Louis Prima

The Capitol Collector's Series

A must have for all swing fans.

Louis Prima was an innovator without equal. Jump blues/jazz icons Louis Jordan and Slim Gaillard shared Prima's penchant for combining R&B with swing and good humor, but Prima's cross-section of influences is as singular at it is striking. When Prima made his major impact in the pre-rock & roll '50s, it was a downright bizarre experience to see/hear an Italian-American combining blues, swing, pop, R&B and Italian songs in a wild, unfettered style that foreshadowed the arrival of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. If you're a newcomer to Prima's work, you'd be hard pressed to find a better introduction than this 26-track compilation that includes his most popular material. With R&B saxman Sam Butera and singer (wife) Keely Smith as his foils, Prima was an arresting, original voice in American music, and this collection makes the reasons plain.

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Track Listing1. Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody / 2. Oh Marie / 3. Buona Sera / 4. Jump, Jive, An' Wail / 5. Basin Street Blues/When It's Sleepy Time Down South / 6. Lip, The (with Keely Smith) / 7. Whistle Stop / 8. 5 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days / 9. Banana Split For My Baby / 10. There'll Be No Next Time (with Sam Butera) / 11. When You're Smiling/The Sheik Of Araby / 12. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (with Keely Smith) / 13. I've Got The World On A String / 14. Pennies From Heaven / 15. Angelina/Zooma Zooma / 16. Beep! Beep! / 17. Embraceable You/I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good (with Keely Smith) / 18. Sing, Sing, Sing / 19. That Old Black Magic (with Keely Smith) / 20. Music Goes 'Round And Around, The (previously unreleased) / 21. Hey Boy! Hey, Girl! (with Keely Smith) / 22. Lazy River (previously unreleased, stereo, unedited) / 23. I've Got You Under My Skin (with Keely Smith) / 24. You're Just In Love / 25. Twist All Night / 26. St. Louis Blues

Playing Time: 76 min.