Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang

In 1938, Vitaphone Varieties presented a Warner Bros short called "Swing Cat's Jamboree,” recorded in New York, where at the time Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang were a big hit on 52nd Street.

To some people, Louis Prima (1910-1978) is known as the composer of "Sing Sing Sing."

Others, like myself, are old enough to remember looking forward to the next broadcast of his tv-shows which displayed the chemistry of his duets with his then-wife Keeley Smith.

Most of you will have heard Louis' energetic vocals in "Just A Gigolo" and other songs, or have seen the playful swinging and dancing King Louie in "Jungle Book," the Disney animation movie .

And some of you might even have been fortunate enough to attend Louis Prima's live performances from the East Coast to the town he helped to start: Las Vegas.

I have often heard from people -- who never saw a 1950s tv-show but did listened to his swinging records -- that they were under the impression that Louis Prima, beside being the baritone singing voice was also the one playing the raucous tenor saxophone. But the sax was played by his fellow New Orleanian Sam Butera, while Louis occassionally could still be heard on his trumpet.

In the 1930s, however, Louis Prima was primarily known as a trumpeter.

The energetic entertainer Louis Prima started out on the streets of his birth town New Orleans, working in a slinky club called "The Whip." There, as a teenager he played his horn from midnight until 9 a.m. for as little as $2 a night.

At the pinnacle of his career the showman he had become earned $19,000 for a single performance at the Earl Theater in Philadelphia

In this 1938 movie short of Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang we see and hear Louis Prima-trumpet and vocal; Meyer Weinberg-clarinet; Horace Diaz-piano; Frank Federico-guitar; Sherman Masinter-string bass; Godfrey Hirsch-vibraphone and drums.

They start with their signature tune "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" composed in 1922 by John Turner Layton, Jr, with lyrics by Henry Creamer.

Then Shirley Loyd sings "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby," composed in 1928 by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.

It is followed by another popular song of the time "You're An Education In Yourself," composed by Harry Warren with lyrics by Al Dubin. Ted Gary sings it and he also does a short dance together with Mitzi Dahl.

To close the set, Louis Prima sings "Loch Lomond," a traditional Scottish song from 1841, made into a hit by Claude Thornhill and Maxine Sullivan in 1937.

This "Swing Cat's Jamboree" short was shown in American movie theaters during 1938 and 1939, together with a cartoon and a newsreel, preceding the feature film of the week.

Sit back and enjoy almost 10 minutes of 27-year old Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang.