Louis Prima, the great New Orleans singer, trumpeter and entertainer, would be 100 years old this year, and as part of the ongoing celebrations of his legacy, Tulane University is hosting a free public colloquium this Saturday, December 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Freeman Auditorium. After an opening speech from Tulane’s Hogan Jazz Archive curator Bruce Raeburn, the first presentation will be given by Dan Morgenstern, Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, on Prima’s musical partnership with the famous clarinetist Pee Wee Russell.

Following Morgenstern is Will Friedwald, a New York-based author of books on jazz singers and the Great American Songbook, discussing Prima’s role as popular entertainer and the public nature of his strong Italian heritage. After an hour-and-45-minute break for lunch, the discussions resume with Marcello Piras providing the historical background of the Sicilian immigrant experience in New Orleans, particularly as musicians. Piras is described as Italy’s most well-known jazz scholar. Local historian Jack Stewart follows with a talk on the evolution of Prima’s music and its New Orleans influences before the final presentation, author and historian Elijah Wald using Prima as an example to break down the over-simplification of pop music history in terms of swing jazz giving way to rock ‘n’ roll.

More information is available on Tulane’s website.