Scat singing

Scat singing is vocalizing either wordlessly or with nonsense words and syllables as employed by jazz singers who create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using only the voice. Thus it is a type of voice instrumental.

Related Topics:
Jazz singer - Voice - Voice instrumental

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While the use of nonsense syllables in singing long predates scat, scat singing is distinguished by the fact that rather than using the sounds to exactly reproduce the melodic line, improvisations are made with the melody and rhythm, much as in other jazz improvisations.

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Before the national spread of jazz in the United States, a type of scat singing was already in use by ragtime vocalists. Ragtime pioneer Ben Harney and New Orleans pianist Tony Jackson were said to be scat singing in the early years of the 20th century. One early master of ragtime scat singing was Gene Greene who recorded scat choruses in his song "King of the Bungaloos" several other songs from 1911 to 1917. Popular entertainer Al Jolson even scatted through a few bars in the middle of his 1911 recording of "That Haunting Melody".

Related Topics:
Jazz - United States - Ragtime - Ben Harney - New Orleans - Tony Jackson - 20th century - Gene Greene - 1911 - 1917 - Al Jolson

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A frequently repeated legend alleges that Louis Armstrong invented scat singing on the spot when he dropped the lyric sheet while singing on his recording of "Heebie Jeebies" in 1926; the story is false and Armstrong himself made no such claim. Jazz musicians Don Redman, Cliff Edwards, and Red Nichols all recorded examples of scat earlier than Armstrong. However, the record "Heebie Jeebies" and subsequent Armstrong recordings introduced scat singing to a wider audience and did much to popularize the style. Armstrong was an innovative singer who experimented with all kinds of sound, and improvised with his voice as he did on his instrument. In one famous example, Armstrong scatted a passage on "I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas" - he sings "I've done forgot the words!" in the middle of recording before taking off in scat.

Related Topics:
Louis Armstrong - Heebie Jeebies - 1926 - Don Redman - Cliff Edwards - Red Nichols

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According to Dick Higgins, "In Black American music there is a sound poetry tradition, possibly based originally on work calls, which we find into the scat singing of the popular music of the 1930s, in the long nonsense-like passages in Cab Calloway's singing of 'Minnie the Moocher', for example".

Related Topics:
1930s - Cab Calloway

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Another form of jazz singing, vocalese, is closely related, but uses lyrics rather than nonsense syllables. Often, rather than improvising melodies, practicioners of vocalese sing lyrics to improvisations by instrumental performers.

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