Sam Butera & The Witnesses were an integral part of the raucous Las Vegas lounge scene during the heyday of the 1950s and 1960s. Led by tenor saxophonist Sam Butera, the group was known for their lively performances and became tightly associated with bandleader Louis Prima. Butera, born on August 17, 1927, in New Orleans, joined Prima in 1954 and quickly became the driving force behind The Witnesses, lending a distinctive, energetic sound that fused jazz, swing, R&B, and rock 'n' roll.

The band gained national fame as the house band at The Sahara Hotel's Casbar Lounge, where they backed Prima and his wife, vocalist Keely Smith. Their high-energy shows were the talk of the town and often featured acrobatic musical numbers and humorous interplay. Hits like "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" and "When You're Smilin'" became staples of their sets, and the band's recordings capture the raw exuberance of their live performances. Butera's effortless saxophone stylings and vivacious showmanship kept audiences captivated, and their influence is felt in the swing revival movements that would surface in later decades. Sam Butera & The Witnesses remain an emblem of Las Vegas's golden era entertainment, their sound a timeless reminder of a city built on spectacle and swing.

Genres

Rock

Pop

R&b

Jazz

Vocal Jazz

Easy Listening

Swing

Big Band

Dixieland

Lounge

Jump Blues

Related Artists

Frank Sinatra

Dean Martin

Bobby Darin

Louis Prima

Tony Bennett

Ella Fitzgerald

Nat King Cole

Louis Armstrong

Count Basie

Sammy Davis Jr.

Harry James

Keely Smith

Latest Release

When You're Smiling/Oh Marie (Medley/Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, May 10, 1959)

Louis Prima•

Keely Smith•

Sam Butera & The Witnesses

Single - Released December 8, 2023