Personally I found it interesting to hear Sade again and think about her in comparison with Astrud Gilberto. Both were representative of a certain jazz zeitgeist in their respective eras, presented as smooth operators in uptown, classy environs but never really able to escape the producers touch. Not evaluating and saying good or bad here, just think there are other women vocalists and musicians who probably deserve the accolades. You could say that Elvis Presley was a good Gospel singer but he certainly wasn’t the best, and it would be insulting to do so.
Chaka Khan, Betty Davis, Sheila E, Mary Lou Williams, Roberta Flak are a few transcendent musicians to my ears.
