The quasi-apocryphal story regarding the origins of scat singing that I know is this: the young Louis Armstrong was doing a gig with an ensemble in the 20s and was expected to sing a song in it, as an unexpected change of pace. read more
Scat singing becomes like the “speaking in tongues” of charismatic Christians at its highest point, artistically. And by becoming a spiritual window into the soul of the singer, it amplifies the beauty of the song in fantastic ways. read more
Scat singing is also featured by Louis Prima and others in the song"I Wan'na Be Like You" in Disney's The Jungle Book (1967). The bop revival of the 1970s renewed interest in bop scat singing, and young scat singers viewed themselves as a continuation of the classic bop tradition. read more