Review: Purest female voice

Subject: Review: Purest female voice
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:13 PM

Opinions requested: Who has the best voice in folk/bluegrass?

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:16 PM

Mary Black, but she doesn't do bluegrass.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: wilco
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:17 PM

I mostly listen to old time blugrass, so I can't guess on the folk part. But, my vote would me Emmy Lou Harris.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:22 PM

Emmylou for me too, no question.

Murray

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:35 PM

Around here, if you find too many votes for other than Emmylou, it will be a miracle. I have a lot of people that I can think of but in these stupid best things.....Emmylou.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: 53
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 06:44 PM

Nancy Griffith

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Leadfingers
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 07:42 PM

Its all so subjective.Have you heard them all??.I would put a vote in for a semi pro friend of mine (who did a few gigs New York area a while ago)--name of Moira Craig,gets booked to Sidmouth to run ballad sessions and is one of the best unaccompanied singers I know,

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Don Firth
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 07:53 PM

Not to be a smart-ass, but could you define what you mean by "pure?"

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Don Firth
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 07:54 PM

And "best?"

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: secondroy
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 07:54 PM

Emmylou, and drop dead good looking to boot!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: RolyH
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 08:01 PM

Purist voice - gotta be Anne Briggs

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 08:20 PM

Don, Golly, I don't really know. I guess by purest I mean can hold her own with little accompanyment. By best, I mean best range and truest voice. Boy, that is pretty ambivalent, right? Vague, too. I really am looking for y'alls opinions as to your favourites as well. Reason?
I am looking for artists unknown to me that y'all will share!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 08:27 PM

I really like Lynn Morris and Suzanne Thomas for female bluegrass vocalists.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: michaelr
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 09:39 PM

When it comes to (unaccompanied or other) Irish singing, Niamh Parsons is the one.

See this thread.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Allan Dennehy
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 09:50 PM

The late great Sandy Denny. Remember her singing Who knows where the time goes?

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: leprechaun
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 09:54 PM

Phyllis Diller

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 09:56 PM

No contest: PRISCILLA HERDMAN!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: harpgirl
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 10:00 PM

Kate Mackenzie, Laurie Lewis, and Claire Lynch.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 10:10 PM

Emmylou

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Mudlark
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 10:18 PM

Anne Hills has a beautiful voice, strong and pure and heartfelt. As I kid I loved Judy Collins' voice...her early recordings still give me a thrill. And the late Eva Cassidy was hard to beat. As is Emmy Lou.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: YOR
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 10:59 PM

I'll put in one vote for Karla Bonoff.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Bill D
Date: 25 Oct 02 - 11:44 PM

I HATE 'best' threads....especially when Jean Redpath is not mentioned...wow!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 05:46 AM

I'll vote for Moira Craig too. Beautiful agile voice like weaving with a silver thread.

Kris

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Hrothgar
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 05:54 AM

Baez.

I'm getting old.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: KJ
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 06:22 AM

Dolores Keane, you can't say it's 'pure', as in pure like a choirboy, but for emotional range she's one of the best. June Tabor also ranks a very close second in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Santa
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 06:40 AM

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Maddy Prior.

I remember Edain returning from a Market Tavern session (Fylde Festival) in awe at having been sat in front of Pat Ryan during the choruses.

But if I have to pick one, when Maggie Boyle tilts back her head and sings I just close my eyes and there's nothing to match.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Giac
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 07:44 AM

Range and emotion: Yma Sumac.

Lordy! That woman could make sounds only dogs could hear. Still play a tape I made, of her old LP, occasionally, and the "lullaby to a dead baby" continues to make my hair stand up.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: TNDARLN
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 08:22 AM

Emmylou, when she's not doing wrecking ball-type stuff. Karen Casey- formerly of SolAS, now solO.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,van lingle
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 08:24 AM

Lots of great ones listed above. I think of Kate Rusby, Connie Dover and June Tabor as a few who have "pure voices". vl

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: 53
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 08:37 AM

Emmy Lou is good too.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: allanwill
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:08 PM

Alison Krauss is my current favourite in the country/bluegrass arena.

And like Allan Dennehy above, no-one can hold a candle to Sandy Denny, although Eva Cassidy shines like a very bright match.

Allan

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: diesel
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:21 PM

For what my tuppenceworth is:

Sinead O'Connor !

Angelic voice - and as for looks - well .....

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Art Thieme
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:44 PM

young Joan Baez and Mary O'hara. (a dead heat tie)

None better for purity of vocal abilities.

Emmylou I can't understand half the time.

Yma Sumac is to vocalizing what Arnold Schwartzenegger was to a healthy looking body (overgrown and excessive-------a mere parody).

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: My guru always said
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 12:47 PM

Melanie Harrold would take some beating for sure.

Moira Craig's good too!!!!

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:21 PM

I like Jean Redpath for Scottish singing,
Jean Ritchie for American traditional,
Tish Hinojosa contemporary singersongwriter,
commercial bluegrass Alison Krauss.

Like Art's pick, from the 1950's, Mary O'Hara, from Sligo raised in the tradition, but had vocal training later... as Jean Ritchie would call it, Mary O'Hara had a "cut crystal" voice. It's not a pure folk sound, but still O'Hara is in kind of her own niche.

I like Mary Black, Sandy Denny, Maddy Prior, Dolores Keane, already mentioned,
and Jacqui McShee from PENTANGLE.

I like to listen to independent "unknown" singers and musicians on mp3.com, people who are making music at home and sharing it through the internet. Give a listen to the voice of Melissa Webb, bluegrass, Click here Not sure what you mean by pure, so I just listed some I enjoy and appreciate for what they can do. Most singers I listen to are on Irish or Scottish recordings.

Also give a listen to Jodee James, an American singer of Welsh songs Click here

AND our own Mudcatter Denise Couch, in England, who with her husband Ned make the duo MAD RUSH.Click here Denise "Deni" is a good songwriter, too.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Don Firth
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:34 PM

You'll have to go back a few years, but Cynthia Gooding. Voice low and strong. Did several solo albums on Elektra and one album with Theodore Bikel. Young Man and a Maid. Impressive!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:55 PM

I agree with Bill D about not liking "best threads", so from my point of view, there isn't really a "best" singer or voice. Each person is going to be unique if they are true to their own voice, not imitating.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,Stefan Wirz
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 01:59 PM

then what about 'very good':
Ever heared Judy Mayhan doing (her own) 'Freest Fancy' or "See Here'?

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 03:11 PM

... and Nana Mouskouri

Ballpeinhammer, you may enjoy this earlier 1998 thread of Mudcat member choices: All Time Favorites

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: ballpienhammer
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 07:30 PM

thanks, Alice.   bph

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: sharyn
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 09:59 PM

Listen for Jeannie Robertson (deceased now) -- one of the best Scottish traditional singers. Also her daughter Lizzie Higgins. And Susan Reed who recorded in the forties had a great voice. Cindy Kallet, who is alive and well. Kathy Kallick in bluegrass. Dolly Parton has a beautiful voice if you can wade through her material. And the singers in Out of the Rain, a defunct Bay Area band, two of whom are female, have gorgeous voices. The women of Charming Hostess have the best vocal control and flexibility of anyone I've heard singing traditional material. Janet Russell is a lovely singer, as is Christine Kydd.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 10:36 PM

Maybe not strictly folk but Judith Durham would be my idea of the purest female voice.

Recent female voices... I heard Miranda Sykes, with Firebrand sing "Will Ye Go To Flanders", while playing double bass of course, when they were in Cromer couple of weeks ago. The most stirring version I have heard.

It's all so subjective though...

Jon

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 10:40 PM

Since they sing together, I'm going to vote for Herdman/Hills/Mangsen. I've never heard three more beautiful voices together.
I'd really like to vote for Ella Fitzgerald, but I guess that's not allowed. Isn't "Miss Otis Regrets" ALMOST like a folk song?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: raredance
Date: 26 Oct 02 - 11:04 PM

I probably fall into the Alison Krause/Kate Rusby group. But yes, the early Mary Black, and Ann Mayo Muir, and Kate Wolf and Em....oh hell, I shouldn't respond to these kind of threads

rich r

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 12:08 AM

A few. I left off my choices that have already been mentioned. As has already been mentioned, hightly subjective, which is why I can't name just one.

Esther Ofarim

Nana Mouskouri (whoops, I see she was named by Alice ~~ too late, already on the list)

Judith Durham (yeah, I know ~~ already mentioned, but I couldn't resist)

Marie-Michèle Desrosiers

Annette Hanshaw (when not copying Helen Kane)

Mary Hopkin

Paddie Bell

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 12:28 AM

For a contemporary singer, Emmylou gets my vote. But the one who knocks me out, hands down, is not on this list so far. Have any of you heard Jessie Norman sing "Amazing Grace"? She has no equal.

SRS

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: GUEST,chinmusic
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:29 PM

Eva Cassidy- Everyone else line up behind her.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Puffenkinty
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:28 PM

Kelly Kennedy - sings Irish folk songs with the band
"Thirty-nine Fingers" and a mixture of folk songs
on her own CD.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: Alice
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:34 PM

Yes, Eva Cassidy, a good one and a tragic loss of a talent so young with so much to give.

Subject: RE: Review: Purest female voice
From: dorareever
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:38 PM

Not purest voice maybe but my favorite female singers are Neko Case,Edith Piaf,Dolores Keane,Margaret Barry.And many others,but these 4 are really my kind of singers.It would be easier to say who I don't like.I don't like Karan Casey,I don't like Joan Baez.I like Emmylou a lot.But now,how can't you like her?

Nancy McCallion of The Mollys has a beautiful voice and so did Catherine Zavala,but surely that really isn't a pure voice.Is a muddy voice and a fine one.