From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sat Dec 7, 2002  6:55 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Louis Prima
 
LOUIS PRIMA (By Shaun Mather)

Born 7 December 1911, New Orleans, Louisiana
Died 24 August 1978, New Orleans, Louisiana

Singer / trumpeter / composer / bandleader.
Louis Prima was the infectious personality who took his jazz roots
across to the developing town of Las Vegas and created a lounge
act that featured of jazz, rhythm 'n' blues, Dixieland, comedy and a
sprinkling of rock 'n' roll. The only part of his career that really does
much for me is the 50s era when he worked with his wife Keely Smith
on vocals and fellow New Orleans sax player, Sam Butera.
It was while growing up in New Orleans that Prima developed a love
for music, courtesy of his mum, Angelina for whom he later wrote the
classic tribute (recently used on a major advert in the UK). He left school
young to play the jazz clubs, and his early recordings were in the then
current big band swing vein including his biggest record of the time,
Sing, Sing Sing.
It was his Capitol stuff in the 50s that saw his personality come through
onto his records, highlights being Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody, Oh
Marie (I first heard this via the Stargazers great album, Out of Orbit),
Buona Sera (a live favourite for the Comets), Oh Babe! and Jump Jive
And Wail (need I mention Brian Setzer!!). Other gems include his version
of Pennies From Heaven and his own Banana Split For My Baby (there's
no truth that Mick Jagger sang this to Marianne Faithful).
Kiddies will recognise his voice from 1967's Jungle Book where he did the
vocals for King Louie. I get to listen to the Capitol Collectors album at
least monthly as my wife loves him. The best story I've heard is the one
where he catches Keely Smith having sex with some guy, so Prima tickles
the guy's balls and when he turns around, punches him straight in the face.
Sorry for the lack of any detailed information here, but this is being done
blindfolded with a net (and in work while my boss is sitting ten feet away
thinking I'm writing a letter about squirrels).

Recommended listening:
Capitol Collectors Series - Capitol.
EP Collection - See For Miles.
Call of The Wildest/Wildest Show at Tahoe - EMI.
Website: http://www.louisprima.com
Biography: Garry Boulard, Just A Gigolo : The Life And Times Of Louis
Prima. Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 2002. (Original edition 1985,
University of Southwestern Louisiana).
DVD : The Wildest (1999).