Video of the Week #88

I remember Louis Prima from the '50s and early '60s, when he was a jump blues singer whose act featured quite a bit of comedy. But he changed with the times. This surprisingly sharp looking 9-minute short, Swing Cat's Jamboree, is from 1938, when he fronted a New Orleans style jazz band and played more trumpet. Here's the program:

1. “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans”
2. “I Can't Give You Anything But Love” (Shirley Lloyd, vocal)
3. “Please Be Kind”
4. “You're an Education” (Ted Gary, vocal; Gary and Mitzi Dahl, dancers)
5. “Loch Lomond”

In addition to Prima, the band consists of Meyer Wemberg, clarinet; Frank Pinero, piano; Frank Prederico, guitar; Sherman Masinter, bass; and George Hirsh, drums and vibes. Some of the singing is corny, but be sure to stick around for “Loch Lomond.”

Since Louis Prima appeared on television often, there is no lack of clips from the '50s. Here's he is singing his biggest hit, “Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody,” with his wife, Keely Smith and his band, Sam Butera (tenor sax) and the Witnesses.

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The Soundies #13 (Louis Jordan)

Video of the Week #68 (Cab Calloway)