Jazz Articles about Keely Smith

Keely Smith: Keely Sings Sinatra

by Jim Santella
April 1, 2001

Keely Smith sounds better than ever. Her comeback has proven that. Surrounded by a lush studio orchestra that includes L.A. big band regulars, the singer creates a lovely tribute to Frank Sinatra. It was recorded before he passed, and Sinatra was able to listen to an early release. He liked it too.

Smith and Sinatra have much in common: phrasing, expression, a touch of humor, and a sincere love for what they do. The pair recorded a few items together ...

Keely smith and the Frankie Capp Orchestra: Swing, Swing, Swing

by C. Michael Bailey
May 1, 2000

No Nouvue Swing. Long Associated with the late bandleader Louis Prima ("...the Sheik of Sicily"), Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, aka Keely Smith, has been performing since the late 1950s. Nearing 70 years young, Ms. Smith shows no intention of slowing down with her recent Concord Jazz release, Swing, Swing, Swing. This disc is a sprite collection of swing favorites played with a very large and tight big band. This is music that aims to please. Rather than riding the coattails of ...

Keely Smith: Swing, Swing, Swing

by John Sharpe
April 1, 2000

In the 1950s Keely Smith and her husband Louis Prima were one of the hottest acts in Las Vegas. Their fun-filled lounge act emphasized the couple’s sly, sexy interplay and the honking tenor of Sam Butera. Surviving recordings demonstrate why they were billed as “The Wildest Show In Las Vegas.” In 1961 the couple divorced and in 1978 Louis passed away in a New Orleans nursing home. While Keely Smith has recorded sporadically, this is her first session in more ...

Keely Smith: Swing, Swing, Swing

by Ed Kopp
April 1, 2000

Though Keely Smith appeared in many films and recorded with Count Basie and Frank Sinatra, she's best known as Louis Prima's deadpan sidekick and longtime vocal foil. Smith and Prima were such fixtures on the Las Vegas strip in the '50s and '60s that Smith still claims the title “First Lady of Las Vegas." (She was also Prima's fourth wife.)

Swing, Swing, Swing is a comeback album for Smith, now 68, and it's clearly an attempt to cash in on ...

Keely Smith: Swing, Swing, Swing

by Jim Santella
April 1, 2000

Keely Smith swings with the Frank Capp Orchestra in an entertaining session that is sure to appeal to a half dozen different generations. Not just a fad, swing dancing and swing music evolved with the big bands, carried a strong thread through rock & roll, and continued as a hobbyist activity until recent years. Now, large crowds are drawn to this naturally free form of music. Dancers, as well as spectators and listeners enjoy the light, buoyant effect swing music ...