Blow is perfect for those who enjoy the big band sound with a hint of nola swing.
The son of the well-known, vibrant and talented trumpeter Louis Prima, Louis Prima Jr. and his nine piece band the Witnesses have some large shoes to fill with their new album. Blow is perfect for those who enjoy the big band sound with a hint of nola swing. While this band is not as over-the-top piercing and fast paced as Louis Prima, they maintain a level of traditional play one cannot help but tap their feet to.
Marco Palos starts the album off with a fervent tenor sax on the album-titled song, “Blow”. “Go Let’s Go” offers an energetic trumpet performance from Prima Jr. himself. This song incorporates many aspects of the swing era jazz that dominated the forties. “New Orleans” serves listeners a powerful Prima Jr. vocal performance reminiscent of the classics from his father. “That’s My Home” was produced by Prima Jr. with a posthumous duet by the instantly recognizable Prima. “Those Million Things” slows the beat with a more classical cool jazz feel.
Overall, this album indicates that the Louis Prima legacy is still going strong. But, Louis Prima Jr. gives the audience a sound that is new in several aspects and differs from this father’s sound in its own way. Jr and the Witnesses have given us an album that is still their own in all its unique melodies.
Recommended if you like: Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong
Recommended Tracks: “Blow,” “New Orleans,” “Fame and Glory,” and “Goody Two Shoes”
Reviewed by Johnny McFarland on September 12, 2014