OK, if you've been following along at home with your own copy of the book, you may have noticed that I haven't exactly been going in order. Well, I actually just got the book today. I had been going off the list on the website, which wasn't in true chronological order. I'm going to get on track now.Louis Prima was a well-known nightclub singer/trumpeter in the '30s and '40s, with moderate success in his hometown New Orleans and later in New York. In the mid-50s, he joined a band that landed a gig at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. They quickly became the hottest act in town.
Capitol Records wanted to capture the same spirit and energy of their lounge act o n this record, so they had the band cut it live in the studio. The result is a half hour of irresistible swingin' jazz.
Most of you probably remember the Brian Setzer cover of "Jump, Jive An' Wail" that was featured in a GAP® commercial in the '90s. A few of you might remember the deliciously tacky David Lee Roth version of "I'm Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" from the '80s. But did you know that Louis Prima was also King Louie from The Jungle Book? And one of my all-time favorite Disney songs just happens to be "I Wan'na Be Like You."
Needless to say, this was a very fun album and it made me want to take swing dance lessons. Who's in?
Favorite Tracks: "Medley: I'm Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody," "Jump, Jive, An' Wail" and "The Lip."
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