Genres: Jazz: Vocal Jazz

With the way you look tonight, you'll have the world on a string. Now, make your party count with this sophisticated playlist of high society's biggest names, delivering jazzy inspiration and vocal delights from the 1950s, '60s and early '70s.

From World War II through the early '60s, The Golden Age of Big Band Jazz brought us some of the greatest interpreters of song, arguably ever. This velvet sound is the stuff of legend.

A nice, relaxed dinner party needs a nice, relaxed soundtrack. Enjoy the best female jazz singers from the '40s to today, singing standards and forgotten favorites. Pass the wine, please.

Sinatra's artistry is so all-encompassing you could easily spend your entire life listening to no one else. But even the most fanatical Frank lovers might want to mix it up once in a while, so here's a batch of vocalists bound to appeal to admirers of Ol' Blue Eyes.

Whether it's amoral thief Parker or the cops of the 87th Precinct, a vintage pulp thriller needs a soundtrack. Sink into that stylish world of the past with these cool, jazzy and torchy '50s and '60s favorites.

This playlist takes you back to a time when Sinatra was king, men wore suits, and everyone swilled martinis like the world was going to end in nuclear winter. Thankfully, it didn't, and the swingin' lounge music of the era lives on.

Originating in the 1950s, bossa nova (Portugese for "new trend") combined harmonies and rhythms from American jazz with Brazilian samba. Now these songs have become standard jazz repertoire.

Cole Porter's clever and sophisticated songs have become standard repertoire for jazz musicians and Broadway performers. Listen to a collection of his timeless standards, from "I've Got You Under My Skin" to "I Get A Kick Out Of You."

Listen to the best recordings from the most influential female jazz musicians of all time.

Since the late 1950s, bossa nova has entranced listeners around the world. Enjoy over five decades' worth of music from Brazil and beyond, all influenced by the languid sensuality that began on Ipanema beach.

Various artists cover songs in the repertoire of the charismatic and prolific composer/pianist/bandleader Duke Ellington, one of the most revered figures in jazz history.

Coined by visual artist Byron Werner in the 1980s, Space Age Bachelor Pad music encompasses the hi-fi aesthetic of the 1950s and early '60s. Beloved by even its most tongue-in-cheek fans, let this playlist soundtrack your next party.

Sometimes all you need is a rousing song to get yourself out of a rut. Take inspiration from some of the all-time great pop vocalists and c'mon, get happy!

A Julliard-trained pianist, Nina Simone was as comfortable with Broadway standards as she was with African polyrhythmic rave-ups. Here are the best songs from her influences and contemporaries and the songs she covered with her unmistakable voice. http://ninasimone.com