1001 Albums Summary

Very surprised by the subject matter on “Just a Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody,” considering this is a 50s album. Also a very fun song. Very lively and engaging performance. The performances on “(Nothing’s Too Good) For My Baby” are again very engaging and fun. The way some lines are sung and the vocal interpolations add a lot of flavor. “The Lip” is a fun song. I like the trumpet part. “Body and Soul” has me noticing all the instrumental improvisations and switch-ups and the way the instruments communicate. Also the interpolation of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” was really funny to me. When the horn is copying Louis Prima’s singing on “Oh Marie” and he sings something impossible to copy with the horn and then scolds the horn for not keeping up, it was so funny. Some of the trumpet improvisations on “Basin Street Blues / When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” are really exciting and varied. Also the musical switch ups do a great job conveying and contrasting the different vibes of New Orleans vs. Southern Louisiana, making southern Louisiana actually sound more lively, even at sleepy time, than the city of New Orleans. “Jump, Jive, An’ Wail” sounds like a peak 50s dance song in terms of high energy and variance. “Buona Sera” exemplifies the energy of this album. Despite beginning in a way that sounds like a more romantic and tender song, it seems like Prima can’t help but make it The Wildest! True to its name, “Night Train” always feels like it’s going somewhere, throughout all the improvisations and switch ups. The title “(I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead) You Rascal You” speaks for itself. Last minute is best part of the song. I love the dueling trumpets and the way he sings “I will be glad, I will be glad” at the end. The grunting noises Prima makes on “Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days” are very entertaining. “Banana Split For My Baby” is a really funny song. Lines like “Spread the whip cream for at least an hour,” telling her to go all out on the ice cream, make it sound like he’s telling his girl to go all out because he’s spoiling her, until the end when he says to split the checks. Actually made me laugh out loud. Using whistling as an instrument and symbol on “Whistle Stop” is cool. Not the most interesting or varied song on the album, though. Is it funny the song about him being left by his girl and in denial about it comes after the selfishness in the song “Banana Split For My Baby.” “(Be Mine) Little Baby” makes an interesting link between rural / natural life and music, saying humans create rhythm but the world creates the notes that we reappropriate for music.