Who is the female vocalist equivalent to Frank Sinatra (on his ballad albums)?*

I wonder who is the female vocalist equivalent to Frank Sinatra?
and which female vocalist's album is her equivalent to In the Wee Small Hours?

I don't think it's Billie Holiday, although she's wonderful.
nor Ella Fitzgerald who is closer to the point but still not the interpreter that Sinatra is.

 

There isn't one.

 

There must be someone who comes close.
Anita O'Day? Keeley Smith? Rosemary Clooney? Doris Day?
Julie London?
June Christy?
Perhaps the question should be a thread unto herself.

 

ABSOLUTELY none of the above!!!! DORIS DAY??????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

Not even Peggy Lee ?

 

Not even close!

 

Oh, I think Peggy came close now and then, here and there. Fever, for instance.

Jo Stafford could have done it. She was almost equal the technician. But she never dug into her dark side, if you'll pardon the expression.

Matt has a good point, but I would argue that June Christy got the idea of concept albums and delivered some persuasive ones -- Ballads For Night People, Something C0ol, a few others.

 

Why compare?

Although if I had to vote, it would be Sarah Vaughan.

 

Nina Simone?

 

I'll bet most folks here aren't very familiar with her catalog, but it's large. Her's was the first name that immediately came to mind.

 

Cher.....do you believe in life after love

 

Yes, very well put. Frank Sinatra's Capitol era, and quite a few of his Reprise albums were conceived with a thematic element and with the intent of being a complete and integrated experience and set a mood. These records were far more than a "great collection of songs" or "an album project"

 

Strictly speaking in terms of voice, I would have to say Ella Fitzgerald. Great range, smooth as whiskey and her singing can pull you in like Frank did.

 

No dead on equivalent; but I believe Mr. Sinatra would say maybe Keeley Smith. He had often complimented her as his favorite female singing partner. Her tribute album to Frank is officiated by Frank Jr. I might suggest in certain ways Shirley Horn be considered.

 

I may be misunderstanding the thread, but as far as popularity, longevity, and size and dedication of fanbase goes, I'd have to say Barbra Streisand. I don't know enough about her albums to comment on that part, but as far as female singers that are hugely powerful and successful, I can think of few others that reach that level (Celine Dion, maybe, but I don't think her popularity translated into power the way Streisand's has).

 

Another vote for Ella.

 

What about Judy Garland? Didn’t she record several Sinatra-like concept albums with Capitol?

 

No, not Ella. Frank was a crooner, and yes, a swinger, but interpreting lyrics was the main thing for him. Ella admitted that interpreting lyrics was not her main goal nor a strength. She could swing like no other; but she was more jazz than Sinatra. She was a practitioner of scatting, wordlessly improvising to the music. That was never Sinatra's thing. The closest female to Sinatra was probably Sarah Vaughan, equally at home with syrupy strings behind her crooning a ballad, or hard swinging something from the Great American Songbook.

 

Annie Haslam

Not for the sound, but in terms of voice, she's basically untouchable compared to any female singer in rock. I mean if you can make folk rock and synth pop sound convincing even if the latter if actually bad music - you have the voice

 

Garland is closer to Sinatra than Ella, again, as more of an interpreter of lyrics than a jazz singer. But Garland didn't swing hard the way Sinatra did on some of his albums with Capitol. Garland sang more in a Broadway style than Sinatra did. (I have studied singers for a long time, as I have professionally sung Broadway and jazz).

Sinatra knew that economy of style was necessary when singing hard swing, but knew he could sustain and elongate the phrasing when doing a ballad.

 

Carmen was a great jazz ballad singer, but she didn't swing nearly as hard as Sinatra.