[Dixielandjazz] Louis Prima - New Orleans Jazz Man

[Stephen Barbone]

Charlie Hull wrote:

"I have seventeen of the LP albums made by Prima and Sam Butera and the
Witnesses, and they include at least a dozen trad jazz tunes.  One of my

projects is to put all their trad numbers onto a CD.  But not today."


List mates:

Yeah, Louis Prima, born in New Orleans around 1910 or so, was a real
player. In his early jazz career, he worked with Red Nichols before he
formed his own band. In the 1930s. His early band had players that
included:

George Brunis, Claude Thornhill, Pee Wee Russell, Sidney Arodin, Ray
Bauduc, Eddie Miller, Artie Shapiro and George Van Eps. Their theme
song?

"Way Down Yonder In New Orleans"

Other little know trivia. I think Prima and Keely Smith got the first
ever "Grammy" in 1958 for "That Old Black Magic". They also played John
F. Kennedy's inauguration.

A HUGE Las Vegas hit in the 1950s and 1960s, some say that show was the
cornerstone of what made Las Vegas night clubs famous.

Yeah, he became a showman, but then he lived his life personally and
musically to the fullest. Guys like Charlie Hull, Dick Broadie and me
who saw the Vegas Band in action came away mightily impressed. And Sonny
Troy, Barbone Street's guitarist who worked with Prima, Smith & Butera
in Vegas can keep you in stitches all night with stories about the wild
one.

Precious little Dixieland in his later years but surely OKOM that was
humorous and swung mightily.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

PS. Favorite song? hard to pick, but "Baccigaloup, (sp?) Made Love on
the Stoop" is among mine, along with "Just a Gigolo" or "Angelina".
There is a wealth of songs that he did, that would be good Dixieland as
well as great fun.