http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbL9vr4Q2LU
Considering our recent discussion about jazz syllables and vocalization, I thought it would be appropriate to post an example of scat singing. I posted this particular clip because it is an impressive demonstration of Ella Fitzgerald’s ability to convey a distinct musical idea with her choice of syllables.
One example of this is at 3:02 where Fitzgerald starts her “drum solo”. She uses sounds like “shah, pah, diggidy-diggidy-boom, and rrrrrrrrrha-huh” that to me sound like plausible sounds for a drum kit. A second example is around 5:03 where she throws in (what I am interpreting as) a “trombone solo” that has a very brassy sounding “bwwwweeeeee-bop-biiii-bweeeeee-bop”.
Along with being an entertaining performance, I am impressed by Fitzgerald’s ability to sing in a way that reminds the listener of other instruments. She obviously has a thorough understanding of (or at least exposure to the music of) a variety of jazz instruments from which to draw inspiration. Having this understanding of other instruments can help us to really internalize the melodies, rhythms, and styles of the music we play.
My favorite part was the humor that Fitzgerald incorporated into her singing. I picked up on a couple references to songs I knew, and it sounded like there were more but I didn’t recognize the songs. It also seemed like she was having a good time giving the rest of the band a hard time. During the part of the song when the band was still providing backup, she was communicating so clearly that it almost seemed like she was talking. Even though there were no words, the emotional content was crystal clear. After the band dropped out, and she started imitating other instruments more, I felt like she wasn’t ‘talking’ as much as just entertaining at that point.