Considered one of the best vocalists of the swing era, Helen Ward is most remembered for her work with Benny Goodman’s orchestra during the mid-1930s. Singing on many of Goodman’s early hits, she helped set the tone for the emergence of swing as a national craze in 1935. Leaving Goodman at the end of 1936 to get married, Ward worked sporadically for the rest of her life, continuing to sing into the 1980s.
In the pre-rock’n’roll era, popular vocalists often flirted with jazz. Many grew up surrounded by the music of the big bands and felt at home with jazz phrasing. Some, like Kay Starr, performed and recorded with jazz musicians before finding wider success with pop songs and novelties.
Cassandra Wilson was an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack who has expanded the playing field" by incorporating blues, country and folk music into her work.