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Louis Prima

Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he formed a seven-piece New Orleans-style jazz band in the late 1920s, fronted a swing combo in the 1930s and a big band group in the 1940s, helped to popularize jump blues in the late 1940s and early to mid 1950s, and performed frequently as a Vegas lounge act beginning in the 1950s.

From the 1940s through the 1960s, his music further encompassed early R&B and rock 'n' roll, boogie-woogie, and Italian folk music, such as the tarantella. Prima made prominent use of Italian music and language in his songs, blending elements of his Italian and Sicilian identity with jazz and swing music. At a time when ethnic musicians were discouraged from openly stressing their ethnicity, Prima's conspicuous embrace of his Sicilian ethnicity opened the doors for other Italian-American and ethnic American musicians to display their ethnic roots.

Prima is also known for providing the voice for the orangutan King Louie in the 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 7, 1910 (New Orleans), Died August 24, 1978 (New Orleans)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, trumpet, leader, songwriter, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 64 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D7VB-1638 10-in. 9/22/1947 My little donkey Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, songwriter  
Victor D7VB-2033 10-in. 11/11/1947 Too fat polka Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2034 10-in. 11/11/1947 If I only had a match Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Female-male vocal duet, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2037 10-in. 11/11/1947 The certain party Louis Prima Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2038 10-in. 11/11/1947 California is wonderful (if you're a grapefruit) Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2039 10-in. 11/11/1947 I'm living a lie Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra Female vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2040 10-in. 11/12/1947 I feel so smoochie Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet, vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2051 10-in. 11/12/1947 Oh! Florence (the thousand islands song) Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2052 10-in. 11/12/1947 Sweet nothings Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2584 10-in. 12/4/1947 Betty blue Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2585 10-in. 12/4/1947 Anticipation without realization Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2586 10-in. 12/4/1947 Lillian Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2587 10-in. 12/4/1947 Bubble-loo bubble-loo Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2588 10-in. 12/4/1947 The sad cowboy Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2589 10-in. 12/4/1947 All of me Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D7VB-2593 10-in. 12/5/1947 Mean to me Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band leader, vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2594 10-in. 12/5/1947 Love that boy! Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra Female vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band leader  
Victor D7VB-2595 10-in. 12/5/1947 Anywhere in Texas R. F. D. Louis Prima Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band leader, vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2596 10-in. 12/5/1947 Tutti tutti pizzicato Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band leader, vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2598 10-in. 12/5/1947 Everybody's friend, but nobody's sweetheart Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Female-male vocal duet, with jazz/dance band leader, vocalist, songwriter  
Victor D7VB-2599 10-in. 12/5/1947 The bee song (he-bee and she-bee) Louis Prima Orchestra ; Louis Prima Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, vocalist, songwriter  
Victor D9VB-0287 10-in. 3/15/1949 All right, Louie, drop the gun Cast of Characters ; Louis Prima Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal group and jazz/dance band vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Victor D9VB-0291 10-in. 3/15/1949 It's a cruel, cruel world The Goofers ; Louis Prima Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal group and jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, trumpet, vocalist  
Decca 63166 10-in. 1/17/1938 Now they call it swing Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang instrumentalist, trumpet, vocalist  
Decca 63167 10-in. 1/17/1938 Yes, there ain't no moonlight Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang instrumentalist, trumpet, vocalist  
(Results 26-50 of 64 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Prima, Louis," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108876.

Prima, Louis. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108876.

"Prima, Louis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108876

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