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The back of this two-CD set may say "File under Lounge," but frankly, lounging will be the very last thing on your mind once you put Louis and Keely on. It's simply impossible to stand still while the duo, backed by Sam Butera and the Witnesses, gets going. When Keely sings "Hey boy, I can really cook," there's a tiny chance she's talking about something that takes place in the kitchen, but the galloping bass line behind her says that she really belongs to the dance floor. Whoo-hee! Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things" is taken at a frenetic pace--do these people ever pause to breathe? The bulk of this collection was recorded between 1957 and 1962, and it makes for an explosive document of a now-gone era when men in sharp suits hung out at the Copa, babes with pointy rocket-launcher breasts at their arms. The sheer effortlessness of it all is still supremely exciting. --Elisabeth Vincentelli |
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What a blast! This was my first introduction to Mr. Prima & Co. What a swingin' treat! You can tell from each and every cut on this twin CD set that these guys were having fun. Many of the songs have little ad-libs between Louis, Keely Smith, Sam Butera, and the other band members. Louis jumps in between solos to throw out comments, he'll scat, even proto-rap, and is having such a good time he'll try to keep from laughing while he and Sam duel with brass. Only true professional musicians can get away with that sort of thing and make it sound good. Louis & Co. are top-notch pros. Keely solos on a few cuts to round things out, and basically, you get the feeling of what it must have been like to be kickin' it in Vegas back in the swank era while taking in Louis Prima's act. Maybe tomorrow night, you'll catch Dino at the Sands, and take in Torme on Tuesday. Or, maybe you'll just keep coming back here to see Louis, Keely, Sam, and the Witnesses again and again. Many of the songs are just plain fun ("Robin Hood/Oh Babe", "Banana Split For My Baby", "Felicia No Capicia", "Greenback Dollar Bill", "There'll Be No Next Time"), and even the old standards take on a wink and a smile when Louis gets ahold of them ("The Music Goes 'Round And Around", "That Old Black Magic", "Just One of Those Things", "Embraceable You")! Get yourself a martini, sit back and relax, and get ready to be swung back to swanksville. This set is one swingin' good time, whether you're six or sixty! |
