A couple of days ago, I wrote that I thought that Bill Evans is the instrumentalist who is the best reference point for listeners to hear close-to-definitive versions of standards. I think the task is tougher when it comes to singers though, because there are quite a few contenders. So I'll make it a touch easier by choosing one female, Billie Holiday, and one male, Frank Sinatra, two vocalists with a lot in common, starting with their tremendous rhythmic sophistication and phrasing. And of course, both have been emulated to such a point that when they are listened to now, the originality of their styles can be underestimated, which is unfortunate - both were trailblazers and should be heard that way. (I've said it before, but it's unfair to compare artists to what came after them - they should only be heard vis a vis what came before.) In any case, a listener who is interested in really appreciating a song can go a long way toward it by checking out the versions of one or, if possible, both of these giants. Here's "The Very Thought of You" by Holiday - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPJuFxl0bxY and Sinatra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_V3wxwY6_Q.