The Jive Aces
I was introduced to The Jive Aces by a friend who knows that I am the illegitimate son of Louis Prima. He encouraged me to watch a YouTube video of the band performing "Bring Me Sunshine."
The Jive Aces is a British "Swing" band that performs many of the songs that my birth father did... and they liberally pay tribute to the man who was a "Swing" legend in the last century. One of my birth father's signature musical moves was to start a song slowly (He would encourage his band to "play pretty for the people") and then break into a wild up-tempo rhythm with his sidekick, Sam Butera, wailing on the saxophone.
When I first saw the "Bring Me Sunshine" video, I was amazed at how faithfully The Jive Aces seemed to capture the "Louis Prima sound." But the homage doesn't end there. One shot focuses on an outdoor sign for an ice cream shop that features "Banana Splits." One of my birth father's hits was "Banana Split for my Baby" ("and a glass of plain water for me.")
I watched the YouTube video roll through the credits with the last shot being of a pair of black and white "Swing" shoes (that had been featured throughout the music video). The camera panned from the shoes a few feet down the sidewalk to reveal Louis Prima's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (That final homage took me by such surprise that I wound up sobbing.)
See it for yourself.....
Reader Comments (2)
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your posting on Bring Me Sunshine and really glad that you enjoyed it so much. I don't whereabouts in the US you live, but the Jive Aces will be on tour in the US with confirmed dates in LA, Cleveland and DC in November. Feel free to email me if you want more details.
Cheers, Peter
Hi Peter,
Sorry it took me so long to realize that you had posted. I am certainly VERY interested in seeing The Jive Aces in concert. I live in South Florida and hope you are coming this way.
I will also reply to the Jive Aces website.
Alan