My dad playing with Prima when I was only three years old in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. My pop (Dick Johnson) went on to play with the Leon Kelner Orchestra and Dukes of Dixieland in his later years from late 1959-1980

Keely Smith was the perfect foil for Prima. That deadpan aloof look was money. One of the top acts in Vegas when Vegas was still cool....Aloha

Sam Butera played with a fire like no other!! The fluidity, emotion and command of his horn are stellar. Keely’s voice is so beautiful and smooth. I wish I could go back and see these shows live.

Louis was truly one of a kind. Sam Butera should’ve been a huge star

Keely Smith was one cool chick.

If I could go back in time to see something, it would be Prima's act in Vegas.

One of the great acts of American music! Great energy and emotion with almost zero technology. That was a combination of raw talent, personality, and having the right people together. Just awesome performances!

Rest in peace 🙏 Keely Smith 9 March 1928 ~ 16 December 2017⚘

Keely Smith sooo underrated… !!

You surely can’t get too much of Louis, Sam, Kelly and this whole band of happy swingers 🎺🎷🥁❤

Anything with Keely Smith !!

there is no entertainment today close to as good as what we just watched!

Keely was a doll , and what a voice ! Sam Butera was awesome as well . THIS was entertainment .

I have taken this band into my heart. Just amazin talent. Keely is a star.

I love his fabulous, unfettered, fun-loving sounds. If I could take just one trip in a time machine, I'd pop back to 50s USA and see one of his live shows.

I haven't seen or heard Louie and Keely in years. Glad I found them on You tube. One of the best acts ever.

Man I love this. He makes me laugh out loud. There great together

What a joy to watch Louis, so full of life!

I SAW KEELEY SMITH SMILE! ...and it was well worth the wait! 🤔😱😁👍!

About 40 years ago I went to a pub - The Bramley - on Christmas Day in Notting Hill London......the LP of 'The Wildest' was playing and I was hooked on Loius & Keely's music from that day until now.......think I have every song they recorded as well as books and videos.....There is just no one these days to compare with these two people.

I can just see my Aunt Pauline listen to this & dancing around the kitchen while making sauce!

Such a powerhouse band... so tight from playing show after show and always with incredible energy and enthusiasm.. it must have been awesome playing with Louie and Sam.

One comment said he could of been a huge star . He was a huge star.

Rest in peace 🙏 Louis Prima 7 December 1910 ~ 24 August 1978🙏

true talent in a time when you couldnt rely on autotune or taped performances to do a show!

They were hilarious, A great act together!

Awesome! Anything Prima is outstanding. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

Never disappointed here. Dude was a treasure.

An Absolutely Pioneering musical GENIUS - and his ensemble(s) who Definitely should be considered as a True Father of rock & roll. PERIOD! 💯❤🤌

Amazing musician and performers!! Such a great Energy on stage!!👏👏💫💫

AMAZING!!! I'm still in the middle of this and I just have to say thank you. Ive seen just about every act of Louis And Keely on youtube and when theres a new post it really means a lot.

Aww they're so amazing 👏 Absolute genius 😍 ❤

Where on earth did you dig these little beauties up from? Each of them is worth their weight in gold!!!

So happy to find new material about Louis!! The Greatest

He was so smooth.

To have seen them live in a small concert hall or night club in Las Vegas . . . how wonderful that must have been!

I wish I could see this live

Seven years old then. My parents would never let me watch Louis and Keely. But i was able to sneak peaks and listen on the AM Radio. Glad they left me alone at home

What a gem!!!! Thank you for sharing!! They were amazing performers!

Oh my word! Never seen this before. You've made my day!

This is King Louie of The Judge Book. I love it!

Just found your channel! Right on! 🎶🎺🎶🎷🎶

I enjoyed watching this video. I just recently discovered this group they are fantastic!

Thee greatest!

A big thankyou for this, Alan! I was performing during those years, and I know how much the jazz minded musicians of the day liked these guys, especially Sam. Notice how Louis gets into "Saints" while the people are still applauding "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine"? Pace was a big thing back then, and Louis was the king of pace!

when talents meet

esto es una joya!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!!!

Keely was the original Carol Burnett. So talented and funny.

Fantastici.......

THE GREATEST!! PLEASE NEVER STOP POSTING!!

The best....!

They were on fire

“Can’t help loving that man of mine” is from “Showboat”. Written by Jerome Kern.

The only clip I've seen with the original line-up!

never be another Louis

❤ Cool Cats I remember hung this when I was little

Great stuff! Thanks for the upload.

I really enjoyed seeing this video of this rare footage of Louie Prima as I always enjoy seeing anything with Louie Prima. Thank you for posting this here Alan Smithee.

GREG H This is a miracle to find and see. They were in a class all their own and this clip shows it all! Thanks for finding and making this available..

Wow, just brilliant. As a small kid c1970 loved the music in the Jungle Book movie, by early 80s discovered Prima and Butera for their rocknroll stuff, by 90s discovered Louis and the wondrous Keely - so wish I'd seen them perform live. In 2000 danced to Sam Butera at the Rhythm Riot weekender in the UK, wow. Many thanks for posting this great clip.

The Robin Hood song here is a hidden gem. I know I've heard it before in a more straightforward manner... can't recall by whom but it's a very nicely constructed bluesy pop tune with cool Robin Hood lyrics.

Cool man cool

I have underestimated the enormous amount they Sam and the band

This might be the coolest posting on the internet. Thanks

Thanks for posting this, Alan. I also enjoy all of those films you've directed.

A fabulous talent I was to young to appreciate. Elvis squashed that era. Rock and Roll was more alluring to a ten year old.

Guess how sonny and Cher got their act from

These guys invented rock and roll.

Луи Прима-великий и легендарный джазмен, всех времен и народов!!!

there was only one Louis prima!

Opposite them on CBS was Ed Sullivan's "Seventh Anniversary Show" on "TOAST OF THE TOWN". Celebrating with him were Bob Hope (and the kids who played Eddie Foy's children in "The Seven Little Foys"), Pearl Bailey, Will Jordan [the best known Sullivan impressionist], Joe Smith & Charlie Dale {the vaudeville team famous for their "Dr. Kronkheit" sketch}, Joe Howard (composer and performer), and the Port Chester, New York High School Band.

So funny Keeley trying to get to the Mike and Louie pulls her away

That man was THE CAT

"If you don't like my Ajax honey, don't foam my cleanser."- 6:55

Omg they were having so much fun!!! Where the heck did you find this gold?!

Que grandes artistas fueron estos músicos LOIS PRIMA SAM BUTTERA.....KELLY SMITH.....⚘️⚘️⚘️👍DESCANSEN EN PAZ......

The wildest.

Louis Prima is the father of my oldest friend Alan Gerstel

That's right.

Prima looked like . . . Jack Webb. That was an interesting decade.

Keely Smith is quite animated here as opposed to later years.

I never heard of Prima but I had heard his songs but though it was Louis Armstrong. I’m dumb I guess.

I dunno If it was an act but I fell Louis was a bit rough with Keely and made her shy and in the background You tell me, but I love them both!

Louis must have listened to Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Dizzy Gillespie to 'create' his style. And that Sam Butera could play!!!

Hot!!

🫡KING LOUIE

They didn't go with deadpan keely until later.

King Louie of the Jungle book corrections

Oops contributions Sam and the band

Sorry. I was too distracted by the musical performance

Like I have soooo so underestimated our maS

Van Morrison sent me here.

Awkward moment at 2:53

Louis, Keely, Sam and the Witnesses were cool before the term was invented. I really liked this with Keely smiling and grooving along. That deadpan thing didn't appeal to me at all. I know it was Louis' idea, but with his music how could anyone sit still and not smile?

Louie. Big talent. Big jerk.

Sonny & Cher prototypes

So

Il *Belìce* è un fiume siciliano che ebbe ai greci il nome di un Dio, *Ὕψας **_pronuncia (Húpsās)*, dagli arabi, durante la dominazione saracena, il nome di *al-Qārib _(il vicino)_* e dagli *Arbëreshë di Sicilia* il nome di *Honi* perché nasce nella *Piana degli albanesi* e dagli *italiani* una pronuncia sbagliata di cui il Dio del fiume se ne amareggiò. Durante il terremoto della valle del Belìce del 1968 _(370 morti di cui 10 soccorritori, 1.000 feriti e 90.000 sfollati)_ i giornalisti della RAI commisero un arbitrio: *_spostarono la cadenza dalla seconda sillaba alla prima per cui il Belìce divenne il Bèlice._* *E questo fosse niente.* In questa valle vi è *Salaparuta, il luogo più importante nella storia del Jazz. Se Salaparuta non fosse esistita, mai esistita, se i *salitani* non avessero mai fatto parte del genere umano non avremmo avuto *Nick La Rocca* nato a New Orleans (figlio di Girolamo di di Salaparuta e Vita De Nina) che nel 1918 sostituì la parola jass in jazz nel nome della sua formazione, che divenne così il primo a farsi riconoscere con il nome jazz: *Original Dixieland Jazz Band*. La Rocca, da molti, è considerato un pioniere del jazz classico, uno dei primi interpreti in assoluto. La sua arte influenzò tutto quello che venne dopo. *E questo fosse niente.* Non avremmo avuto *Louis Prima*, nato a New Orleans, ma nipote di Luigi Di Prima emigrato da Salaparuta nella seconda metà dell’Ottocento. Louis Prima era molto orgoglioso delle sue origini, e ad ogni esibizione non mancava di far sapere al pubblico che era italo-americano e di New Orleans. Nel suo modo di cantare e di suonare erano evidenti molte influenze dell’Italia Meridionale: la teatralità dei gesti della sceneggiata o dell’opera dei pupi, l’arte scenica e le feste popolari del sud. Iniziava i concerti sempre con: *_“My name is Louis Prima, I'm from New Orleans e song’Italiano”_* Dal pubblico rispondeva sempre uno - non si sa se era lo stesso di sempre a New Yor, a Los Angeles, a Miami - *_“Uè, paisà”_* Lui scoppiava a ridere e iniziava con *Keely Smith* o con *Sam Butera* al sax un duetto, una macchietta. *E a volte per una pronuncia sbagliata noi roviniamo tutto: Belìce, Belìce non Bèlice.*

Cancel Culture of today would be ruthlessly criticizing these musicians for supposedly appropriating African-American music and culture with their singing, instrument playing and showmanship. A bunch of nonsense. American music is an almagamation of a litany of musical traditions dating back to the founding of America and before as well the Native Americans and all the other people to have come to call America their homeland...whether it be African Americans or Latinos or the people of the Appalachian Mountains. This unique tapestry of people and their musical traditions have contributed to forge our American identity....an identity that music and other traditions has helped forge into our American culture.