Vocalist Lena Prima has carved out her own niche in the cabaret world inspired by the swinging jazz sound of her legendary father singer/trumpeter Louis Prima. A performer since she was a child, Prima initially made her name singing with cover bands in Vegas in the '90s before coming into her own in the 2000s on albums like 2014's soulful Starting Something and 2018's standards album Prima La Famiglia. Born in 1965 in Las Vegas, Prima grew up in New Orleans alongside her brother Louis Prima, Jr. and famous parents, trumpeter Louis Prima and his fifth wife, singer Gia Maione. Lena first began performing alongside her parents at age five, and further honed her skills throughout her high school and college years. For over 20 years, she sang with various cover bands, playing the Las Vegas circuit. It wasn't until the early '90s that she fully embraced her family legacy and began formulating the idea of putting her own swing, jazz, and standards band together. In 2007, she made her recorded debut with Reminiscing, a standards album featuring songs often associated with her father. Following a 2010 performance at New Orleans Jazz Fest, during which she and her brother (as well as her father's former wife and partner Keely Smith) all played separate Louis Prima tribute shows, she decided to relocate to her family's hometown. Since 2011, she and her husband, bassist Tim Fahey, have lived in New Orleans where they regularly perform at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. In 2014, she issued Starting Something, an all-original album of funk and soul-infused pop. Along with performing, Prima is an advocate for the Italian American Community and founded the non-profit organization CIAO Women! in support of Italian women working to make a difference in their communities. She also crafts and sells her own handmade jewelry. In 2018, she signed with Basin Street Records and returned the following year with Prima La Famiglia, a set of classic songs from the Italian-American songbook. ~ Matt Collar