Most of the best known female jazz vocalists are listed above, but you might branch out a bit and try Sheila Jordan (one of the greatest of the bop vocalists), Irene Kral, Abby Lincoln, and one to really stretch your ears and mind: Betty Carter.
Among the male vocalists that belong on any list of "greats", I'd include Mark Murphy - for my money, the finest bop-style male jazz vocalist ever. Mark is not only a great singer, but one of the finest interpreters of the written verse -- and almost every album he has recorded features some outstanding jazz musicians. If I had to pick just one jazz singer -- male or female -- to take to a "desert island" with me, it would be Mark Murphy (although it would be a very close vote between him and Sarah Vaughn). There is a very good 2-CD compilation of Murphy's work from the early 1960's to mid-1990's that was released on the reissue label called 32Jazz -- the title, as I recall, is "Stolen and Other Moments".
Among the male vocalists that belong on any list of "greats", I'd include Mark Murphy - for my money, the finest bop-style male jazz vocalist ever. Mark is not only a great singer, but one of the finest interpreters of the written verse -- and almost every album he has recorded features some outstanding jazz musicians. If I had to pick just one jazz singer -- male or female -- to take to a "desert island" with me, it would be Mark Murphy (although it would be a very close vote between him and Sarah Vaughn). There is a very good 2-CD compilation of Murphy's work from the early 1960's to mid-1990's that was released on the reissue label called 32Jazz -- the title, as I recall, is "Stolen and Other Moments".