Re: Paul Simon's music--and Cab Calloway's

[Owen Davidson <owend...>]

As I heard (or read), Louis Armstrong was singing from a written lyric and
dropped the page, and sang nonsense syllables until he could retrieve the
sheet.  Cab Calloway came up with a fluid, tongue-twisting scat style that was
later developed as a comedy routine by Danny Kaye.  I've never heard any
anecdote about Danny Kaye being influenced by Calloway, but a listen to Kaye's
rendition of "Minnie the Moocher" ought to make it clear enough.

Owen


Robert Cohen wrote:

> The Louis Armstrong angle is new to me, and glad to have, but I'm not sure I
> said, or implied, that Cab Calloway originated scat singing!--rlc
>
> >From: BarMusProd (at) aol(dot)com
> >Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> >To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> >Subject: Re: Paul Simon's music--and Cab Calloway's
> >Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 21:09:23 EST
> >
> >
> >In a message dated 11/2/99 12:53:09 PM, rlcm17 (at) hotmail(dot)com writes:
> >
> > >Is this (1st paragraph) statement about Paul Simon's "The Boxer" actually
> > >
> > >factual--i.e., known--or offered tongue-in-cheek?  Because,
> >interestingly,
> > >
> > >Cab Calloway's scat singing  started when he forgot the words (as opposed
> > >
> > >to, but surely parallel to, not coming up w/ new ones) to a song he was
> > >
> > >singing on live radio; the (live, radio) audience loved his improvisatory
> > >
> > >filling in (apparently somewhat inspired by the cantorial singing he
> >heard
> > >
> > >in his childhood Baltimore),
> >
> >Dear Robert and Listers,
> >Not wanting to get into the Lie-Die debate, I do wish to offer a possible
> >correction Robert's statement about scat singing above. Usually (in the
> >jazz
> >histories that I'm aware of) Louis Armstrong is credited for coming up with
> >the idea of scatting for the same reason that Robert notes above. Although
> >Cab was noted for his "hi-de-ho'ing", I don't think that he was the
> >earliest
> >jazz singer to use nonsense syllables.
> >
> >Best wishes,
> >Steve
> >
> >Steve Barnett
> >Composer/Arranger/Producer
> >Barnett Music Productions
> >BarMusProd (at) aol(dot)com
> >
> >
> >
>
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--
Owen Davidson
Amherst  Mass
The Wholesale Klezmer Band

The Angel that presided o'er my birth
Said Little creature formd of Joy and Mirth
Go Love without the help of any King on Earth

Wm. Blake


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