Louis Prima’s old-school Las Vegas spirit lives on in daughter’s performances

In order to find old school Las Vegas, Lena Prima had to move to New Orleans.

“New Orleans reminds me of old Vegas,” Prima said. “The people are out on the street. They’re out in the (French) Quarter. They’re strolling in and out of clubs, and there’s live music everywhere.”

Prima, who is performing Aug. 20 at the Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, was born in Las Vegas and grew up with her father Louis Prima’s legacy. She watched her father perform as a child and, later on, performed in the same lounges that made him famous.

“I worked the lounges for about 10 years, from about 1990 to 2000,” Prima said. “I got to be on the lounge circuit when bands were working around the clock in the lounges. Everybody was working in more than one band. That’s what still happens in New Orleans. Musicians in my band have their own bands, and they play with other people. They play every night of the week in a different band, club or show.”

Prima is the youngest daughter of the man who many would agree made classic Las Vegas what it was — a raucous party with hot music, cold drinks and easygoing laughs all around.

After a decade in the lounges, she created her show, “Louis Prima, That’s My Dad” and toured around the country.

“I did get to go on the road with him, go to gigs with him and be on stage with him before he died,” she said. “My memory of those times is really sharp.”

Her father died in 1978.

Prima remembers a time when the town was smaller and everyone dressed up in their finest to go out. She remembers celebrities hanging out in front of hotels, chatting and signing autographs, and she remembers music at lounges on both sides of the Strip and a casually elegant vibe.

“You used to be able to see a great show in Las Vegas for the price of a drink,” she said. “I remember meeting famous sports figures like George Foreman. I remember Liberace just hanging out on the steps of the Hilton, shaking hands with people in a big costume that was draped over the steps.”

She moved to New Orleans five years ago when she realized she wasn’t finding the places to perform the kind of music she likes.

“My dad is from New Orleans, and I was really craving to be in a more prolific music scene,” Prima said. “Making the move to New Orleans was awesome. I’ve been performing steady ever since I got here. I have an amazing band.”

Prima performs every Friday night at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Ironically, the move hasn’t brought her music farther away from the music of her birthplace; it’s brought her closer to Las Vegas and gave her a deeper understanding of her father’s work.

“Being out here for this length of time taught me where my father got that exciting style,” Prima said. “The thing that everybody wanted to see — and the thing that made his music so special — he got that from New Orleans. There’s a sound here, an energy. There are the horns. My father’s band had three horn players, plus he played the trumpet. The drummers have that certain style with the shuffle and the New Orleans grooves and that knowledge of the beat. My dad had that, and it really came from New Orleans.”

At the Suncoast, she plans to do some old New Orleans music, including some lesser-known New Orleans songs with new arrangements. She also plans to perform some of her father’s music because she knows that’s one of the things the audience is coming to experience.

“I think the guest base at the Suncoast really connects with some of these folks who have a history or a connection with vintage Vegas,” said Terry Jenkins, corporate director of entertainment for Boyd Gaming. “People like Lena Prima, Ricci Martin (Dean Martin’s son), Deana Martin (Martin’s daughter), Lorna Luft (Judy Garland’s daughter) and Steve March-Torme (Mel Torme’s son). I think people like to see young people carrying on their parents’ work.”

Old-school Las Vegas performers aren’t set up to perform on a regular schedule at the Suncoast, but Jenkins said that there’s usually someone who fits that category every couple of months and that the shows do well, often selling out.

“That showroom is gorgeous,” Prima said. “The sound system and the crew is amazing. I’m super excited that they asked me back.”

Prima comes back to her hometown a few times a year. She’ll return Sept. 14 to perform at the Italian American Club, 2333 E. Sahara Ave., and once again to the same venue in December for a Christmas show. She is proud of her Italian roots and added that she has introduced the Italian American Marching Club of New Orleans to the local club.

She hopes to continue to perform in her new home in New Orleans and continue to bring that sound back to her old home of Las Vegas.

“This is a gift to me, a joy to be able to sing and bring joy to other people,” Prima said. “I am so lucky. This band I have is great. The musicians are top-notch, not only as musicians but as people. Being on stage with them, I feel like I could do it all night.”

Prima and her band are scheduled to perform at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive. Tickets start at $15.95. Visit suncoastcasino.com or call 702-284-7777.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.