Louie Prima – Night train – The Best Version

Louis Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978)[1] was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the late 1920s, then leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the 1950s, and a pop-rock band in the 1960s

After dropping out of high school, Prima had a few unsuccessful gigs, including when he joined the Ellis Stratako Orchestra in 1929. Prima, Federico and saxophonist Dave Winstein drove to Florida for a gig but no one showed up. They made it to a relative’s house, where they were given money for gas and a meal. Prima did not give up. He joined Joseph Cherniavsky’s Orchestra in 1929 at Jefferson Parish. He got a temporary job playing on Steamship Capital that docked on Canal Street.

Although the Steamship Capital did not provide him with a break, he met his first wife Louise Polizzi. They married on June 25, 1929. From 1931 to 1932 Prima occupied his time by performing in the Avalon Club owned by his brother Leon. His first break was when Lou Forbes hired him for daily afternoon and early evening shows at The Saenger.

New York was an attraction for hungry musicians during the Great Depression. It posed numerous risks, but all of the best artists in the nation made it in New York if not anywhere else. Guy Lombardo met Prima while he was performing at club Shim Sham during the Mardi Gras season of 1934.

Prima’s first gig in New York was supposed to be at a club called Leon and Eddie’s, located on 33 West 52nd street. Eddie Davis, one of the owners of the club, did not hire Prima because he thought he was black.

From Wikipedia