Best jazz or blues female vocalist ever

You could also look for Carmen Lundy and Carmen mcrae and have a listen.

Billie Holiday

Ella was a great jazz singer as was sarah vaughn. In a big band format Ella was IMHO better as she always sang in her head voice and could really swing. In small groups I prefer sarah as she sang from her chest and throat which is really great to listen to with a scotch in hand. Ella was NOT a blues singer period. Sara was a pianist and a stylist and had more in common with bop and harmonics than she did the blues. Billie Holiday sang ( stylized - whatever) from a sense of the deep blues which is why she shines with people like lester young etc. IMHO these three represent the cream of the crop of three different schools : swing, bop, and blues. The divisions are not clear cut but they are meaningful. - Jim

There are too many good ones to limit it to one...and I agree with all that have been mentioned.

My personal female Jazz vocalist that I listen to nearly every week would be.

Ella, Sarah, Carmen, Shirley, Rosemary Clooney (try the Johnny Mercer tribute CD, Helen Merrill. Believe it or not, Anne Murray did a CD of standards(kinda Jazz, but not realy) a decade or more ago that is quite good....a review from the magazine Stereo Review called her the female Frank Sanatra on that CD.

Gentlemen, Thank you for your recommendations. I've been listening to more female vocals lately and this gives me a direction to pursue. Thanks again! Best regards, Stan