Cab Calloway turned the swing-era bandstand into a theater of pure charisma — his scat-singing, his zoot suits, and his call-and-response showmanship on songs like 'Minnie the Moocher' made him one of the most magnetic performers to come out of Harlem's Cotton Club. He led one of the era's great big bands for decades, mixing genuine jazz musicianship with vaudeville flair in a combination that influenced performers well outside jazz. His flamboyant stagecraft became a reference point for rock and roll showmen a generation later.

the sound in question

1931

Minnie the MoocherCab Calloway