I’m a sap for lounge crooners singing their hearts out on torch songs in dark dives. There is something magical about mulling over your life and cosmic existential questions while tucked away in a dark corner of a smoky club with a cocktail while a smooth jazz-pop ballad fills the air.
Lounge music is a mix of torch songs, cabaret, swing, smooth jazz, soul, and pop standards. Sometimes with a mix of camp burlesque.
My work took me to many cities. While there I routinely sought out the best steak house and then the local piano bar or jazz club. My favorite piano bar towns include Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Scottsdale, Dallas, Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, and of course New York City.
Growing up listening to the great jazz singers instilled in me a love of good songs with great lyrics. With the 1990s revival of swing, jazz, and lounge, my retro tastes were reawakened and I found a new generation of jazz and lounge singers, such as Steve Tyrell, Stacy Kent, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Norah Jones, Natalie Cole, and many more.
Since the 1990’s many pop singers have switched to lounge and smooth jazz, such as Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Queen Latifah, Joe Jackson, Bobby Caldwell, Freda Payne, Joni Mitchell, Sting, and others.
Below are some of the better lounge singers I have discovered. Enjoy.
Steve Tyrrel
Steve Tyrrel burst on the scene in the 1990s and quickly became the most sought after performer for fancy Los Angeles and New York events and piano bars. He is the real thing, masterfully interpreting jazz and crooner standards with his whisky soaked voice. Tyrrel gained fame by singing on the Father of the Bride 1991 movie soundtrack. Tyrrel is a Grammy winning record producer. He hosts a jazz program on KKJZ in LA.
Steve Tyrrel singing The Way You Look Tonight.
Sade
Sade is a Nigerian-British singer songwriter and is one of the most successful British singers ever with worldwide popularity. She sings neo-soul and smooth jazz. She has several Platinum albums and 4 Grammys with 9 nominations
Cherish the Day performed by Sade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKhfoKOTwZY
Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux of Canada is a jazz, blues, and lounge singer-songwriter who began as a street musician in Paris. She is often compared to the styles of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and Edith Piaf. She has a large following and sings her own interpretations of jazz, folk, lounge, pop, and country with her unique style. She tours and has several albums.
Madeleine Peyroux singing Dance Me to the End of Love.
Pink Martini
A fun big band formed in 1994 that plays lounge, jazz, classical, pop, Latin, and bossa nova in several languages. Pianist Thomas Lauderdal heads up the group which includes singers Storm Large and China Forbes. The group has performed with over 50 orchestras worldwide and has 14 albums.
Pink Martini performs Amado Mio.
James Darren aka Vic Fontaine
Film and TV teen idol of the 1950s and 60s staged a comeback as the holographic crooner Vic Fontaine on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine TV series in 1998-99. This relaunched his career with popular crooner albums. Darren is an actor, film/TV director, and singer who has 14 albums and has acted in 29 films.
James Darren singing The Best Is Yet to Come.
Jazzamor
A German lounge, jazz, bossa nova duo formed in 2002. The two include Bettina Steingass and Roland Grosch. They perform in Europe and Asia and have 13 albums.
Jazzamor performs Way Back.
Bobby Caldwell
Booby Caldwell is a soul, R&B, and cool jazz singer-songwriter who transitioned into becoming a big band crooner singing the Great American Songbook. He sings swanky crooner tunes of Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, and others. He is very popular in Japan. He has 20 albums, two of which are platinum.
Bobby Caldwell singing Come Rain or Come Shine.
Puppini Sisters
A British camp lounge-burlesque trio act who have their own unique style of swing, jazz, pop, and doo-wop harmony. They do innovative renditions of pop tunes in a 1940s Andrews Sisters’ style. Formed in 2004 and have 7 albums.
Crazy In Love
Baila Nova
A Brazilian bossa nova, samba, and cool jazz group that has gained over 60 million views on Youtube. They go on tours and have produced 9 albums and many videos of classic bossa nova songs. The singer Laura Vall sings in a lovely sultry voice.
Baila Nova performs Wave.
Pussycat Dolls
This fun, sexy, and camp burlesque singing stage act created a splash in 2003 and have been on TV several times. They are one of the best-selling ‘girl groups’ of all time with three platinum albums. Lead singer Nicole Scherzinger is an actress, singer, and dancer who danced on the Dancing With the Stars TV show.
Pussycat Dolls singing Sway.
