scat singing

American  

noun

Jazz.

1. singing in which the singer substitutes improvised nonsense syllables for the words of a song, and tries to sound and phrase like a musical instrument.

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Etymology

Origin of scat singing

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Ms. Kitamura then hands the soloist’s baton to Michael Mayo, whose riffing engages more directly with the scat singing of bebop and later a cappella trends.

From New York Times

A remarkable aria for scat singing calls for a boy soprano to intone the text.

From Los Angeles Times

In this tribute to jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, Harris and Jakel ricocheted around the stage in perfect synchrony, matching Fitzgerald’s scat singing with their own dazzling, full-body, frequently airborne execution.

From Washington Post

When Charlie Parker heard him scat singing in a local club, the great bebop saxophonist praised Hendricks' singing, and advised him to devote himself to music.

From Los Angeles Times

She was a pioneer of the scat singing style and her ‘Songbook’ albums are an essential part of the American music canon.

From BBC