Chanteur et saxophoniste US né le 17 août 1927 à New Orleans (Louisiane).
Sam Butera
spent much of his career leading Louis
Prima's band, but his career continued long after
Prima's death, coming to include sounds
and styles far beyond Prima's brand of
New Orleans jazz. A rock, R&B, and jazz legend, Butera is a towering crossover
figure at the saxophone and as a bandleader.
He was born in New Orleans to Italian-American parents. His father Joseph owned
a butcher shop in a black section of the city, and played the guitar and the
concertina in his spare time. At a wedding he was taken to at age seven, Sam
Butera first saw and heard a saxophone, and, with his father's blessings, asked
to take lessons. He studied the clarinet at school but eventually returned to
the sax, and at age 18 was featured in Look magazine (Life's major competitor)
as one of the top young jazzmen in the country. He got a gig with Ray MicKinley
right out of high school, and also played with the bands of Tommy Dorsey and Joe
Reichman. His major influences in those years included Charlie Ventura, Lester
Young, Gene Ammons, Charlie Parker, and Big Jay McNeely; he seemed to gravitate
naturally to swing and bebop. Ultimately, however, the biggest influence on his
playing was Lee Allen, a member of Paul Gayten's band, with which he frequently
played.
Butera formed his own group — inspired by Gayten's band — after returning to New
Orleans, and they quickly began a four-year engagement at the 500 Club, which
was owned by Louis Prima's brother. His sound reflected a vast range of
influences, including modern jazz and R&B, and in 1951 Butera cut a pair of
raunchy R&B instrumental sides that might have figured in the early history of
white rock & roll if only they'd gotten out at the time. He also had a featured
spot in a Woody Herman concert that yielded both a chance for a new tour and a
recording contract with RCA. The resulting sessions in the fall of 1953 gave
Butera a chance to rock out in an alternately soft and sweet, or hard and
playful manner. There weren't any significant sales, but RCA had him back in
early 1954 for a series of sessions of its R&B-oriented Groove label (home of
Piano Red, amongst others), and his version of "I Don't Want to Set the World on
Fire" was a modest regional hit.
He played some R&B shows, including a celebrated tour as part of Alan Freed's
first East Coast rock & roll showcase, and Butera's loud, wild sax sound won him
an enthusiastic following. By 1955, however, he was back doing jazz with Ella
Fitzgerald and Louie Bellson. He finally hooked up with
Louis Prima and spent the next 20 years
leading his band, the Witnesses. Butera's own record releases were cut short,
with only a handful of his Groove sides (including a vocal performance, "Giddyap
Baby") ever issued at the time.
Butera achieved financial security over the next 20 years working for
Prima, and only then, in the mid-'70s,
began re-emerging as a performer in his own right.
Talents : Singer, Saxophone, Bandleader
Style musical : Rock 'n' Roll, New Orleans, Jazz, Rhythm 'n' Blues
BIM BAM
 |
|
Années en activité :
| 1910 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 2000 |
DISCOGRAPHIE
Singles & EP
| 1955 | SP CADENCE 1281 (US) | . | Goin' In / Comin' Out |
| 06/1957 | SP PREP F105 (US) | . |
Ten Little Women
/ Love Charm |
| 02/1958 | SP PREP F134 (US) | . | Good Gracious Baby / It's Better Than Nothing At All |
| 07/1958 | SP CAPITOL F4014 (US) | . |
Bim Bam
/ Twinkle In Your Eyes |
| 09/1959 | SP DOT 45-15983 (US) | . | Ton Of Bricks / She's A Kookamunger |
| 08/1961 | SP DOT 45-16250 (US) | . | The Grasshopper / Love Lessons |
| 01/1962 | SP CAPITOL 4683 (US) | . | Chantilly Lace / Come On And Do The Twist |
| 1963 | SP PRIMA P-1003 (US) | . | Skinny Minnie / Little Liza Jane |
| 1963 | SP PRIMA P-1012 (US) | . | French Poodle / Why |
| 1964 | SP PRIMA P-1021 (US) | . | You Never Know When A Woman’s Gonna Change Her Mind / Night Train (instr) |
| 1965 | EP CAPITOL EAP 1-20644 (F) |
 |
Later, Later, Later / I Feel Good All Over / Chantilly Lace / Kansas City |
| 1974 | SP PRIMA 22202 (US) | . | Be My Love (instr.) / Cry Me A River (instr.) |
Albums
| 04/1957 | LP 12" PREP 101 (US) |
 |
Bim Bam / Handle With Care / Ton Of Bricks / Don't Knock It / Equator / Ten Little Women / Easy Rockin' / Who's Got The Key / Kansas City / Perdido / 5 Months, 2 Week, 2 Days / Be Mine / Jump, Jive An' Wail / You Rascal You / Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop / Brooklyn Bridge |
| 1958 | LP 12" CAPITOL T-1010 (US) |
 |
LAS VEGAS PRIMA STYLE - (Louis PRIMA, Keely SMITH with Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - Them There Eyes - Honeysuckle Rose / Tiger Rag / Embraceable You - I Got It Bad - That Ain't Good / Should I - I Can't Believe That / You're In Love With Me / The White Cliffs Of Dover / Holiday For Strings / Greenback Dollar Bill / Love Of My Life / Too Marvelous For Words |
| 1960 | LP 12" DOT DLP-3266 (mono) / DLP-25266 (stereo) (US) |
 |
ON STAGE - (Louis PRIMA, Keely SMITH & Sam BUTERA) - Chief's Special / Porgy / This Love Of Mine / Margie / 12th Street Rag / Crazy Little Bee / Your Eyes / I Loves Ya / It Happened In Monterey / Coolin' |
| 1960 | LP 12" DOT DLP-3272 (mono) / DLP-25272 (stereo) (US) |
 |
THE WILDEST CLAN - (Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - Let The Good Times Roll / You Send Me / Highway 101 / Don't You Know / Romance Without Finance / Jambalaya / Malaguena / Sick And Tired / Ko Ko Mo / C'Est Si Bon / Swingin' Sam / Smooth Operator |
| 1960 | LP 12" DOT DLP-3306 (mono) / DLP-25306 (stereo) (US) |
|
THE RAT RACE - (Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - Hot Lips / Theme From Rat Race Parts 1 & 2 / At Sundown / Lover / Out Of Nowhere / Two Sleepy People / Ja Da / Lullaby Of Birdland / That Old Black Magic / Wang Wang Blues / Manhattan |
| 1961 | LP 12" DOT DLP-3381 (mono) / DLP-25381 (stereo) (US) |
 |
APACHE - (Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - Apache / Hearts Of Stone / I'm An Old Cowhand / Spanish Harlem / My Foolish Heart / Sam's Boogie / One Mint Julep / Sunrise Serenade / Theme From Dixie / Josephine / Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini / Sam's Blues |
| 1961 | LP 12" DOT DLP-3392 (mono) / DLP-25392 (stereo) (US) |
 |
RETURN OF THE WILDEST - (Louis PRIMA, Keely SMITH & Sam BUTERA) - South Of The Border / Come Back To Sorrento / After You've Gone / Lonesome For You / Ol' Man Mose / Chinatown My Chinatown / South Rampart Street Parade / For You / I Have But One Heart / The Grasshopper / For Sentimental Reasons / Absent-Minded Lover |
| 1962 | LP 12" CAPITOL ST-1723 (US) |
 |
THE WILDEST COMES HOME - (Louis PRIMA with Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) |
| 1964 | LP 12" PRIMA PS-3002 (US) |
 |
THINKING MAN’S SAX - (Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - Moonlight In Vermont / Thinking Man’s Sax / I Left My Heart In San Francisco / Blueberry Hill / My Funny Valentine / You Belong To Me / Georgia On My Mind / Talk Of The Town / The Nearness Of You / Love For Sale / If I Had You |
| 1972 | LP 12" BRUNSWICK BL-754183 (US) |
 |
THE PRIMA GENERATION '72 - ((Louis PRIMA - Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - As Time Goes By / (The New) Sorrento / I Never Promised You A Rose Garden / Oh Happy Day / Lazy River / Sympathy For The Devil / It's Impossible / What You Hear Is What You've Got / I Left My Heart In San Francisco / Love Story / If You Really Love Me / Medley: Cold Cold Heart - Little Mother |
| 1974 | LP 12" PRIMA ST-0075 (US) |
|
HE’S NUMBER ONE - (Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - I Feel Like Making Love / The Way We Were / Mala Femmena / Get Down To It / Misty / Lonely Is A Man Without Love / My Love / You Belong To Me / Sorrento / Night Train |
| 1989 | CD BEAR FAMILY BCD 15449 (D) |
 |
HOT NEW ORLEANS NIGHTS - Shine The Buckle / Chicken Scratch / Sam's Clan / Easy Rocking / Wailin' Walk / Screw Driver / (These Are) The Things I Love [complete version] / Do You Care? / I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire / Tout / Long Ago / Giddyap Baby / Sweep Up / Sam's Reverie / Who's Got The Key / Ooh! / Linda / Tout [alternative version] / Ooh! [alternative version] |
| 1992 | CD JASMINE 313 (UK) |
 |
SHEER ENERGY - Let The Good Times Roll / For You / I Can't Get Started / Jump, Jive And Wail / Glow Worm / Closer To The Bone / Hard-Hearted Hannah / Body And Soul / Night Train / Rosetta / You Ain't No Ordinary Woman / Pennies From Heaven / Kansas City / Why Not / Ol' Man River |
| 1992 | CD JASMINE 314 (UK) |
 |
BY REQUEST - When You're Smiling / Medley : Just A Gigolo - I Ain't Got Nobody / For Once In My Life / Up A Lazy River / Ol' Man Mose / Night Train / Love Is A 5 Letter Word / Alexander's Ragtime Band / Margie / Come To The Cabaret / Mari-Yootch / St. Louis Blues / You Rascal You / French Poodle / My First, My Last / Closer To The Bone / Green Back Dollar Bill |
| 05/1994 | CD JASMINE 319 (UK) |
 |
TRIBUTE TO LOUIS PRIMA - VOL. 1 - Josephine, Please No Lean On The Bell / That Old Black Magic / Pleas No Squeeza Da Banana / Medley / Robin Hood / Buona Sera / White Cliffs Of Dover / I Got You Under My Skin / Angelina / Oh Marie / Felicia No Capecia / Medley / Tiger Rag / Just The Way You Are / Romance Without Finance / Exodus / Che-La-Luna |
| 05/1994 | CD JASMINE 320 (UK) |
 |
TRIBUTE TO LOUIS PRIMA - VOL. 2 - Oh Babe / Exactly Like You / I'm Confessing That I Love You / Old Man River / Dog / One Mint Julep / Sheik Of Araby / Sunny Side Of The Street / I Want A Sunday Kind Of Love / Music Goes Round & Round / Pump Song / Medley: Them There Eyes / I'm In The Mood. / Chantilly Lace / Last Dance / Three Handed Woman / Mala Femina / Way Down Yonder In The New Orleans |
| 10/1996 | CD USA MUSIC GROUP 970 (US) |
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THE WHOLE WORLD LOVES ITALIANS - The Whole World Loves Italians / On The Road Again / Unforgettable / This Love Of Mine / Come Back To Sorrento / Oh Marie / I'm Confessing That I Love You / Love In In The Air / As Time Goes By / Just The Way You Are / Night And Day / Medley : That's My Home - Basin Street Blues - World On A String / I've Got You Under My Skin / Che-La-Luna / Misty / When The Saints Go Marching In |
| 11/1998 | CD JASMINE 346 (UK) |
 |
LOUIS PRIMA PRESENTS THE WILDWEST CLAN - APACHE - (Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - Let The Good Times Roll / You Send Me / Highway 101 / Don't You Know (Robin ROVERTS) / Romance Without Finance / Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (Lou SINO) / Malaguena (John NAGY) / Sick And Tired / Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So) / C'Est Si Bon (Rolly DEE) / Smooth Operator / Swingin' Sam / Apache / Hearts Of Stone / I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande) / Spanish Harlem / My Foolish Heart / Sam's Boogie / One Mint Julep / Sunrise Serenade / Theme From Dixie / Josephine / Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini / Sam's Blues |
| 06/1999 | CD CAPITOL 20335 (US) |
 |
WILD COOL AND SWINGIN' - Dig That Crazy Chick / All The Way / Street Scene / Up Jumped A Rabbit / I Love Paris / Night Train / Bim Bam / Too Young / Love Of My Life (O Sole Mio) / French Poodle / Hey There / Harlem Nocturne / Perdido / Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?) / Honey Love / On The Street Where You Live / Just Say I Love Her (Dicitencello Vuie) / Vie En Rose / All Night Long / Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Fever |
| 10/1999 | CD JASMINE 356 (UK) |
 |
SAM BUTERA & THE WITNESSES PLAY MUSIC FROM THE RAT RACE - Hot Lips / Theme From The Rat Race, Pt. Two / At Sundown / Lover / Out Of Nowhere / Two Sleepy People / Ja-Da / Lullaby Of Birdland / That Old Black Magic / Wang Wang Blues / Manhattan / Theme From The Rat Race, Pt. One / Night Train / Swingin' Sam / Sam's Boogie / One Mint Julep / Sam's Blues |
| 07/2000 | CD GET HIP 5008 (US) |
|
ON STAGE - When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) / I've Got You Under My Skin / Medley: Just A Gigolo - I Ain't Got Nobody (And Nobody Cares For Me) / Mala Femmena / Down On Bourbon Street / Love Is In The Air / I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) / St. Louis Woman / Medley: Cella Luna Metza Mari - When The Saints Go Marching In |
| 11/2000 | CD POOR BOY 9109 (US) |
 |
STILL COOKIN' - (Sam BUTERA & The WILDEST) - Little Mother Won't You Please Come On Home / Way We Were / Bourbon Street Parade / Dog (How Come My Dog Don't Bark When You Come Around) / When A Man Loves A Woman / I Feel Like Makin' Love (Sometimes) / Up Against The Wall, You Red Neck Mother / I Love You More Today Than The Other Day (Yesterday) / Hey Man, Dig That Crazy Chick / Have Nagula / Next Time (You Shouldn't Have Gone To The Airport) / Alexander's Ragtime Band / Should I-I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me / Be My Love / My Love / Turn Your Love Around / You Belong To Me / Fever (You Give Me A Fever) / Autumn Leaves / You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You |
| 09/2002 | CD PRIMA 8980 (UK) |
 |
SING, SING, SING - (Louis PRIMA & Sam BUTERA) |
| 09/2002 | CD PRIMA / BAYSIDE 8995 (UK) |
 |
THE PRIMA GENERATION '72 - (Louis PRIMA - Sam BUTERA & The WITNESSES) - As Time Goes By / (The New) Sorrento / Rose Garden / Oh Happy Day / Lazy River / Symphony For The Devil / Impossible / What You Hear Is What You've Got / I Left My Heart In San Francisco / Love Story / If You Really Love Me / Cold, Cold Heart - Little Mother (medley) |
| 02/2008 | CD BLUEMOON 3080 (US) |
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JUST A GIGOLO & OTHER HITS - THE WILDEST LOUIS PRIMA FEATURING SAM BUTERA AND KEELY SMITH - Just A Gigolo - I Ain't Got Nobody / Body And Soul / Oh Marie / Buona Sera / Jump, Jive An' Wail / (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby / (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You / Basin Street Blues - When It's Sleepy Time Down South / Night Train / The Lip / Whistle Stop / Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days / Banana Split For My Baby / Be Mine (Little Baby) / When You're Smiling - The Sheik Of Araby / The Birth Of The Blues / Blow, Red, Blow / When The Saints Go Marching In / Sentimental Journey / I've Got The World On A String / Pennies From Heaven / The Pump Song |
© Rocky Productions 25/02/2010
