What defines a jazz singer? A question that has long stirred the minds of fans and critics. Regarding this, it does not hurt to consult an old master, who has experienced the development of jazz firsthand and was in close personal contact with the greats of this music: Nat Hentoff, grand seigneur among jazz authors.

He names three key elements, which are equally true for instrumentalists: swing (as implicit and present as the heartbeat), feeling (which one cannot learn, because it expresses how profoundly one has dealt with himself and life), and the personal sound that comes from the first two factors.

Amongst the artists demonstrating these qualities are the legends Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington as well as less known singers like Honi Gordon and Betty St. Claire. Also included here are Aretha Franklin’s early jazz recordings.

Accompanying these great singers are equally great instrumentalists, virtuosos like Clifford Brown (Sarah Vaughan), Milt Jackson and Max Roach (Dinah Washington), Stanley Turrentine and Wynton Kelly (Abbey Lincoln), Jay Jay Johnson and Herbie Mann (Chris Connor), Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer and Chet Baker (Annie Ross), and many others legends.

Contents:

CD 1:
Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown
- Lullaby Of Birdland
- April In Paris
- He’s My Guy
- Jim
- You’re Not The Kind
- Embraceable You
- I’m Glad There Is You
- September Song
- It’s Crazy
Dinah Washington
- Blues For A Day
- Rich Man’s Blues
- All Or Nothing
- Beggin’ Mama Blues
- Chewin’ Mama Blues
- Pacific Coast Blues
- Wise Woman Blues
Betty Roche
- Blues On My Weary Mind
- Trouble, Trouble
- I’ll Get By
- Design For Jivin’

CD 2:
Ella Fitzgerald
- This Can’t Be Love
- I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good
- Body And Soul
- April In Paris
- I’ve Got A Crush On You
- Airmail Special
- I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
Billie Holiday
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- Willow Weep For Me
- My Man
- Lover, Come Back to Me
- Lady Sings The Blues
- What A Little Moonlight Can Do
Dinah Washington
- Lover Come Back To Me
- Back Water Blues
- Crazy Love
- All Of Me
- Backstage Blues
- Julie And Jake

CD 3:
Chris Connor
- Blame It On My Youth
- It’s All Right With Me
- Someone To Watch Over Me
- Trouble Is A Man
- All This And Heaven Too
- The Thrill Is Gone
- I Concentrate On You
- All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart
- From This Moment On
- Ridin’ High
Jeri Southern
- Coffee, Cigarettes, Memories
- Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year
- This Time the Dream’s on Me /
- Detour Ahead
- The Song Is Ended
- Yesterdays
- Deep in a Dream
- I’m Stepping Out With a Memory Tonight
- Maybe It’s Because I Love You Too Much
- Yesterday’s Gardenias
- I Must Have That Man!
- I’ll Never Be the Same

CD 4:
Aretha Franklin
- Won’t Be Long
- Over The Rainbow
- Love Is The Only Thing
- Sweet Lover
- All Night Long
- Who Needs You?
- Right Now
- Are You Sure
- Maybe I’m A Fool
- It Ain’t Necessarily So
- (Blue) By Myself
- Today I Sing The Blues
George Shearing & Nancy Wilson
- On Green Dolphin Street
- Oh! Look At Me Now
- The Nearness Of You
- You Are There
- Born To The Blue
- Blue Lo
- Lullaby Of Birdland
- All Night Long
- Inspiration
- The Things We Did Last Summer
- Don’t Call Me
- Let’s Live Again

CD 5:
Betty St. Claire
- That Old Black Magic
- What Is There To Say
- East Of The Sun
- Prelude To A Kiss
- Out Of Nowhere
- I Hadn’t Anyone ’Til You
- Almost Like Being In Love
- Here Comes Trouble Again
- My One And Only Love
- Why Try To Change Me Now
- Skylark
- Give Me The Simple Life
Helen Merrill
- Maybe Tomorrow
- I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
- You Don’t Know Me
- Condemned Without Trial
- You Win Again
- I’m Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
- A Heart Full Of Love
- Cold, Cold Heart
- Devoted To You
- My Heart Would Know
- Any Time
- Half As Much

CD 6:
Betty Carter & Ray Bryant
- Sneaking Around
- Moonlight In Vermont
- What Is This Thing Called Love
- Thou Swell
- Willow Weep For Me
- I Could Write A Book
- Threesome
- Gone With The Wind
- Old Devil Moon
- The Way You Look Tonight
- No Moon At All
- Can’t We Be Friends
Nina Simone
- Rags And Old Iron
- No Good Man
- Gin House Blues
- I’ll Look Around
- I Love To Love
- Work Song
- Where Can I Go Without You
- Just Say I Love Him /
- Memphis In June
- Forbidden Fruit

CD 7:
Della Reese
- The Story Of The Blues
- Good Morning Blues
- Empty Bed Blues
- Squeeze Me
- You’ve Been A Good Old Wagon
- Sent For You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today)
- St. James Infirmary
- Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)
- Things Ain’t What They Used To Be
- Stormy Weather
- There’s Always The Blues
Lurlean Hunter
- Blue Turning Grey Over You
- If You Could See Me Now
- My Kinda Love
- Crazy He Calls Me
- Just Imagine
- Blue & Sentimental
- The Song Is You
- Then I’ll Be Tired Of You
- Fool That I Am
- We’ll Be Together Again
- As Long As I Live

CD 8:
Carmen McRae
- I Can’t Escape From You
- Guess Who I Saw Today
 - My Funny Valentine
- The Little Things That Mean So Much
- I’m Thru With Love
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- East Of The Sun
- Exactly Like You
- All My Life
- Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
- Dream Of Life
- Perdido
Annie Ross
- I Feel Pretty
- How About You?
- I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face
- This Time the Dream’s on Me
- Let There Be Love
- All of You
- Give Me the Simple Life
- This Is Always
- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
- It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)

CD 9:
Peggy Lee
- Kansas City
- Basin Street Blues
- Los Angeles Blues
- I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
- The Grain Belt Blues
- New York City Blues
- Goin’ To Chicago Blues
- San Francisco Blues
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Boston Beans
- The Train Blues
- St Louis Blues
Honi Gordon
- Strollin
- Ill Wind (You’re Blowing Me No Good)
- My Kokomo
- Why Try To Change Me Now
- Cupid
- Walkin’ (Out The Door)
- Why
- Love Affair
- Lament Of The Lonely

CD 10:
Abbey Lincoln
- Afro-Blue
- Lonely House
- Let Up
- Thursday’s Child
- Brother, Where Are You?
- Laugh, Clown, Laugh
- Come Sunday
- Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
- Lost In The Stars
- Long As You’re Living
- Falling In Love With Love
Sheila Jordan
- If You Could See Me Now
- Am I Blue
- Dat Dere
- When The World Was Young
- Let’s Face The Music And Dance
- Laugh, Clown, Laugh
- Who Can I Turn To?
- Baltimore Oriole
- I’m A Fool To Want You
- Hum Drum Blues
- Willow Weep For Me