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Tommy Dorsey
Trombonist Thomas "Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including "The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy; by 1930 he was one of the most successful free-lance radio and recording artists on trombone, recognized both for his exceptional tone and legato style on ballads and for his fine solos on faster tempi.
Prior to the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, Tommy worked with such units as Jean Goldkette, Paul Whiteman and recorded with Bix Beiderbecke, (Bix & His Rhythm Jugglers); Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang and of course Red Nichols, (Red Nichols & His Five Pennies).
Tommy and Jimmy formed an orchestra together in the early 1930s known as "The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra," and included Glenn Miller, Ray McKinley and Bob Crosby. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" was first recorded September 24, 1932 by a pick-up recording group under the Dorsey brothers. In 1935, when Tommy quit after a disagreement between the two brothers. He formed a band of his own from the remnants of Joe Haymes' orchestra, with "Sentimental" as his theme number.
This Victor album, another "Smart Set" is entitled "Tommy Dorsey; Starmaker" because of all the amazing talent that passed through his organization. The names in the stars on the album are just some of the sidemen (and women!) who worked with Tommy: Bunny Berigan, Pee Wee Erwin, Charlie Spivak, Yank Lawson, Charlie Shavers and Ziggy Elman, trumpets; Johnny Mince, Buddy DeFranco, clarinets; Bud Freeman, tenor sax; Joe Bushkin, piano; Buddy Rich, Dave Tough, Louis Bellson drums; and many popular singers such as Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Connie Haines, The Pied Pipers, Lacy Ann Folk; arrangers included Sy Oliver, Paul Weston, and Axel Stordahl.
After the brothers were reunited in 1953, the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, led mainly by Tommy, but with Jimmy prominently featured, earned national publicity in 1955-56 through the Dorseys' own TV program, Stage Show, on CBS. During this period, the band worked frequently at the Statler Hotel, NYC.
Dorsey died suddenly at his country home on November 26, 1956. Death was caused by strangulation due to food particles. In the fall of 1957 an orchestra designed as the Tommy Dorsey band, under the direction of trombonist Warren Covington, was organized and toured dance halls throughout the US.
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Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way
by Florence Wetzel
Peter J. LevinsonTommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big WayDa Capo Press352 pagesISBN: 0306811111 Tommy Dorsey is certainly one of jazz' most picturesque characters, and this new biography does a marvelous job of bringing the trombonist to life. Dorsey (1905-1956) was in many ways an admirable man. Born to a poor family in a Pennsylvania mining community, he and his brother Jimmy were working musicians at ...
read moreTommy Dorsey: "Marie"
by David Rickert
Brotherly Love
It all started, or rather ended, with a tempo change. The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra broke up when Tommy Dorsey abruptly walked off the stage during an engagement at the Glen Island Casino after an argument over the tempo of a tune. However, the seeds of discord had been planted long ago. The Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, were legendary scrappers who, despite their love for one another, constantly found themselves in heated arguments. After this final blow-up, Jimmy ...
read moreTommy Dorsey and His Orchestra: March / June 1940 Broadcasts to South America
by Jack Bowers
Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra, which had gone into a mild decline in the late ’30s, was by 1940 making a strong comeback owing largely to the addition of several key ingredients — star trumpeter Bunny Berigan, whose alcoholism hadn’t as yet subverted his playing; drummer Buddy Rich, late of the Artie Shaw orchestra; the consummate swing arranger, Sy Oliver, lured away from the Jimmie Lunceford band; and a slender young vocalist from Hoboken, New Jersey, by way of the Harry James ...
read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy; by 1930 he was one of the most ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy; by 1930 he was one of the most ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy; by 1930 he was one of the most ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day ...
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Fabulous Dorsey Brothers in Hi-Fi
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
When trombonist and bandleader Tommy Dorsey died in November 1956 at his 23-room mansion in Greenwich, Ct., his financial affairs were a mess. Married to his third wife, Janie New, Dorsey passed away several days shy of a court appearance to reply to New's divorce suit. According to the autopsy, Dorsey, 51, had thrown up while he slept, and food lodged in his windpipe and lungs. For whatever reason, Dorsey did not have a will, and he reportedly left only ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today!
Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today! Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy... Read more. Place our Musician of the Day ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Tommy Dorsey
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Tommy Dorsey's birthday today! Trombonist Thomas “Tommy" Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of famed jazz clarinetist, Jimmy Dorsey. In early years he was equally well-known as both trumpet and trombone player, recording several hot jazz solos on trumpet in 1920s, including “The Spell of the Blues" with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh on 1/26/29. His career closely followed that of brother Jimmy... Read more. Place our Musician of the Day ...
read more
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Tommy Dorsey
Instrument: Trombone
Born: November 19, 1905
Died: November 26, 1956
