Best jazz or blues female vocalist ever

I'll second Rayhall's & IMO, her best was Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie -- EXCEPTIONAL!

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.