Good scat examples?

[duffy76]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:31pm

I've been cast in a community theatre production of Swing and one of the songs that I will be singing is Bli-Blip, which I understand contains some scat. This isn't really a style that I'm familiar with - can anyone recommend some good scat artists that I can listen to? I'm thinking Ella Fitzgerald would be a good place to start...

[BSoBW3]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:32pm

"Uptown" from THE WILD PARTY.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:34pm

Lea DeLaria

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:37pm

Ella's Version of "Mack The Knife" from her Berlin concert. She forgets the words and begins scatting along, introducing the band, crediting the song's authors and even apologising for ever trying to sing a song she didn't know backward and forward, all without missing a beat. She caps it off with a scatted chorus before coming back to acknowledge all the "Good" recordings of the song out there and telling the audience that they can tell their friends they were there the night "Ella and her fellas, made a wreck out of Mack the Knife!"

Almost all of her live albums include at least one song she "Scats."

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:44pm

My favorite all-time scats:

Sarah Vaughan, "Fascinatin' Rhythm" (Gershwin Live!)
Mel Torme - Pick Yourself Up (Live at Marty's, also on his box set)
Ella Fitzgerald - Blue Skies (Verve)

EDIT: By the way, Ella sings "Bli Blip" on her Gershwin Songbook album... I don't remember there being a scat though. Just the "scatty" lyrics that are part of the actual song melody. But I don't think she improvs on it. It's been a while since I've heard it, so I may be wrong.

Updated On: 2/13/06 at 03:44 PM

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:46pm

Ella may be the Queen of Scat, But Louis Armstrong is the one who really first introduced it to pop culture and made it famous. Gotta love the fact that forgetting the words to a song led to a new styleof improvisation!

[MerebLookin4U]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:57pm

Off the norm, the best scatting I've heard around in the entertainment industry comes from a young lad named JASON MRAZ. Albums: Waiting For My Rocket To Come and his most recent one MR. A-Z. Definately check some of his stuff out. Besides the fact that he has a voice that is a gift from God and can hang with Adam, Cheyenne, Norbert, and John Barrowman (along with some Marty Thomas notes), his eclectic smooth style is something to be fathomed. Broadway will have to wait and be in delight when he decides to come "home" and grace us with his presence onstage. CHECK HIM OUT.
JasonMraz

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:03pm

Jason Mraz! He's always on those VH-1 shows for "I Love the '90s, '80s, etc."

[philcrosby]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:06pm

One of the best scats I've ever heard is Cleo Laine's to "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter." In addition to Ella and Cleo, try listening to Manhattan Transfer's CD SWING and VOCALESE.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:11pm

Manhattan Transfer's live scat to "Jeannine" is pretty amazing.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:11pm

I'm soooooooooo glad this thread isn't what I thought it was about.

[duffy76]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:16pm

Thanks for all the great examples - I'll be sure to check them out. And BobbyBubby, now I'm curious - what did you think this thread was about? LOL

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:17pm

I'm curious, what did you think it was about?

I love Jason Mraz.

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:27pm

If you want a musical theatre example, I'd suggest Lilias White's scatting in "The Brotherhood of Men" from the How to Succeed in Business revival

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:29pm

um... well, seeing as you're in SWING! why not listen to ann hampton callaway? her SIGNATURE CD and her TO ELLA WITH LOVE CD contain many fine examples. she is the finest contemporary scat singer. but, there is no beating ella and mel torme who pioneered this sort of singing. at the same time, don't copy anybody -- use it as a guideline and bust a move on your own. good luck!

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:37pm

Jane Monheit scats...a lot.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:39pm

jane monheit's scat is scata.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:43pm

Let's just say that the scatting I was thinking of has nothing to do with singing. Updated On: 2/13/06 at 04:43 PM

[philcrosby]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:44pm

Jane Monheit actually scats very little ... but she is a superb jazz singer, better than Krall IMHO.

[children&art]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:46pm

there are lots of websites devoted to scat....oh, wait, you mean the musical thing, not the bodily function, sexual fetish thing, oh in that case - Lillias White briefly in "Brotherhood of Man" (H2$) but Ella's "Mack the Knife" is a classic example.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:48pm

in my book, jane monheit has a very pretty voice, but she does not deserve the hype. have you ever seen her live? i will spare you my full blown review, but we walked out of her show at mccarter, along with any number of other people. i don't claim to know a lot in this life but i know jazz.

dee dee bridgewater can scat also.

[children&art]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:51pm

not a jazz scat chanteuse, but has anyone heard madeleine peyroux? i downloaded her "careless love" cd last night, and i am HOOKED!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:54pm

Peyroux is amazing. I saw her in a small club in Seattle last year. She was superb.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 4:56pm

madeleine peyroux sounds so close to billie holiday i can't really listen to her anymore.
wanna hear two women who are superb singers and musicans?
check out karrin allison and tierney sutton. both are grammy nominees and SUPERB jazz singers. karrin works sometimes in a more pop genre and has a taste for brazillian beats. tierney has a very tight ensemble of musicians that she has worked with for over 12 years -- their stuff is exciting.
ps. for ensemble scat, listen to THE SWINGLE SINGERS, a group started in the '50's by blossom dearie. they are fun and flawless.

Updated On: 2/13/06 at 04:56 PM

Posted: 2/13/06 at 5:11pm

Blee Blip by Terry Klausner and PJ Benjamin from Sophisticated Ladies