Simply put, the early success of Ward Swingle's Singers in the world of jazz is a result of their applying scat singing (a vocal technique using nonsense syllables started by Louis Armstrong in 1926 when his songsheet with the words fell on the floor while recording) to incongruous well-known music, such as the orchestral and organ music of J.S. Bach. In "Around The World" the Swingles apply scat to folk songs from around the world with a result as fresh and surprising as their first hit, "Bach Hits Back." The instruments they scat in this generous, sumptious CD (over an hour, 20 songs) include flutes of the Andes on the lovely opening cut, "Cachapaya," the banjo in the American medley "Country Dances" and the didgeridoo in a lilting "Waltzing Matilda." The combination of words and vocal "instruments" create another winning, unique sound for the Swingles. Some other favorites: "Star of the County Down" from Ireland, Scotland's "Loch Lomond," "The Ash Grove" from Wales, "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho," England's haunting "Bushes and Briars"... actually, there's not a weak track here!