Thanks for the tip - very nice!

Glad you liked it!

For an acoustic guitar world connection, she does a version of Joni Mitchell's "Down to You" on her record "The New Bossa Nova" that's just wonderful.

I sent this song to a friend who I know will like it as well.

Another I forgot to add to my original post is this gal - I bet you'll like her too if you don't already know about her!

Oh dear! It's time to introduce...the 'specialists'
 

Joan Armatrading-phenomenal guitarist, not well known. I went to many of her concerts in the 1980s. lasted 2-3 hours.

https://youtu.be/oag3I4VRXyM

indigo girls
 

Emily Saliers wrote this one. I love her songs-she uses a lot of finger picking.


https://youtu.be/VfI4JcTeI6I

others listed...of course
 

I second all the ones listed from all genres.

Thanks all for the replies, long list to take a time and be checking.

Beth Hart.
Below she's awesome playing with Joe Bonamassa!

https://youtu.be/Doy72nl9ZU4

Who is she?

That would be Miss Emmylou Harris!;)

So glad to see Alison Krauss get a mention.

For something less well known, check this out. This young lady is channeling Peggy Lee in a most uncanny and delightful way. Super stuff.

Some great responses. And some new ones.

To add a few of my favorites...

The incomparable Sandy Denny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xODjbfYw8

(Richard Thompson is the guitarist...)


Eliza Gilkyson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D19OKVgfIg4


Margo Timmins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk3R68312QI

My youtube things never work right, but here are the links)

Edit: and down the youtube black hole we go...

Maria McKee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XSIfsvfh6I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-O...=RDQnFXg3rPjyA

Mary Ramsey ( replaced Natalie Merchant) Listen to thE song More Than This
Gwen Stefani
Alison Krauss
Carrie Underwood
Delores O’Riordan RIP

Nuala Kennedy

Other videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBvZEx-SRBU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pbggZcejVU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55amYJaqTCc

Christa Burch:

Same tune, impromptu live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M5P2NkYoGQ

I also don't recall seeing Dolly Parton in the previous posts, maybe I missed her?


Definitely Sandy Denny



Niamh Parsons

That's what they do with lightbulbs in the subway. Maybe there was concern that some ne'er-do-well would unscrew it and stuff it down his pants when nobody was looking. Or her pants. Capris, probably, given the era.

Victoria Lloyd, Nomi Harper, Lori Oz, Marie Narciso, Sara Furrer, Karen Carpenter come to mind.

Jenny Lewis:



And St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark):

The return of the Preacher's daughter...
 

I find this singer very 'alluring', and she's not inhibited or afraid to let it all hang out. I'm also VERY surprised she hasn't been mentioned in this thread, so let me be the first to rectify the situation...

Don't spose anyone will read this now ... but for me, as they came into my head :

1. Linda Ronstadt. (She could do any style, perfectly)
2. Emmy-Lou Harris (She could break your heart with a verse, and sing harmony to ANYONE!)
3. Norah Jones (she just makes swoon!)
4. Diana Krall (such a great musician)

Then we get into the "real" singers of earlier eras

Julie London

Peggy Lee

Nina Simone

Etta James

I could go on indefinitely.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1veUw1NNFz8#

Recently discovered her. She sounds happy, and I like that.

She's something pretty special, I think.

Female singers you like...
 

For me it would and always has been Olivia Newton John I also love the following

Mary Black
Stevie Nicks
Molly Tuttle
Kathy Matea
Mary C Carpenter
Pink
Rita Ora

Many already mentioned I'm a huge fan of, so here are a few that I didn't see yet:

Paula Cole
Jonatha Brooke
Mary Fahl
Barbara Gaskin
Annie Lennox
Claudia Schmidt
Esperanza Spalding
Imogen Heap
Urszula Dudziak

Wow - Some Blues women seriously missing here.

Koko Taylor
Aretha Franklin
Ruth Brown
Big Mama Thornton

a local favorite - Rhiannon Giddens

Also a big +1 on Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi

Allison Krauss

I was a huge Tori fan in the 90s, and "Boys For Pele" is my favorite album of hers. I was fortunate to see her on that tour, and she put on a phenomenal show.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tori-...-2bd444a2.html

For me, nobody did it better than Ella Fitzgerald...