Male Jazz singers - any recommendations?

Onhwy61
Check out Ecksteins "No Cover No Minnimum" On Roullette (Verve CD?) and one on Mercury Called "Billy's Best" both which are availible on CD.On LP look for one called live at Basin Street On Emarcy.Also read a review of another LP only one on AMG where you can read the story of how he had "THE BAND".This is the most famous non-recorded band of all time.All of the future be-bop and hard bob stars were in it and when you read the list your eyes pop out.He just liked the ways these guys played was into the bob thing (so was gene Krup with his late 40's band with Ainta O'Day BTW-Awesome!!!!!) and hired these guy when more conservattive singers and bandleader wouldn't.Too bad the wartime AFM recording ban was in effect prohibitting members from recording. P.S.YeahI gues I have to say I am a freak for Nat as I bought his 18 CD Mosaic box on ebay for $600.But as was said Louis and Bing both invented the from in KC back in the 20's they are the greatest.Maybe not Der Bingle he went comercial right away and left jazz bu the 30's.but let's face it singing,playing,whatever.Louis may have gotten way too much air time in Burns's documentary but he is the greatest single figure in jazz history for having been the first to improvise (Sindney Bechet some say) on record and hanving invented scatting and the whole vocal form.Read bergrans Loius Armstrong A life" (I think I have that right-bio was long time on Times best seller list)-one of the best written jazz bio's ever-best collection though is "Reading Jazz" Editted by Gottlieb.Buy it if you ever have any interest in jazz.Best Guide book (I have 20 gojng back to late 40's) the Alll Music Guide to Jazz-the only book you need to fill a jazz library-better than Penguin,Rough Guide etc.They also have a web site www.allmusic.com where you can plug anyone in from Cannonball Addrerly to John Zorn and get a reliable set of reccomendations.

To each his own, and I wouldn't deny you your joy. But I just can't stand Chet Baker's voice. He was flat, off key and had no range or dynamics. Just an over rated pretty boy junkie "pop" Jazz marketing tool. He left behind a rather infamous reputation. I should be more forgiving of the dead, but I just don't understand what the fuss was about. I will say he did play with some of the most lyrical, intellectual and imaginative musicians of his era. Mind you, I have even less talent.

About Chet that is the rap.And he played my ear and couldn't read music.And starting in the 60's he would record for anybody,anytine to feed his drug habit.But many feel his voice while not long in technique and range is emotionally affecting nontheless.And listen to early Lp's like "Smokin'" on Roultte or "In New York" on Riverside.He could play.And while so much in the 70's was crap if anybody can find "Candy" on Gazell or hear the "The Last Great Concert" well to me Chet had a natural lyricism that these julliard wunderkinds of today with all there chops just don't have.But yes it was a spotty and even legitamtely debatable career.

Bbtuna, I think that Tom Waits "Nighthawks at the diner" certainly qualifies as a Jazz recording. Now some of you will think me inconsistent recommending this Tom Waits (HIGHLY!) recording after I just blasted Chet Baker's voice.
Waits is hardly a vocal virtuoso. But he is a poet. On this recording he reminds me of a beatnik Bob Dylan with a clever sense of humor. Not all of his music is like this! It's quite amazing how eclectic he can be. Certainly a lot of his music would not be considered Jazz.

Chazzbo, I'll give most anybody one more try at entertaining me. Are any of the above recommendations available on CD?