Leon Prima was an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 trumpeter.

Prima was the older brother of the singer Louis Prima

Louis Prima

Louis Prima was a Sicilian 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 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...

, and began on piano before picking up trumpet. He played early in his life with Leon Roppolo

Leon Roppolo

Leon Roppolo was a prominent early jazz clarinetist, best known for his playing with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Roppolo also played saxophone and guitar. Roppolo married Mabel Alice Branchard on 17 May 1920 in New Orleans...

, Ray Bauduc

Ray Bauduc

Ray Bauduc was a jazz drummer best known for his work with the Bob Crosby Orchestra and their band-within-a-band, the Bobcats, between 1935 and 1942....

, Jack Teagarden

Jack Teagarden

Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden , known as "Big T" and "The Swingin' Gate", was an influential jazz trombonist, bandleader, composer, and vocalist, regarded as the "Father of Jazz Trombone".-Early life:...

, and Peck Kelley

Peck Kelley

John Dickson "Peck" Kelley was an American jazz pianist born in Houston, Texas. Kelley was best known for his 1920s band Peck's Bad Boys, which included Jack Teagarden and Pee Wee Russell, among others.- Career :...

 (1925-27). He co-led the Melody Masters with Sharkey Bonano

Sharkey Bonano

Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....

 in the late 1920s and early 1930s, but played less in the 1930s. He played in his brother's big band

Big band

A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...

 from 1940 to 1946 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. After moving back to New Orleans, he led his own ensemble, and managed more than one nightclub, then retired in 1955 to take up a career in real estate

Real estate

In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...

.

Prima led two sides in 1945 and four in 1954, the latter of which were released on Southland Records

Southland Records

Southland Records is a New Orleans, Louisiana based independent record label.Southland was founded c.1948 by Joeseph P. Mares. Mares was the an amateur jazz clarinetist, and the younger brother of noted jazz cornetist Paul Mares...

.