaply, probably start with Miles, Thelonius Monk & stuff) whilst pausing on some of the other (genre) purchasing ruts I've fallen into a little.

I have that thing where the jazz I like is often in other music (i.e. I bought a Jaco Pastorius record after loving his playing on Joni Mitchell records... he was clearly a genius, but I sold his record pretty quickly :( also totally failed to gel at all with the Weather Report material I investigated (except for the one track which was kinda Squarepusher-esque).

Incidentally, there's a very nice Robert Christgau review of a new book about Billie Holiday (along with a lot of comment on other recent books about her) in a recent issue of The Nation.

In theory I should love jazz, but I find it (classic 'normal' jazz) hard to get properly acquainted with for some reason. I want to keep trying though. There's a Vince Giurabaldi Trio album out there I know I'll love when I get round to buying it though! The one with 'Linus & Lucy' on. What I really need to help my investigations right now is probably herbal though.

If you like the cuteness of her vocals, I suggest Blossom Dearie or maybe even Dinah Washington.

If you want something more lush and orchestral, try Ella or Sarah.

Listening to stuff "in search of" something I really like is very enjoyable for me right now. I went through a period of about 2 years where I didn't really listen to music at all (odd for someone who had spent their life in music, the music business, bands etc) and I feel like I'm just now getting some of that passion back, to seek stuff out.

I love Aretha, and Mahalia Jackson, and I'mn definitely going to search out some Etta James and Bessie Smith now--I'd forgotten about them.

xpost--I think herbal-assist is required for Thelonious. ;-)

http://www.geocities.com/telephonepolesmusic

YES!

Andy Bey is another great voice, come to think of it.

Monk is always going to be piano oriented - he's a piano player, and I'm not just saying that to be snide. He really probably has more piano in his sound and style than most other pianists. "Monk's Dream" is very good, but one of my favorites - and it's not one of his best known - is "Rhythm-a-ning."

I'll check out Rhythm-a-ning, thx Austin.

I've only heard a snippet but it made me want to listen to Kath Bloom.

So....try some Kath Bloom!