Ella Fitzgerald: Syllabic Choice in Scat Singing and Her Timbral Syllabic Development Between 1944 and 1947
Ella Fitzgerald: Syllabic Choice in Scat Singing and Her Timbral Syllabic Development Between 1944 and 1947
Ella Fitzgerald: Syllabic Choice in Scat Singing and Her Timbral Syllabic Development Between 1944 and 1947
By
It is common in jazz discourse to praise Ella Fitzgerald as the greatest vocal improviser in
the music’s history – Ella in fact declared herself to be exactly that1 - and this is part of the
commonly accepted vocal jazz historical narrative. Improvisational methods praise her ideas as
“excellent models for students of vocal jazz”2 and “musically and verbally inventive, filled with
the joy of her creativity… represent[ing] the essence and pinnacle of scat singing”3; critical
commentaries praise her “perfect balance between a steam enginelike propulsion and an ethereal
definitions of the term5, using phrases like “It is mostly closely associated by the general public
with Ella Fitzgerald and her many imitators.”6 Ella’s influence on other singers is illuminated in
Chip Deffaa’s profile from Jazz Veterans: A Portrait Gallery7, written shortly before her death
in 1996: “No living singer is more respected by other singers.” Deffaa quotes – among others –
Annie Ross (“Like Charlie Parker, Ella can think it and execute it.”8), Jon Hendricks (“Ella’s a
one-in-a-lifetime.”9), Anita O’Day (“The first time I heard Ella, in 1937, I said, ‘That is the girl.
1
Friedwald,
Jazz
Singing:
America’s
Great
Voices
from
Bessie
Smith
to
Bebop
and
Beyond,
282.
2
Madura,
Getting
Started
with
Vocal
Improvisation,
29.
3
Stoloff,
Scat!
Vocal
Improvisation
Techniques,
8.
4
Holden,
“Ella
Fitzgerald’s
Playfulness
Ripens
with
Time’s
Passage.”
This
citation
refers
to
the
reprint
in
Gourse,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
Seven
Decades
of
Commentary,
162.
5
The
New
College
Encyclopedia
of
Music
defines
scat
singing
as
a
“jazz
term
for
the
use
of
nonsense
syllables
and
other
wordless
effects
in
the
course
of
a
vocal
number.
The
technique
has
been
employed
in
a
rapid
and
virtuoso
way
by
Ella
Fitzgerald
amongst
others.”
The
new
Harvard
Dictionary
of
Music
defines
scat
singing
as
“A
jazz
solo
of
vocal
nonsense
syllables…
Scat
came
to
be
represented
by
virtuosic
interpretations
(by,
e.g.
Ella
Fitzgerald)
of
rapid
bebop
instrumental
improvisation.”
6
Carr,
Fairweather,
and
Priestly,
Jazz:
The
Rough
Guide,
887.
7
Originally
published
in
1996;
subsequent
citations
of
this
article
will
refer
to
the
reprint
That’s the champion – the Queen of Jazz.”10), Ruth Brown (“Once you’ve heard Ella, you’ve
heard the best – why mess with the rest?”11), and Cassandra Wilson (“Ella is the quintessential
vocal musician.”12).
While much has been written about Fitzgerald’s melodic and harmonic improvisational
approach, very little has been written about her syllabic approach to scat singing. In fact, very
little has been written about anyone’s syllabic approach to scat singing. William R. Bauer’s
“Scat Singing: A Timbral and Phonemic Analysis” explores vocables in Louis Armstrong’s
“Heebie Jeebies” and “Hotter Than That” solos, along with Betty Carter’s “Babe’s Blues” solo;13
Bauer does briefly mention Fitzgerald in reference to Ella’s “...mimic[ing] the tonguing,
phrasing, and articulation of instrumentalists”14 and in Betty Carter’s early recordings being
“peppered with… vocal licks out of Fitzgerald’s vocabulary such as the rapid alteration of
One of the few somewhat in-depth commentaries regarding Fitzgerald’s syllabic choices
appears in Dom Cerulli’s “Ella… The Jazz Horn”, featured in the liner notes to the compilation
album The Best of Decca.16 Cerulli discusses her syllabic choices in the following two excerpts:
“It seems, too, in the syllables she uses for improvising, she chooses the ones most easily
adaptable to the flow of a tenor sax.”17; and “She adopts many of the phrasing devices of the
tenor. There are many times when she will take a word like in and sing it i-hin”; or and will
emerge “a-ha-hand”; and she will have improvised within the word or a vowel, in the chord, and
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid.
12
Ibid.
13
This
article
first
appeared
in
Current
Musicology,
Spring
2001/02,
303-‐323.
14
Bauer,
“Scat
Singing:
A
Timbral
and
Phonemic
Analysis”,
303-‐323.
15
Ibid.
16
Reprinted
in
Gourse,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
Seven
Decades
of
Commentary,
41-‐42.
17
Gourse,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
Seven
Decades
of
Commentary,
42.
4
with the mannerisms of a tenor.”18 Stuart Nichlolson referenced the influence of instrumental
finish her conception is purely instrumental, just like a trumpet or a saxophone ‘blowing’
through the blues changes.”19 Nicholson also references the “set riffs” that were common in
many of her improvisations: “Her ‘set riffs’ would remain common to every performance of the
song she gave for almost fifty years; they represented the building blocks around which she
would construct her improvisation. This was a factor common to all her scat features.”20
Nicholson’s commentary, unfortunately, does not provide any guidance to what these “set riffs”
Characteristic of the way the popular press wrote about Fitzgerald’s scat singing in her
heyday is a 1964 Time magazine article (“She Who Is Ella”) that includes the following passage:
“Just when you think she might be turning into Bonnie Baker, however, she kicks the lid off and
scat singing, wherein a singer abandons comprehensible lyrics in the middle of a song, and she
can scoodee-oo-da for 800 bars without running out of fresh gibberish… Then suddenly she
turns to a robust fragment of ‘Did You Ever See a Dream Walking,’ only to return quickly to the
18
Ibid.
19
Nicholson,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
A
Biography
of
the
First
Lady
of
Jazz,
139-‐140.
20
Ibid.
21
This
piece
was
unsigned,
in
an
example
of
the
“group
journalism”
practiced
by
news
magazines
of
the
time.
This
citation
refers
to
the
reprint
in
Gourse,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
Seven
Decades
of
Commentary,
75-‐76.
5
syllabic vocabulary.22
I do not make the preceding statement lightly, as I authored one of the few published
complete live solo (both melodic and syllabic material) on “Oh, Lady Be Good”24 from Verve
Records’ compilation album The Essential Ella Fitzgerald: The Great Songs25, reviewing all
525 scat syllables used by Fitzgerald during the course of the solo, identifying 69 unique
syllables and grouping them into four categories, along with identifying combinations used on
triplet figures2627.
quickly I jumped to conclusions based on limited analysis. Like Gunther Schuller in his opus
“Sonny Rollins and the Challenge of Thematic Improvisation,”28 I made an error in drawing
22
Gourse,
in
an
editor’s
note
preceding
the
article,
praises
Time’s
“excellent
jazz
coverage”
and
deems
the
article
a
“witty
piece
effectively
describing
Ella’s
scat
singing
style.”
Gourse
also
speculates
about
“the
identity
of
the
well-‐informed
jazz
lover
(or
lovers)
who
wrote
this
story.”
23
Spradling
asked
me
to
write
the
section
of
the
book
dealing
with
vocal
improvisation,
which
was
published
in
Part
Three
as
“The
Art
and
Craft
of
Scat
Singing
and
Melodic
Alteration.”
Subsequent
citations
will
refer
to
Spradling,
Jazz
Singing:
Developing
Artistry
and
Authenticity,
77-‐131,
and
particularly
79-‐89.
24
Spradling,
Jazz
Singing:
Developing
Artistry
and
Authenticity,
83-‐89.
25
This
is
not
the
most
well-‐known
Ella
solo
on
“Lady
Be
Good”;
the
one
with
which
most
jazz
listeners
are
familiar
is
the
March
18,
1947
Decca
Records
studio
recording
featuring
Bob
Haggart
and
His
Orchestra.
This
live
Jazz
at
the
Philharmonic
recording
was
made
on
October
7,
1957.
26
Ibid.,
82.
27
These
distinctions
were
assigned
solely
by
arbitrary
endpoints
based
on
the
number
of
large-scale conclusions from analysis of one particular solo.29 While I do certainly feel that the
that and nothing more: a fine representation, not an exemplar. In writing “The Art and Craft of
Scat Singing and Melodic Alteration, “ I then compounded this error through writing similar
analyses of “representative solos” from Mel Tormé30, Sarah Vaughan31, Betty Carter32, Mark
Murphy33, and Bobby McFerrin34, then drawing a series of ten general conclusions about scat
singing from these solos35, stating in regard to scat syllables: “An analysis of these solos shows
that the most common scat syllables are: Ah, Ba, Bi, Bop, Bu, Da, Dat, Di, Dl, Dn, Do, Dow,
Du, Ee, Oo, Wa, and Ya; they are used in interchangeable combinations with each other…
Although these are not the only syllables used, they are historically the most common.”3637
While my final analysis may be generally correct, it suffers from small sample size bias.
Additionally, my analysis managed to miss a fairly obvious point. In writing about “Shulie a
Bop,” I stated that “…’Shulie a Bop’ contains many elements that are similar to Ella’s
scatting…”38 This statement – though applied only to Sarah Vaughan – could have been written
29
An
in-‐depth
analysis
of
the
flaws
in
Schuller’s
thesis
can
be
found
in
Givan,
“Gunther
Schuller
and
the
Challenge
of
Sonny
Rollins:
Stylistic
Context,
Intentionality,
and
Jazz
Analysis,”
167-‐237.
30
Spradling,
Jazz
Singing:
Developing
Artistry
and
Authenticity,
91-‐102.
“Route
66”
(Live
at
consistency
in
the
way
I
labeled
the
various
syllables,
particularly
regarding
vowel
behaviors.
38
Spradling,
Jazz
Singing:
Developing
Artistry
and
Authenticity,
104.
7
In light of both the esteem with which both Fitzgerald’s peers and the next generation of
jazz singers held her, and the lack of analysis dedicated to the syllabic content of her scat solos, it
seems worth revisiting the development of Ella’s style as a scat singer, as documented through
several recordings she made on Decca Records in the mid-1940s. These recordings are not
always held in critical esteem39, but a closer examination reveals that it was during this period
that Fitzgerald established much of the melodic and harmonic – but especially the syllabic –
vocabulary that would mark her improvisational style through the course of her career40. This
syllabic vocabulary was a huge part of her sense of style and rhythm, as noted in 1954 by Louis
Bellson, who stated: “The greatest drum solo I ever heard was done by Ella at this time doing
and is important to the style of any scat singer. This research is an example of a kind of research
lacking for all jazz vocalists and instrumentalists; that of timbre. For years, musicians have
analyzed notes, but not sounds. This paper seeks to inspire others to engage in this kind of
timbral research.
Methodology
39
Scott
Yanow,
on
page
78
of
The
Jazz
Singers
refers
to
much
of
her
output
on
Decca
as
“juvenile
novelties,”
and
Stuart
Nicholson
references
the
“critical
opinion
that
would
have
us
believe
Ella’s
Decca
output
was
an
artistic
no-‐go
area”
on
page
131
of
Ella
Fitzgerald:
A
Biography
of
the
First
Lady
of
Jazz.
40
Geoffrey
Mark
Fidelman
makes
this
argument
as
well,
in
his
First
Lady
of
Song:
Ella
Fitzgerald
For
the
Record.
On
page
17,
he
references
an
early
Decca
recording
of
“(If
You
Can’t
Sing
It)
You’ll
Have
to
Swing
It”
by
stating
“Here,
then
was
the
first
real
hint
of
the
style
that
was
to
become
the
backbone
of
the
career
of
Ella
Fitzgerald.”
On
pages
45-‐46,
he
discusses
her
recording
of
“It’s
Only
a
Paper
Moon”
with
the
Delta
Rhythm
Boys,
noting
“…Ella’s
scat
singing
was
featured,
this
talent
obviously
having
progressed.”
41
Fidelman,
First
Lady
of
Song:
Ella
Fitzgerald
For
the
Record,
79.
8
and make educated judgments about how to describe the syllables she utilized. An issue
involved with describing vowel behaviors and shapes is that most studies of singers’ vowel
behaviors involve the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).42 While this is effective
for analyzing more “Europeanized” vowel behaviors, as Diana Spradling writes, “Jazz artists…
build their pronunciation palate from many choices that include but certainly are not limited to
pure vowels.”43 With that in mind, I have chosen to represent Fitzgerald’s vowel behaviors
• ah (as in “caught”)
• ee (as in “free)
• eh (as in “bed”)
• ey (as in “gray”)
• ih (as in “hit”)
• oh (as in “boat”)
• oo (as in “boot”)
• ow (as in “shout”)
42
Forward,
American
Diction
for
Singers,
52.
43
Spradling,
Jazz
Singing:
Developing
Artistry
and
Authenticity,
24.
44
From
Forward,
American
Diction
for
Singers,
109:
“A
diphthong
is
a
single
speech
sound
in
which
your
articulators
start
in
the
position
for
one
sound
and
immediately
slide
to
another
sound.”
9
• A mordant is indicated under the note for any sustained note with a heavy vibrato effect.
“Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”46 from a session featuring with the Ink Spots, an early
harmony group. Immediately after singing a lyrical solo chorus, Ella provides background fills
behind Hoppy Jones’ spoken-word monologue.47 This particular example consists primarily of
two-measure fills, with one four-measure phrase at the end. In analyzing Fitzgerald’s syllabic
choices, it is clear that certain syllabic patterns were already beginning to emerge in her scat
singing.
45
A
glottal
stop
is
produced
by
obstructing
airflow
in
the
vocal
tract
(glottis).
46
Source:
“Ella
Fitzgerald
and
the
Ink
Spots.”
Recorded
August
30,
1944.
Master
number
lead
singer
Bill
Kenny
(1914-‐1978)
would
sing
the
complete
melody,
then
bass
Orville
“Hoppy”
Jones
(1902-‐1944)
would
recite
either
the
first
half
or
the
bridge
of
the
song.
“Into
Each
Life
Some
Rain
Must
Fall”
represents
a
slight
departure
from
the
template,
as
Kenny
sings
the
melody,
then
Fitzgerald
sings
more
stylized
version
of
the
melody,
followed
by
the
half-‐chorus
monologue
with
scat
fills.
10
• bahp, bee (5), bih (5), bihp, boh (4), boo (3), booh, buh
• dee (2), deel, dih, dl (3), dm (6), doht, doo (7), duht (2), dwee
In just sixteen measures, Fitzgerald’s syllabic palate revolved almost exclusively around
syllables beginning with the dental consonants /b/ (21 instances) and /d/ (24 instances) with a
limited mix of vowels in combination. Also interesting to note is the use of the syllables /dl/ and
/dm/ as connective syllables in the middle of the lines, providing the effect of ghosted notes.
recording following the template “Ella sings background fills behind the melody”: a 1945
11
recording of “It’s Only a Paper Moon” from a 1945 session with the Delta Rhythm Boys.48 Note
Fitzgerald’s fills take on a bit more of a humorous nature here. The nearly complete
abandonment of the onset consonant /d/ is noteworthy. A breakdown of syllables used in these
fills:
• dental onsets: bah, bee (4), boh (3), boo (5), buh (3), dm
At this point, it seems that Fitzgerald was experimenting with syllabic choices for effect,
as she used the flipped /r/4950 for a time in the 1940s, then ceased using it entirely.
48
Source:
“Ella
Fitzgerald
and
the
Delta
Rhythm
Boys.”
Recorded
March
27,
1945.
Master
Flying Home
Home,”51 her first purely “instrumentalized” recording.52 In this recording, Fitzgerald begins by
singing Illinois Jacquet’s famous recorded 1942 solo5354 – though not note-for-note – before
• ah (4)
• dah (2), dee (3), dl (2), dlee (2), dn (2), doh, doo, doot, doy
• ehm
• lah, luhp
• oo (2)
• yah
• zoyt
51
Source:
“Ella
Fitzgerald,
acc.
by
Vic
Schoen
and
His
Orchestra.”
Recorded
October
4,
and
is
often
considered
to
be
one
of
the
first
rock
and
roll
records.
54
Rickert,
“Lionel
Hampton:
‘Flying
Home’”,
AllAboutJazz.com.
13
syllabic palette. The use of the /d/ consonant returns strongly, the /l/ consonant is utilized more
to assist in moving through notes at bebop tempi, and the syllable “zoyt” appears for the only
time I have encountered in her recorded history. A further breakdown of this introduction can
• vowel onsets: 7
• ah (2)
• bah, bahp (2), bee (3), beep, beet, beh, boh, boo (9), booee, boop, boot, boy (3), buh,
bwee (4)
15
• dah (5), daht, dee (10), deet, dey (3) dih, dl (7), dlee (5), dn (3), doh (3), doo (6), doop,
doot, duh
• ee (3), ey (2)
• ihp (2)
• voh
combinations of /b/, /d/, and /l/ attacks, with “oo” and “dl” being the most commonly utilized
connective syllables. This also marks the first appearance of the diphthong “ooee”. Here we can
clearly see Ella identifying the syllabic patterns that would most cleanly allow her to navigate
• ah (3)
• bah, bahp (4), bee (3), bihp, blee, boo (7), booee (13), booh, boop (2), boot, boy, bwee (2)
17
• daht, dee (4), deeoo (3), dih (3), diht (2), dl (8), dlehn, dloh, dn, dohn, doo (4), dooee (2),
• ee (3)
• iht
• nah (13)
• vaht, voy
• yihp (2)
In this chorus, Fitzgerald experiments a bit more with vowel colors (note the use of both
the “ooee” and “eeoo” diphthongs), but maintains the general focus on /b/, /d/, and /l/ syllabic
onsets. Three unique things to note about this particular chorus: the use of the flipped /r/
consonant, the use of /v/ as a syllabic onset, and the long ascending scalar sequence on the
syllable “nah” leading into the modulation at the end of the chorus.
18
• bah (3), bahb, bee (5), beh (5), bey, boh, boo, booee (5), boop, boot (2), boy (3), boyt (5),
• dee (18), deel (2), deh, dehl (5), dih (8), dl (19), dlee (2), dm, doo (13), doot, duh (8)
• ee (9)
• gih, goo
• ih (4)
• neel
• rihp
• woh
• yoh (5)
In this heavily sequence-based final chorus and coda, Fitzgerald’s syllabic choices
narrow strongly to focus on the onset consonant /d/, adding extra percussiveness to her lines.
This chorus also features the use of /g/ as an onset consonant for the first time, as well as
heavy usage of /d/ and /b/ onset consonants (in that order), with semi-frequent usage of the onset
consonant /l/ and frequent usage of the connective syllables “oo” and “ee”, with other syllabic
• ah (9)
• bah (8), bahb, bahp (6), bee (12), beep, beet, beh (6), bey, bihp, blee (2), boh (3) , boo
(16), booee (19), booh, boop (4), boot (4), boy (7), boyt (5), buh (2), bwee (10)
• dah (7), daht (2), dee (35), deel (2), deeoo (3), deet, deh (2), dehl (5) dih (12), diht (2), dl
(36), dlee (9), dlehn, dloh, dm, dn (6), doh (5), doo (25), dooee (2), doop, doot (3), dow,
• gih, goo
• lah (5), lahp, laht (4), lee (4), leet (3), liht, loh (6), loht, loo, luhp
• vaht, voy
• woh
• zoyt
From this specific analysis, broader groups can be identified out of variants on the
following syllables: “bah” (15), “bee” (14), “boo” (44), “boy” (12), “dee” (41), “dih” (14), “dl”
(47), “doo” (31), “lah” (10), and “oo” (40), along with the standalone syllables “bwee” (10), “ee”
(15), and “nah” (13). A comparison between Fitzgerald’s broad groups here and between
21
another collection is provided later. For now, it is instructive to examine Fitzgerald’s syllabic
"Flying
Home"
comparison
of
syllabic
onsets
Dental
Onset
287
Vocalized Onset 54
W, Y Onset 9
Vowel Onset 65
At this point, it is easy to recognize a number of syllabic structures that would serve as Ella
Fitzgerald’s primary vocabulary through the rest of her career. However, significant changes
Following her 1946 tour with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra55, Fitzgerald went into the
studio to record arguably her most well-known and influential scat recoding: “Oh, Lady Be
Good.”56 This recording, in many ways, represents an evolution, not only in melodic and
construction. As Nicholson wrote: “For Ella, whose remarkable ear intuitively reacted to the
subtle chord voicings, bop represented a challenge that linked her vocal technique to her
powerful, propulsive rhythmic gift.” Also: “Such a stylistic Rubicon was too wide for the swing
musicians to cross; they could only look on as bebop took over… Some, like Coleman Hawkins
and Don Byas, almost succeeded in adapting to bop, but only one – Ella Fitzgerald – successfully
made the transition. In a music dominated by males, this was no mean achievement.”57
55
Fitzgerald:
“We
used
to
play
theatres,
what
we
used
to
call
‘around
the
world.
When
the
band
would
go
out
to
jam,
I
liked
to
go
out
with
Dizzy
because
I
used
to
get
thrilled
listening
to
them
when
he
did
his
bebop.
That’s
actually
the
way
I
feel
I
learned
what
you
call
bop.
It
was
quite
an
experience,
and
he
used
to
always
tell
me,
‘Come
on
up
and
do
it
with
the
fellas.’
That
was
my
education
in
learning
how
to
really
bop.
We
used
to
do
Oo-‐
Bop-‐Sh’Bam-‐a-‐Klook-‐a-‐Mop.’
That’s
one
of
the
first
things
I
remember
he
used
to
do…
and
that
fascinated
me.
When
I
felt
like
I
could
sing
that,
then
I
felt
like
I
was
in.”
Source:
Nicholson,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
A
Biography
of
the
First
Lady
of
Song,
96.
56
Source:
“Ella
Fitzgerald,
acc.
by
Bob
Haggart
and
His
Orchestra.”
Recorded
March
18,
• ah (14)
• bah (4), bee (8), beh, behm, beyl, bihp (6), biht, blee, boh, bohp, boy(2)
24
• dah (2), dee (20), deh, dey (4), dih (6), dihp, dl (24), dley (2, one with a shadow vowel
“uh” attached), dloo, dm, dn (5), doh (8), doht, doo (9), dooh, doom, duh (7)
• ih (6)
• lah (5), leh (3), leht, ley (3), leyt, lih, liht, loh (3)
• rihp
In the first chorus of “Oh, Lady Be Good,” Fitzgerald begins establishing a new (for her)
bebop-influenced vocabulary, driven largely by syllabic combinations using the syllable /dl/ as a
connective line. Also of note here are the volume of syllables beginning with the vocalized
consonant /l/, a timbral characteristic more often associated with Sarah Vaughan. The various
syllables beginning with /y/ are also more commonly associated with Vaughan58, which hints at
Fitzgerald possibly having a greater influence on Vaughan than is often posited. The more overt
use of the onset consonant /d/ is a phonemic choice that Mel Tormé would admittedly borrow
from Fitzgerald in his own improvisational style.59 Harmonically (but also connected with her
syllabic vocabulary), this chorus also contains early instances of Fitzgerald utilizing “ghost
notes” – pitches that are more inferred than they are tonal. This is a common instrumental
practice, so it is instructive to see Fitzgerald incorporating this technique after her time touring
58
Examples
of
Vaughan’s
fluid
style
of
scat
improvisation
on
both
“Shulie
A
Bop”
and
“All
of
Me”
from
her
1954
10-‐inch
LP
Sarah
Vaughan
and
her
1957
studio
album
Swingin’
Easy
(EmArcy
36109).
59
A
clear
example
of
this
is
Tormé’s
recording
of
“Route
66”
from
Live
at
the
Maisonette
(Atlantic),
in
which
Tormé
sings
two
scat
choruses
demonstrating
to
the
audience
how
Ella
would
sing
the
song
if
she
were
there.
25
with Gillespie. At the end of this chorus, Ella also includes a musical quote from Percy
• ah (15)
• bah (3), bahp, bee (2), beeooh, bey (3), beyb, beym, bih (3), bihp, bl (2), boo (3), booh,
boym (2), bree (2, with a flipped /r/), breh (with a flipped /r/), bweem, buh (2)
• dee (6), deh (2), dehn, dey (2), dih (5), dl (27), dn (2), doh (4), doo (4), dooh (4), duh,
duhp
• ih (2)
• uh
• yah
Though quoting “Tisket A-Tasket” would become a staple of Ella Fitzgerald scat solos,
this represents one of the first recorded instances. In this chorus, Fitzgerald also makes use of
the rhotic (“flipped”) /r/ and strikes more of a balance between /b/ and /d/ onsets. The humorous
nature of the syllabic choices in the quarter-note triplets and the scalar lines that follow might
also be regarded as deriving strong influence from Gillespie’s vocals, described by Robert G.
improvising jazz”60. Several of the syllabic ideas presented here by Fitzgerald can be found on
60
O’Meally.
The
Jazz
Singers,
102.
61
Source:
Gene
Norman
Presents
EP3,
recorded
July
19,
1948.
27
• ah (3)
• dee (10), dih (8), dl (8) dlee (2), doo (4), dooh (2), duh (6)
28
• ee, ey (2)
• lahd, lee, leh (6), lehn, lih (2), loh, luh (3)
• uh (2)
• Raspy Arco-Bass Syllables: buh (2), dee, ee (5), een, ih, nee (13), nih, uh (2)
trademarks: a low, raspy, sustained tone on an “ee” vowel, designed to be reminiscent of the
bowed- (arco) bass playing and vocalizing of Slam Stewart.62 This chorus also features broader
usage of /l/ and /y/ onsets. The chromatic hemiola passage in the bridge of the chorus is
approach.63 It is also worth noting the (likely) Lester Young-inspired secondary repetitive
62
Stewart
was
known
for
singing
along
in
octaves
with
his
bowed-‐bass
improvisational
solos,
though
“vocalizing”
is
a
more
accurate
term,
as
Stewart
half-‐sung-‐half-‐mumbled
in
a
raspy
voice,
which,
again,
Fitzgerald
paid
homage
to
in
her
solo
approach.
A
fine
example
of
both
Stewart
and
Major
Holley
employing
this
solo
approach
can
be
found
on
their
1981
duo
recording
of
“Close
Your
Eyes
(Shut
Yo’
Mouth)”
from
Shut
Yo’
Mouth
(Delos
DE1024).
63
Consider
O’Day’s
recording
of
“The
Way
You
Look
Tonight”
from
the
1959
album
Cool
Heat:
Anita
O’Day
Sings
Jimmy
Giuffre
Arrangements
(Verve
MGV
(S6)
8312.
29
• ah (8)
• bah (2), bee (8), bih (3), boh (4), boo (3), boy (3), buh
30
• dah (5), dee (19), deel, deh, dey (5), dih (4), dl (15), dlee (2), dleh, dluh, dm, dn (4), doh
• ih (2), iht
• uh (5)
• yooh
• Variable-Pitch Percussives: AH, BAH, BEE, BOW, DLEE, DN, DOO, OO (3)
Once again, Fitzgerald makes use of ghost notes in this chorus, but there are new things
to note here. First, Fitzgerald uses a strong glottal attack on an “ehm” syllable, and she will do
this even more in the following chorus. Second, the end of the bridge features a series of
variable-pitch percussive tones that are meant to be more reminiscent of a drum set than any
specific melodic or harmonic idea. The reliance on the “ee” vowel in this chorus also hints at
Fitzgerald being more of an influence on Betty Carter than she is sometimes credited.64 Finally,
Fitzgerald continues the use of musical quotes by briefly referencing the melody of the jazz
64
For
instance,
examine
the
young
Carter’s
1956
recording
of
“Frenesi”
from
Meet
Betty
Carter
and
Ray
Bryant
(Columbia
JC
36425;
CO55873).
A
number
of
Carter’s
linear
and
syllabic
ideas
have
parallels
with
concepts
Fitzgerald
used
in
this
solo.
31
• bah (2), bahp (3), bee (4), beh (2), behm, bih (2), blee (2), boo, boy, boym, buh
32
• dah (2), daht, dee (11), deh (3), dey (2), deyl, dih (7), dl (5), dlee (2), dley (2), dn (5), doh
• ee, ey (4)
• ih
• rih
• uh (2)
• Lyric: “I’m just a lonesome babe in the woods. Oh, lady, oh, lady, lady won’t you be so
good to me?”
Fitzgerald quotes the Dizzy Gillespie song title “Oop Bop Sh’Bam”6566 – yet another indication
of just how much of an influence that particular tour was on Fitzgerald’s development as a bebop
improviser.
A complete analysis of Ella Fitzgerald’s syllabic choices on “Oh, Lady Be Good” reveals
a broadening syllabic palette featuring a primary emphasis on /d/ onset consonants, the constant
usage of the connective syllable /dl/ to facilitate lines at bebop tempos, and a broadened use of
quotes, un-pitched syllables, and the raspy bowed-bass mimicry that would become one of her
improvisational staples.
65
Kenny
Clarke,
the
drummer
in
the
Gillespie
band,
was
known
for
a
combination
of
a
snare
drum
rim
shot
followed
directly
by
a
kick
drum
accent.
This
earned
Clarke
the
nickname
“Klook,”
short
for
“Klook-‐mop”
–
an
imitation
of
the
sound
produced
by
those
accents.
The
name
was
then
immortalized
in
the
lyrics
of
“Oop
Bop
Sh’Bam.”
66
Gitler,
Jazz
Masters
of
the
Forties,
290.
33
• bah (12), bahp (4), bee (24), beeooh, beh (2), behm (2), bey (3), beyb, beyl, beym, bih
(11), bihp (7), biht, bl (2), blee (3), boh (5), bohp, boo (10), booh, boy (6), boym (3), bree
(2, with a flipped /r/), breh (with a flipped /r/), buh (4), bweem
• dah (9), daht, dee (66), deel, deh (7), dehn, dey (13), deyl, dih (30), dihp, dl (79), dlee (6),
dleh, dley (4, one with a shadow vowel “uh” attached), dloo, dluh, dm (2), dn (16), doh
(9), doht, doo (36), dooh (7), doom, doot, duh (9), duhp
• ih (11), iht
• lah (8), lahd, laht, lee (3), leh (9), lehn, leht, ley (6), leyt, lih (7), liht, loh (7), loo (2), loot,
luh (3)
• oh (21), ohb, ohn (3) oht (2), oo (47), ooee (2), ooh, /ooh (3), oon, oot (2), oy (3), /oy,
oyl, oym
• rih. rihp
• uh (10)
• Lyrics: “I’m just a lonesome babe in the woods. Oh, lady, oh, lady, lady won’t you be so
good to me?”
• Quotes: “Tisket, a-tasket, I lost my yellow basket!” “Oop bop sh’bam a klook a mop!”
• Raspy Arco-Bass Syllables: buh (2), dee, ee (5), een, ih, nee (13), nih, uh (2)
• Variable-Pitch Percussives: AH, BAH, BEE, BOW, DLEE, DN, DOO, OO (3)
34
From this specific analysis, broader groups can be identified out of variants on the
following syllables:
• “dn” (16)
• “uh” (10)
Vocalized Onset 58
W, Y Onset 9
In comparing these two seminal Ella Fitzgerald solos, it becomes clear to see how her
syllabic improvisational style changed following her time with the Dizzy Gillespie big band.
As Fitzgerald became more and more immersed in bebop style, she found it necessary to
revise the way in which she articulated the attack points of notes. Fitzgerald found it more useful
in the bebop idiom to articulate with /d/ and vowel onsets, creating more of an imbalance in her
syllabic vocabulary. This difference becomes even more apparent in looking at what I will call
“Syllabic Groupings.” For purposes of this essay, a “Syllabic Group” is a collection of syllables
that 1) share a “syllabic root” (for instance, “dee,” “deel,” and “deet” are all members of the
“dee” Syllabic Group”) and 2) appear ten or more times in a given recording.
37
Notice how the most common Syllabic Groups in “Flying Home” (“boo,” “dee,” “dl,”
“doo,” and “oo”) make a subtle but important shift in “Oh, Lady Be Good” (“ah”, “bee,” “dee”,
“deh/dey”, “dih,” “dl,” “doo,” “ee”, “oh,” “oo,” and the raspy-arco “nee”). Generally speaking,
Fitzgerald used a brighter, more forward vowel shape articulated with an onset /d/.
38
Between 1944 and 1947, Ella Fitzgerald’s improvisational approach changed drastically,
largely through syllabic changes driven by the new bebop jazz style. It can be posited that
Fitzgerald’s tours with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra played a key role in this improvisational
development. Fitzgerald’s syllabic evolution continued throughout the period she recorded for
Decca Records (1939-1955), and further analysis of recordings like “How High the Moon,”67
“Airmail Special,”68 and “Preview”69 will only serve to add to knowledge of this important
In this analysis, I have pointed out moments in which Ella’s improvisational ideas –
melodic, harmonic, and especially syllabic – seem to foreshadow the improvisational styles of
younger scat singers who immediately followed Fitzgerald, including Anita O’Day, Carmen
McRae, Jon Hendricks, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé, and Betty Carter.70 I feel that further
research, including transcription and analysis, will show that all of the aforementioned singers
incorporated significant amounts of syllabic material that can be shown to have its roots in
Fitzgerald’s development as a scat singer during the formative stages of her career.
It will also be important to explore the influence of Louis Armstrong and Leo Watson on
Ella’s improvisational approach. Armstrong is widely regarded as the father of modern scat
singing.71 Watson’s influence on Fitzgerald’s style has been documented in several sources.72
67
Master
number
74324,
Decca
24387.
68
Master
number
82075,
Decca
28126.
69
Master
number
83014,
Decca
28321.
70
Consider
the
quote
from
Bauer’s
“Scat
Singing:
A
Timbral
and
Phonemic
Analysis”
that
references
Carter’s
early
solos
being
“peppered
with…
vocal
licks
out
of
Fitzgerald’s
vocabulary
such
as
the
rapid
alteration
of
syllables
that
start
with
/n/
and
/d/.”
71
There
are
too
many
sources
to
mention
here,
but
most
standard
accounts
of
both
general
music
history
and
jazz
history
cite
Armstrong’s
1926
recording
of
“Heebie
Jeebies”
as
the
advent
of
modern
scat
singing.
39
As I wrote earlier, syllabic choice is vitally important to the style of any scat singer. This
paper seeks to inspire others to engage in this kind of research dedicated to timbral and phonemic
choices in scat singing, and to build upon the ideas and concepts I have presented here.
72
Notably
in
Nicholson,
Ella
Fitzgerald:
A
Biography
of
the
First
Lady
of
Jazz,
89-‐92.
40
Recordings Cited
Carter, Betty. Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant. Columbia, 1955.
Fitzgerald, Ella. Ella Fitzgerald and Jazz at the Philharmonic. Verve, 1957.
__________; accompanied by Graham, Leonard; Lewis, John; Brown, Ray; and Harris, Joe.
“How High the Moon.” Decca 24387, Master 74324, December 20, 1947.
__________; accompanied by the Ray Brown Orchestra. “Airmail Special.” Decca 28126,
__________; accompanied by Bob Haggart and His Orchestra. “Oh, Lady Be Good.” Decca
__________; accompanied by Sy Oliver and His Orchestra. “Preview.” Decca 28321, Master
__________; accompanied by Vic Schoen and His Orchestra. “Flying Home.” Decca 23956,
__________; and the Delta Rhythm Boys. “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” Decca 23425, Master
__________; and the Ink Spots. “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.” Decca 23356, Master
Gillespie, Dizzy. “Ool Ya Koo.” Gene Norman Presents EP3, July 19, 1948.
O’Day, Anita. Cool Heat: Anita O’Day Sings Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements. Verve, 1959.
Works Cited
Bauer, William R. “Scat Singing: A Timbral and Phonemic Analysis. Current Musicology 71-
Carr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby; and Priestley, Brian. Jazz: The Rough Guide. London: Rough
Fidelman, Geoffrey Mark. First Lady of Song. New York: Birch Lane Press, 1994.
Friedwald, Will. Jazz Singing: America’s Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and
Forward, Geoffrey; and Howard, Elisabeth. American Diction for Singers. Topanga, CA:
Gitler, Ira. Jazz Masters of the Forties. New York: Collier Books, 1966.
Gourse, Leslie. Louis’ Children. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1984.
__________. The Ella Fitzgerald Companion: Seven Decades of Commentary. New York:
• Cerulli, Dom. “Ella… The Jazz Horn.” Liner notes, The Best of Decca, 1995.
• Holden, Stephen. “Ella Fitzgerald’s Playfulness Ripens With Time’s Passage.” New
Ladefoged, Peter; and Maddieson. Ian. The Sounds of the World’s Languages. Oxford:
Blackwell, 1996.
Madura, Patrice. Getting Started with Vocal Improvisation. Virginia, MENC – The National
Morgenstern, Dan. “The First Lady of Song.” Liner notes for Ella Fitzgerald 75th Birthday
Nicholson, Stuart. Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz. New York: Da Capo
Press, 1995.
Randel, Don Michael. The New Harvard Dictionary Of Music. Cambridge: The Belknap Press
flying-home-lionel-hampton-by-david-rickert, 2005.
Spradling, Diana. Jazz Singing: Developing Artistry and Authenticity. Edmonds, WA: Sound
• Binek, Justin. “The Art and Craft of Scat Singing and Melodic Alteration.”
Stoloff, Bob. Scat! Vocal Improvisation Techniques. Brooklyn: Gerard & Sarzin, 1996.
Wilson, Conrad (Editor); Westrup, J.A.; and Harrison, F.L. The New College Encyclopedia of
Yanow, Scott. The Jazz Singers. New York: Backbeat Books, 2008.