[Dixielandjazz] Heebie Jeebies///Lil Hardin Armstrong

[Bill Haesler]

> Re:  early scat singing
> See the highly recommended book by Nick Toches WHERE DEAD VOICES
> GATHER for history of pre-Heebie Jeebies scat singing.    mark weber

Dear Mark,
Thank you for that reminder.
As I recall, this subject was discussed some years ago on the DJML 
including another fact, cited in Nick Tosches book (page 44). Don 
Redman's 'scat' singing on the Fletcher Henderson Orch version of "My 
Papa Doesn't Two-Time No More" (16 April 1924).
This was seven months before Louis joined the Henderson band and nearly 
2 years before Louis' "Heebie Jeebies' from 26 Feb 1926. Something 
Louis would not have known when he told his scat story in 1951.
Playing the Henderson now. Redman certainly lacks the swing and hotness 
of Louis.
We should also remember that Louis 'vocalises' the coda on take -1 of 
Henderson's "Everybody Loves My Baby" from 24 Nov 1924.
According to Fletcher, Louis was singing with them within weeks of 
joining the band. There is also a story told by Mrs Leora Henderson 
about Louis singing and scatting with the band (refer Walt C Allen's 
'Hendersonia', page 127). Louis later claimed that Henderson would not 
let him sing, but perhaps he was referring to the Henderson recordings.
Nor, for some reason, did Louis sing on the Clarence Williams' small 
group recordings made during the 1924-25 Henderson period.
Kind regards,
Bill.
PS: We should mention that Nick Tosches' [correct spelling] fine 2001 
book 'Where Dead Voices Gather'  is about the life and times of 
blackface yodeler/scatman/singer Emmett Miller.