[Dixielandjazz] Louis Prima Jr. reviewed - Jazz Times, June 2014

[Robert Ringwald]

Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses: Blow (Warrior/Universal)
by Christopher Loudon
Jazz Times, June 2014
For a while, Louis Prima Jr. resisted the call of the wild. The only son of the celebrated
Vegas headliner, Prima Jr. fronted a locally successful rock outfit in his 20s and
continued to dabble in music while building a career in Sin City's food and beverage
trade. It wasn't until 1995 that the trumpeter and vocalist, then 30, decided to
focus full-time on recapturing the colossal showmanship of his late father. Seventeen
years later, having formed his own band of Witnesses, he made his recording debut
with Return of the Wildest!, comprising mostly covers from his dad's repertoire.
Blow is fresher, bolder and braver, its playlist dominated by sharp, rowdy originals.
Prima Sr. was a master of controlled chaos. While Prima Jr. captures his old man's
frenetic, party-all-night ethos ably, his sound is more loosely explosive with distinct
rock underpinnings. His voice barely hints at Sr.'s barbequed foghorn, remaining
much closer in tone and timbre to Huey Lewis. Papa Prima had two secret weapons:
Keely Smith and Sam Butera. In Marco Palos, Prima Jr. has a sax ace every bit as
ferocious as Butera. Vocalist Leslie Spencer sounds nothing like Smith (who ever
could?) but is an impressively soulful stylist, gutsy and powerful.
Prima invades his father's songbook just twice, for a rollicking "Robin Hood" and
a blistering, from-the-grave duet with Louis Sr. on "That's My Home." Side-by-side
with his father, Louis Jr. proves how worthy an heir he is to dad's King of Cool
mantle.
-30
Bob Ringwald 
Amateur Radio Station K 6 Y B V
Fulton Street Jazz Band
916/ 806-9551

Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill