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David Lee Roth copied the Louis Prima arrangement of Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody while Brian Setzer won a Grammy for his version of Jump, Jive An' Wail. The amazing originals are here. Also contains Louis Prima's big hits with the succulent Keely Smith: That Old Black Magic and I've Got You Under My Skin are the epitome of Las Vegas cool. Plus a clutch of lethal tenor-man Sam Butera's rock 'n' roll vocals including Ten Little Women and the full kilter Bim Bam. All told, there's no better collection of Louis Prima's seriously frantic fusion of rock 'n' roll, Dixieland and Neopolitan mayhem. Fans will also appreciate the generous number of tracks and the booklet's numerous photos.

Louis Prima can't be pigeon-holed. Jump blues, vaudeville, Dixieland jazz, Sicilian boogie, swing and flat-out rock 'n' roll; they were all reflected in the riotous lounge act which he pioneered if not invented. Despite his age (born 1910) and a recording career which spanned four decades, Prima understood rock 'n' roll. 'It's got that beat' he said. 'There's nothing, but nothing, wrong with rock 'n' roll'.

This collection doesn't overlook his jazz-inflected pop hits with Keely Smith but it relies primarily on his very best recordings for Capitol, those which capture the exalted frenzy of his live show and the rumbustious spirit of '50s rock 'n' roll. It includes his own full-steam ahead classic, Jump, Jive An' Wail, several innovative medleys and a clutch of attractive rockers by his accompanists, tenor sax player Sam Butera and his band, the Witnesses. Spurned by critics at the time, this anthology of ground-breaking, house-rocking music restores Louis Prima to his rightful, well-deserved place in the reissue spotlight.

Track Listing