AMG Review of 1950's & 60's Broadcasts, Vol. 3: Just a Gigolo

Cub Koda
All Music Guide

This volume of Prima's radio broadcasts is a mixed affair, with its share of high points amidst the dross. Kicking off with two tracks from a big-band broadcast, the set suddenly goes into Prima doing voice-overs for his Capitol sides (taken from the original vinyl here). A set from ~the Casbah Theater in Las Vegas with Sam Butera & the Witnesses makes up the bulk of the collection, with good versions of "Oh! Marie" and "Buona Sera," but there are way too many tunes spotlighting Gia Maione. A couple of stray bonus cuts are from the big-band era ("Brooklyn Boogie") and much later vintage ("It's Impossible"). Unfortunately, the sound quality varies wildly on this set, far more than on any other volume in the series.