Arts & Culture
The Evolution of Scat Singing in Jazz Improvisation
Quick fact
Louis Armstrong's 1926 recording 'Heebie Jeebies' popularized scat after he supposedly dropped the lyric sheet and improvised nonsense syllables—though earlier scat recordings exist, Armstrong made it iconic.
Why this is interesting
You've probably heard a jazz singer riffing on 'doo-be-doo-wop'—but where did that bizarre, wordless singing come from, and why does it make perfect sense in jazz?