This is an album that I checked out the first time I had a read through the '1001 albums' book (2010 or so) and ended up buying up a greatest hits album that I found in a shop here. This album is as good as his greatest hits and, at 10 tracks, much more concise a musical statement.
Dismissed as an Italian Louis Armstrong (not helped by covering 3 of Armstrong's tunes here) he is another artist whose career (like Sinatra's, as mentioned on day 0001) was floundering, but he married a young 22 year old singer and added her and a hot young sax player to revitalise his band. That seemed to do the trick, with that new burst of energy being cut essentially live in the studio. A great mix of tracks with some great vocal harmonies on the driving "Just a gigolo/I aint got nobody" and Prima and his wife Keely Smith trading lines on (the lyrically dated) "Just for You".
I just think it's an incredibly fun album, even the sweeter tracks like 'buonasera senorita' are performed with a twinkle in the eye. The band is tight, the playing is hot and, as the book says: "this is irrepressible music that more than matches its glorious cover shot"
Fun fact, Louis also performed the voice of King Louie in the original 'Jungle Book' film.
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