Hey all,
I’ve created this thread as a place to share and discover famous vocal recordings.
I’ll be sharing some of my favorite vocal performances and feel free to share yours below also.
To get us started here’s one of my favourites - Chet Baker “Alone Together” - who doesn’t love this performance!
“Alone together, beyond the crowd, above the world, we’re not too proud.” - lyrics by Howard Dietz
I came across this video of Kathleen Grace singing “What’ll I Do.” She’s accompanied by Larry Goldings. Anyone who’s seen some of my posts knows that I’m a great fan of Goldings, especially for his organ work. I read a review recently where someone said of him that he was “a jack of all trades and a master of all.” I have to agree. At any rate, I think that here he shows himself as a fine accompanist. (Hope I posted this in the right place. 
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Great arrangement lovely singing and very nice video … thanks sharing this
What an awesome video Scott - thanks for sharing.
Larry Golding’s accompaniment is sublime.
I like those little dissonant cluster he plays, such 0:36 - fits the vibe of the song perfectly.
Yes this is the perfect place to share it! 
Wow, that is simply gorgeous. I’m not familiar with either musician, thanks for sharing Scott. Beautiful accompaniment, so delicate and perfectly placed.
Here is proof that that the standard tradition is alive and well. Here’s a 20-something singer who is amazing–Veronica Swift. Apparently she’s pretty well-known (if you check out YouTube). Probably it has something to do with her lineage. Her real surname is O’Brien. Her father was Hod O’Brien, a pianist who was a sideman for Chet Baker on one album. I’ve been listening to some of his records. Her mother, Stephanie Nakasian, is a jazz vocalist, as well. I think this song was written by a real estate mogul in New York, Kenneth D. Laub, but I’m not sure. Whoever wrote it, it’s a beaut.
Wow such energy in the performance from 2:54 - amazing!
OH I love her voice, it’s a little raspy but so clear. I also love how emotionally committed she is right from the start. She’s all in, no hesitation! Love it, thanks for sharing. I’ll have to check out more of her stuff.
You’ve got me on the lookout for vocal recordings. Here are two that I think are quite nice. I’ve been listening to the recordings of the pianist Taylor Eigsti lately and came across these on his album Daylight at Midnight (2010). They feature Becca Stevens. “Between the Bars” is a rendition of a song by Elliot Smith.
Wow, I love it. The first song especially - just exquisite. Thanks for sharing I needed to hear that tonight… “just let love take hold of what you have inside”
I was looking for different versions of “Beautiful Love” to get ideas. I came across this version by Tierney Sutton that really grabs me. (I wasn’t familiar with her before.) Apparently, she has had the same group of musicians for over 20 years, and it shows in how she and the pianist seem to have a sort of symbiotic relation/interchange. Quite pleased to discover this.
Beautiful record Scott.
Agreed, the piano and vocals blend together beautifully. I’ll be transcribing some of the voicings and fills when I’m back at my piano.
@lyndol - do you sing this tune? And if so what key? … it would be fun to jam over it next time I’m in NYC.
We cover it in D Minor in the lesson on PianoGroove:
The form is nice and simple so it wouldn’t be a difficult to transpose it if the original is not your key…
Oh Yes, Yes! this is Lovely. I like how haunting it sounds, both her voice and the pianist are creating a very distinct mood; Especially enhanced by the ethereal chords in the intro and interlude after the first chorus before the solo begins - which then brings in more of a jazzy feel, and tempo that she sings to creating a slightly different mood for the last chorus. Love it! Very symbiotic relationship between the two.
I do sing this one, or at least I have. Probably been a few years since but I’ll put it back in rotation. I used to sing it in the original, so I’ll start there.
Thanks for sharing @scott1
I Love this recording of Melody Gardot’s original - My One and Only Thrill.
Vince Mendoza arranged it, and it was nominated for a Grammy for “Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.”
It’s a great example of a more complicated piano part right from the start of the tune that follows her vocals not only in the melody, but with full chordal movement.
It’s not improvised, but highly calculated for this studio album and makes such an effect. Even with the full String Section, it maintains a simplicity and understated beauty that really uplifts her voice and plays out the romance of the tune; a sultry but elegant mix.
I didn’t realize till just now that she was playing the piano for it!
This song gets me every time.
I just looked over the chord structure - all the same jazz chords, but in a slightly different configuration. Sleek!
I’m going to attempt to add this to my repertoire.
Sultry, yes, but haunting is what comes to mind for me. Just lovely. I’ll have to check out more of her work.
And here is a Jobim tune done by Camila Meza, a 30-something Chilena currently living and working in NYC. She’s a vocalist, guitarist, and composer, writing some very fine material. She’s someone to keep an eye on.
wow! What an arrangement! So very very cool. I esp. like the pianist. And I love how in the Breakdown, the male vocalist Sachal Vasandani does a slide up in his voice that is incredible. Definitely one to watch! And she has a cool debut of a new piece in NYC next week, might try to catch her.
I fell in love with this song in 1999 when it was used (on a loop cut just before the breakdown) in the background for a scene from the remake of A Thomas Crown Affair. Paired with a Rene Magritte themed art heist scene, I just couldn’t get enough! I didn’t even know who Nina Simone was at the time.
20 years later, I’m finally getting ready to attempt what has become one of my all time favorite songs with my trio. I’ve been working on it for a very long time, off and on. Though the chord progression is very simple, it’s very hard to get the same effect that Nina does with her chords in both voicing and rhythm. And then sing on top. There’s just something magical about it and I’ve found it so hard to recreate. It’s an African American traditional spiritual and her version is a wonderful intersection of Gospel and Jazz. I’m listening to it non stop now and just never get tired of it…
https://youtu.be/QH3Fx41Jpl4
Also, if you haven’t seen it, here’s the scene from The Thomas Crown Affair
https://youtu.be/MODlCaeiT0M
There’s also an interesting Reggae version by the Wailers, but Nina’s version is the absolute best in my opinion!
https://youtu.be/xhrZK9uag8g
Staying up late and came across this version of “But Beautiful” by Inger Marie Gundersen. She’s new to me, but apparently has been around for over 25 years. From Norway.
I don’t want to abuse the postings, but I just came across this and it just seems to be a lot of fun (besides being very well done). It’s from Benny Benack III featuring Veronica Swift, who I’ve been watching for a while now. Enjoy. 
And there’s a tune from her forthcoming album Confessions (end of August) after that. There she’s with Emmet Cohen.
