Work · 1926 · Chicago [41.88, -87.63]

Heebie Jeebies

Recorded by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five in 1926, 'Heebie Jeebies' is famous for its passage of wordless, syllable-tossing vocal improvisation, an early and hugely influential popularization of scat singing. Whether or not the often-told story of a dropped lyric sheet is true, the record helped make scat a permanent part of the jazz vocabulary. It captures Armstrong extending his instrumental daring into the voice.

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  • collaborates with Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

    Armstrong's Hot Five recorded 'Heebie Jeebies' in 1926, the side whose wordless vocal chorus did much to popularize scat singing. It marked the moment the band's leader carried his instrumental daring into the human voice.