King Louis!!
I've been going through a musical transformation over the past few months.
Or maybe I should say my musical palette is expanding? That's probably more accurate.
It all started when I finished reading a (not very good) biography about the Rat Pack. The book was poorly written, but there was just enough in it to get me more interested in Frank, Sammy and Dean (forget about Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. Bishop was an awful comedian and Lawford had no talent whatsoever.)
Now I was not unfamiliar with these guys. My mom had several Dean Martin LPs (which I still have). I remember she always played them, so I guess you could say I grew up with Martin's music. I knew she also liked Sammy Davis, Jr., although I don't remember much about Frank Sinatra.
When I met Beth, she was already into Sinatra. As usual, she was way ahead of me.
Over the years, 'Ol Blue Eyes started to rub off on me. Although he never played a note and he never wrote a note of any of his music (usually those are the two prerequisites that I have before I even consider listening to an artist), I began to realize that all of the praise and hype surrounding "the Voice" was spot on.
His phrasing and his intonation was unparalleled. When he sang a lyric, he made it his own like no one else I had ever heard. He had style and attitude. Quite simply, he was the man... or the "Chairman of the Board." Artists from Jim Morrison to Billy Joel to Jon Bon Jovi to Louis Armstrong to Luciano Pavarotti have agreed that no one could touch him.
To this day, no one can touch him.
I've also gotten much more into Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. as well. But Sinatra is the undisputed king in my book.
There are other fantastic vocalists from the same era: Nat "King" Cole, who my Mom also listened to a great deal (I remember "Rambling Rose" playing on the old Coronado turntable). Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald... then there's the biggest selling artist of all time... Michael Jackson? Madonna? Are you kidding? Not even close. I'm talking about Bing Crosby. He's next on my list of "must have" downloads.
Recently I've gotten into Louis Jordan, who I blogged about recently. Today I downloaded a greatest hits collection by Louis Prima. I was familiar with this artist for quite some time and my brother-in-law, Jon, mentioned him to me around Christmas time.
Now this cat can swing. (Prima, not Jon... although Jon is a trombone player, so I suppose he can swing too... but let's stay on task here). Prima and this backing band, known as "The Witnesses," led by saxophonist Sam Butera, was known as "the wildest show in Vegas" in the 1950s, headlining the Sahara. (A few years later the Rat Pack invaded the Strip and rightfully laid claim to the title).
Louis Prima was a virtuoso trumpet player, outstanding singer, fantastic songwriter and arranger, and a performer second-to-none. His wife, Keely Smith, was a vocalist in his band and she had an incredibly smooth, pristine voice, which was often overlooked and upstaged by Prima's over-the-top showmanship.
Prima wrote classics such as "Sing, Sing, Sing," (made famous by Benny Goodman), "Jump, Jive an' Wail," which was covered by the Brian Setzer Orchestra a few years ago and was a huge hit 42 years after Prima debuted the song. Prima also arranged "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" in 1956, which was covered note-for-note by David Lee Roth in 1985 (including the scat singing), and was a big hit for the former Van Halen frontman.
You'll also know Prima as the voice of King Louis the orangutan in the Disney animated film, "The Jungle Book."
Here's a novelty hit written and performed by Prima called "Banana Split for My Baby." Unfortunately Keely Smith doesn't sing on this song (she's Prima's "chick" at the counter), because I think she's terrific. Still, this is one of those lost classics.
Time to go dig up some more great old tunes buried by the sands of time!
Or maybe I should say my musical palette is expanding? That's probably more accurate.
Now I was not unfamiliar with these guys. My mom had several Dean Martin LPs (which I still have). I remember she always played them, so I guess you could say I grew up with Martin's music. I knew she also liked Sammy Davis, Jr., although I don't remember much about Frank Sinatra.
When I met Beth, she was already into Sinatra. As usual, she was way ahead of me.
Over the years, 'Ol Blue Eyes started to rub off on me. Although he never played a note and he never wrote a note of any of his music (usually those are the two prerequisites that I have before I even consider listening to an artist), I began to realize that all of the praise and hype surrounding "the Voice" was spot on.
His phrasing and his intonation was unparalleled. When he sang a lyric, he made it his own like no one else I had ever heard. He had style and attitude. Quite simply, he was the man... or the "Chairman of the Board." Artists from Jim Morrison to Billy Joel to Jon Bon Jovi to Louis Armstrong to Luciano Pavarotti have agreed that no one could touch him.
To this day, no one can touch him.
I've also gotten much more into Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. as well. But Sinatra is the undisputed king in my book.
There are other fantastic vocalists from the same era: Nat "King" Cole, who my Mom also listened to a great deal (I remember "Rambling Rose" playing on the old Coronado turntable). Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald... then there's the biggest selling artist of all time... Michael Jackson? Madonna? Are you kidding? Not even close. I'm talking about Bing Crosby. He's next on my list of "must have" downloads.
Recently I've gotten into Louis Jordan, who I blogged about recently. Today I downloaded a greatest hits collection by Louis Prima. I was familiar with this artist for quite some time and my brother-in-law, Jon, mentioned him to me around Christmas time.
Now this cat can swing. (Prima, not Jon... although Jon is a trombone player, so I suppose he can swing too... but let's stay on task here). Prima and this backing band, known as "The Witnesses," led by saxophonist Sam Butera, was known as "the wildest show in Vegas" in the 1950s, headlining the Sahara. (A few years later the Rat Pack invaded the Strip and rightfully laid claim to the title).
Louis Prima was a virtuoso trumpet player, outstanding singer, fantastic songwriter and arranger, and a performer second-to-none. His wife, Keely Smith, was a vocalist in his band and she had an incredibly smooth, pristine voice, which was often overlooked and upstaged by Prima's over-the-top showmanship.
Prima wrote classics such as "Sing, Sing, Sing," (made famous by Benny Goodman), "Jump, Jive an' Wail," which was covered by the Brian Setzer Orchestra a few years ago and was a huge hit 42 years after Prima debuted the song. Prima also arranged "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" in 1956, which was covered note-for-note by David Lee Roth in 1985 (including the scat singing), and was a big hit for the former Van Halen frontman.
You'll also know Prima as the voice of King Louis the orangutan in the Disney animated film, "The Jungle Book."
Here's a novelty hit written and performed by Prima called "Banana Split for My Baby." Unfortunately Keely Smith doesn't sing on this song (she's Prima's "chick" at the counter), because I think she's terrific. Still, this is one of those lost classics.
Time to go dig up some more great old tunes buried by the sands of time!
