Switched on Pop cover image

How Louis Armstrong invented the modern pop star

Switched on Pop

CHAPTER

The Scat Man

Armstrong created his own legend around the development of scat singing. He said he was recording a song called Hebe Geebies and he had to scramble to make up these nonsense syllables on the spot. It does retain the same rhythmic drive and bluesiness of his trumpet playing. But now it's got this added dimension of the Bob. And that's still like certainly every jazz singer seeing scat to some degree.

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