Live Jazz: Louis Prima Gets His Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

By Devon Wendell

Musical Renaissance man Louis Prima would have turned 100 this year, and maybe that’s why he finally received his star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Sunday July 25, 2010, in front of The Montalban Theater in Hollywood, some 32 years after his death.

Prima’s incredible legacy began in the 1930′s when he headed to New York City from his New Orleans home, and soon landed a contract for his band to play on CBS radio twice a week. His “Swing, Swing Swing” was a major hit for Benny Goodman in the ‘30s.  Later, his own twenty two piece orchestra delivered such top selling tunes as “Angelina,” “Please No Squeeza Da Banana” and “Josephina.”  And in the ‘50s, with partner (and then wife) Keely Smith, backed by Sam Butera and the Witnesses, Prima produced such chart topping, Vegas-era hits as “Jump, Jive, Wail,” “Just A Gigolo” and “That Old Black Magic.”  Prima started his own record company, Prima Magna Groove, in 1963, and his smoky voice and tender wit was added to such children’s films as The Jungle Book, and The Rescuers.  Prima’s signature smooth vocals, and his limited but effective trumpet stylings, have made him one of the music world’s most unique and memorable entertainers.

But at times, the event Sunday seemed to have more to do with the 50^th anniversary of The Hollywood Walk Of Fame than it did with Prima, the honoree.  Los Angeles City councilmen Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge, along with Sam Smith of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, led the ceremony, which inexplicably kicked off with an Aztec drum ritual of fire and dance. Thankfully, the star of the ceremony finally became Prima’s son, Louis Prima, Jr.

Louis Prima Jr. and his band

After receiving the star for their father with his sister Lena, Prima Jr. performed a short set of his father’s classics, opening with “Jump, Jive, Wail.”  Although many of Louis’s stage antics and mannerisms mimicked those of his father’s, the band had a loud and progressively unique sound — loud being the operative word, meaning that much of the subtle nuances of the original music got lost in the shuffle.  The horn section, consisting of trombonist Phil Clevinger, trumpeter Ted Schumaker, and tenor saxophonist, Marco Palos, were the standout members of the band. This was especially evident on “Angelina Buona Sera.”

Singing with Prima, Jr., Sarah Spiegal may have looked and dressed the part of Keely Smith, but sadly she lacked the vocal skills and charismatic stage presence. Her voice was often off key and brash, especially when paired up with Prima Jr.’s soft, laid back sound, disrupting the easy swing of “Old Black Magic.” Fortunately, the resemblance between father and son was especially apparent on the group’s reading of “Just A Gigolo,” with some energetic young swing dancers stimulating the enthusiastic fans to move along in rhythm.  Sister Lena Prima did a duet with her brother on “When the Saings Go Marchin’ In,” and proved to have a stronger voice and more natural stage appeal than Spiegal. Cousin Jimmy Prima’s drumming also stood out, but the rock guitar wailing of Joey Sykes didn’t always fit the compositions.

The energy of Prima Jr. and the contemporary Witnesses had the sort of modern and aggressive approach that might have prompted Louis Sr. to give them the old “cut” throat sign at times. That loss of dynamics and subtlety, failing to contrast high energy with soft and low points, was a statement to the understated power of Prima Sr.’s whole generation — gone but not forgotten.

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Before the big ceremony began, I had a brief conversation with Prima Jr. about the significance of the big day:

DW:  How does it feel to have your father honored with a star on the Hollywood walk of fame?

LP,Jr:  We feel very proud and honored. We’ve been working on this for 20 years. Especially with this being my father’s 100th birthday makes it very special.

DW: What were the greatest lessons you learned from your father’s music?

LPJr.: I feel my father had a joyful lesson to teach everyone. He never did a sad or slow song. He believed that life is too short and anything can happen, so music should make you happy and tap your foot. There are enough problems in the world.

DW:  How would you like today’s as well as future generations to remember your father’s legacy?

LPJr.: People tend to narrow down his career to the few years in Vegas and not his years in New Orleans. My father wrote “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and was a viable hit-making entity for decades, maintaining a style that is accessible, good time music. We just found out that — before he took ill — he was in the process of adding three songs and voice-overs for the film The Rescuers.  Then you also have his hits from the ‘60s. Fifty years of influence. He influenced everyone from David Lee Roth to Brian Setzer in the ’80′s and ’90′s. If he were alive today, he’d still be up on stage swinging with that energy. He never looked back, never stopped moving. Louis Prima remains important because he played pretty for the people.   This is a great day.

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