Louis Prima: King of the Swingers

Born in New Orleans, trumpeter, singer and entertainer Louis Prima grew up in the city's Italian-American community. He was influenced not only by New Orleans's Black jazz and folk culture but also the tradition of commedia dell'arte that dates back to 16th-century Italy. Comedy's earliest form of improv, this form of street theater poked fun at neighborhood characters and customs, and gave us the buffoon, the harlequin and, later, the clown and circus. Prima's combination of jazz and humor was intoxicating for audiences, especially in Las Vegas in the 1950s, when Prima teamed with his wife vocalist Keely Smith and high-energy saxophonist Sam Butera.

There may be quite a bit about Prima and his career that you're unaware of, including the fact that he wrote the swing era anthem Sing, Sing, Sing. This wonderful 2006 documentary, Louis Prima: King of the Swingers, will enlighten and fill in the blanks.

Here's the documentary...