Louis Prima: In Person! His Wildest Performances 1936-1973

In honor of Louis Prima's centennial, Prima's son, Louis Jr., introduces this collection of 28 filmed and televised performances (drawn from Toast of the Town, The Colgate Variety Hour, and The Ed Sullivan Show, among other programs). Louis Jr. starts by recounting the singer/trumpeter's involvement in New Orleans, Chicago, and New York swing circles. Like Cab Calloway, Prima brought both musicianship and showmanship to his repertoire, using humor, charisma, and boundless energy to give audiences their money's worth. And they responded in kind with laughing, dancing, and applause (even his bandmates seem amused by his routines). Early selections include “I'll Be Seeing You” (1949) and “That Old Black Magic” (1943), which Prima would rework in 1959 to great success. By the mid-1950s, he decided to scale back his 22-piece band, but he added vocalist Keely Smith (who became his fourth wife) and singer/saxophone player Sam Butera—changes that allowed him to stay relevant as rock ‘n' roll began to invade the airwaves. After Smith left to strike out on her own, Prima added Gia Maione (spouse number five, and Louis Jr.'s mother). While there are plenty of highlights here, one of the best centers around “Sing, Sing, Sing,” which features Jimmy Vincent in one of the world's most exuberant filmed drum solos. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo, DVD extras include five additional performances, including Swing It, a short film from 1936. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)