Before Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tom Jones, Tony Bennett or Engelbert Humperdinck ever played the stages of Las Vegas, there was Louis Prima. A tireless showman and an underrated musical talent, Prima swung his way to iconic status thanks to an irresistible, infectious sound thats appeal has translated across generations. Normally a swing artist, Prima's distinctive sound also encompassed New Orleans-style jazz, boogie-woogie, jump blues, R&B, early rock and roll, and even the occasional Italian tarantella.

Regardless of what form his music took, it swung hard and fast, with a rolling, up-tempo shuffle beat. His greatest period of popularity coincided with his marriage to singer Keely Smith, whose coolly sophisticated vocals and detached stage manner made a perfect counterpoint to Prima's boisterous presence. A veritable greatest-hits album  ("Just a Gigolo," "I Ain't Got Nobody" and "Jump, Jive an' Wail") featuring Smith and saxophonist Sam Butera and the Witnesses, 1956's The Wildest is an absolute gem in Louis Prima's catalog. Reissued on vinyl in celebration of Capitol Records' 75th anniversary.