I don't know if that's what it's called in English but you know: Sinatra and such? Evergreens, the vocal music that more or less belongs to 'jazz' in a wide sense but is usually more sentimental than jazz. (Or we can also talk about jazz vocalists - the line between these genres is thin.) Anyone else here that enjoys it?

Some great singers: Julie London , Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra, Astrud Gilberto (she's untalented bossa nova singer technically but charming in her own way), Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan... And modern jazz vocalists like Sidsel Endresen and Jeanette Lindström.

When it gets into big bands with lots of brass, I don't like it. It has to be tender to ears. What I love about this kind of music is the way they can be so deeply emotional. Listen for example Dusty sing Jacques Brel's If You Go Away.   

I like vocal jazz and intelligent vocal pop.

Vocal jazz:

Melissa Walker, Diane Reeves, Karrin Allyson, Patricia Barber

Vocal pop:

The Beautiful South, Sting (solo records)

Matti wrote: I also like Diane (black female singers are often great) and Patricia. The other two are not familiar but I'll borrow Karryn Allison CD available in my library.

Karrin has a awesome voice. She also does some scatting and emulates a saxophone like noone else (check out her interpretation of Cherokee).

Let me know what album you listen to ... her albums are all very different from each other.

I think they are called  'crooners'.

'Crooners', ha ha. Yes, that's one way of seeing it. (I had to check the meaning. 'Nyyhkylaulaja' in Finnish, something like weepy  singer.) *

So, anyone else who likes entertainment / jazz vocals? More recommendations perhaps?

* NB!  I CAN'T stand today's sentimental pop singers like Celine Dion (on the other hand, Sarah Brightman isn't very far from it and I kinda like her). It's sentimental in a bad sense to me. Or maybe it's just that the songs don't have that something that older stuff does. I admire deep emotions in music/films etc but despise sugared sentimentality.

Hmm ? Billie Holiday, Lisa Ekdahl with Peter Nordins Trio, Georg Ots, Feodor Chaliapin, Beniamino Gigli, Enrico Caruso, Jussi Björling and some Händel arias too.