On April 16, 1924, jazz innovator Don Redman made history as the first musician to record scat singing. While performing with Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra, Redman delivered a few improvised bars of the song “My Papa Doesn’t Two-Time No Time” during a Columbia Records session in New York. His vocalized improvisation—nonsensical syllables used rhythmically—marked the debut of scat on record. Although Louis Armstrong is often credited with popularizing the style, it was Redman who introduced the technique to recorded music. His pioneering moment helped shape vocal jazz and opened the door for future legends to experiment with the human voice as an instrument.
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