The word diva may not be easy to define, but the great divas are easy to recognize. Here are sixteen of the greatest -- from Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday to Astrud Gilberto and Natalie Cole -- captured in peak form, in performances that were recorded as long ago as 1954 and as recently as 2001, but that in their dramatic impact and depth of feeling are truly timeless. 　　　 This CD is part of Verve´s Diva series dedicated to the greatest female jazz vocalists and their greatest songs.