Tommy dorsey orchestra music, videos, stats, and photos. He first learned to play trumpet, but switched to trombone while still very young. Tommy focused on the trombone, though he also played trumpet, especially early in his career. Best of tommy dorsey tgg by tommy dorsey trombone cd. He often worked with his brother jimmy dorsey in new york and helped the swing era grow in the us, he was an important. As teenagers, the brothers worked in several bands before forming their own combo, dorseys novelty six, in 1920. Dorsey s was perhaps the eras greatest allaround dance band, consistently topping the popularity polls with a parade of hits. Tommy dorsey primary artist,reeds,strings, trombone,harp,rhythm louie bellson drums will bradley trombone don cherry vocals buddy childers trumpet terry gibbs vibes charlie shavers trumpet,vocals billy butterfield trumpet lee castle trumpet warren covington trombone johnny guarnieri piano neal hefti trumpet peanuts hucko clarinet sy oliver vocals. Marking the great bandleaders centenary, the first biography of tommy dorsey 190556 in more than 30 years offers a multifaceted portrait of a complex man. Official home site for the one and only tommy dorsey orchestra conducted. Dorsey was 21 months younger than jimmy and thus the second son of thomas francis dorsey, sr. With his smoothtoned trombone, tommy dorsey led an orchestra that featured the best musical sidemen, showcasing the swing eras most popular vocalists and topnotch arrangers. Tommy began his performance career on trumpet and trombone, eventually playing the trombone exclusively, though his trumpet playing was exceptional.
The musical instrument can go from fast and technical passages from pieces like carnival of venice and blue bells of scotland, to smooth, sweet jazz ballads and peaceful slow melodies. Tommy dorsey sheet music browse all tommy dorsey sheet music musicnotes features the worlds largest online digital sheet music catalogue with over 300,000 arrangements available to print and play instantly. Tommy dorsey had a very strong dad who wanted his kids to avoid working in the depths of the coal mines in eastern pennsylvania. One of the facts that has been handed down over the last eightyplus years is that bunny berigan was a regular member of tommy dorseys band in late 1936 and into 1937. Terry myers picks up the baton of the tommy dorsey orchestra following the legendary buddy morrow. Frank sinatra and tommy dorsey band frank sinatra dedicated.
Later he discovered that tommy had a sneak pinhole in the corner of his mouth which he was covering with his trombone and decided to use this technique while singing. Youll find a wide selection of tommy dorsey sheet music, songbooks, and music books at sheet music plus. He was a terrific player, but keep in mind that he was a commercial player playing a peashooter smallbore trombone while alessi and lindberg are playing largebore instruments typical of the trend today in the classical world. Frank sinatra achieved his first success as a vocalist in the tommy dorsey band and claimed he learned breath control from watching dorsey play trombone. For the pianist and jazz and gospel composer, see thomas a. But dorsey was clearly the creator and master of this smooth singing trombone style, so seemingly effortless, largely because of his virtually flawless breath. Trombonist and band leader tommy dorsey was born in mahanoy plane. He was the sentimental gentleman of swing, a trombonist with. Marie 1937 with tommy dorsey evolution of a masterpiece. To book your venue on our concert tour, get in touch so we can swing by for a show. Dorsey went on to play with many great musicians such as frank sinatra, benny. Dorsey was also an occasionally mean drunk who was known to fire many of his sidemen if they had an off night. Tommy dorsey led one of the most popular bands in the swing world of the late. His best emulator was the very gifted bobby byrne, who took tommy s place in jimmy dorsey s band, playing all of dorsey s high register lyric solos as well as the hot jazz parts.
Frank was watching tommy dorsey playing the trombone and trying to figure out the way he was breathing. His theme song was im getting sentimental over you. Lets get away from it all barbershop men, ttbb, chorus, quartet. Dec 31, 2005 a major big band leader is the subject of a new book. He was the younger brother of bandleader jimmy dorsey. Jul 03, 2012 put on your headphones and listen to this amazing stereo track that tommy dorsey recorded in 1943 for the film broadway rhythm. Tommy dorsey sheet music and music books at sheet music plus. November 19, 1905 november 26, 1956 was an american jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. Levinson begins where dorsey did, in the hardscrabble anthracitemining towns of eastern pennsylvania and in a family of selftaught musicians. He was also a highly respected and influential trombonist. The most complete series of tommy dorsey reissues was a twofer lp program that succeeded in issuing in chronological order all of his recordings from the beginnings of his big band in september 1935 up to march 1939 eight volumes in all, before corporate indifference brought the program to a halt at its halfway mark.
I bought this book after reading the authors biography of harry james, and enjoyed it almost as much. All of the illustrations accompanying the text in the beginning of the book were posed by tommy dorsey, personally. But despite its popularity, the dorsey band, other than the leaders pretty trombone, wasnt all that special. Apr 16, 2020 tommy dorsey, american musician who, independently and with his brother jimmy, led several of the most popular big bands of the swing era. His technical skill on the trombone gave him renown among other musicians. With his brother jimmy, dorsey helped define american popular music from. And no musician evokes the big band era more strikingly than tommy dorsey, whose soaring trombone play and hit tunes influenced popular music for a generation. Like his older brother, jimmy dorsey, tommy was taught as a small child by his father, a music teacher. The dorsey brothers recorded songs for the dime store labels banner, cameo, domino, jewel, oriole, perfect. A handful of sides during their brunswick period were issued by vocalion. Levinson, a former entertainment publicist, booking agent and personal manager, delivers a definitive biography of trombonistbandleader. The modern trombonist by tommy dorsey is subtitled a complete method for the trombone.
Tea for two cha chas by tommy dorsey orchestra, tommy dorsey. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 800 liner notes for cds and over. He was known as the sentimental gentleman of swing. It is an extremely comprehensive method complete in every detail. Fight alabama the blue and the white choo choo, rah rah the brown and the blue forever. The dorsey brothers band play my melancholy baby 1928 with td opening on trombone, jimmy soloing on clarinet, and some td trumpet, including accompaniment to the sung verse of seger ellis. Tromboneology tommy dorsey and his orchestra hal ablesser, claude bowen, ziggy elman, mickey mangano, charlie shaverstp tommy dorsey, w. With his brother jimmy, dorsey helped define american popular music from the 1920s through the mid 1950s.
He was known as the sentimental gentleman of swing, because of his smoothtoned trombone playing. Peter levinson explains how the dorseys father taught them music, insisted on music careers, and drove tommy and jimmy dorsey to the top of the big band charts in the 1930s and 1940s. Both brothers received musical instruction from their father. November 19, 1905 november 26, 1956 was an american jazz. He played in various bands, often with his brother, their coled group known first as dorseys novelty six, later renamed dorseys wild canaries.
November 19, 1905 november 26, 1956 was an american jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the big band era. But the trombone players equally famous brother, jimmy dorsey, was in seclusion. Because bandleader tommy dorsey had so many hits during the 1930s and 40s, his later work has been comparatively ignored or dismissed. He was known as the sentimental gentleman of swing because of his smoothtoned trombone playing. Dec 25, 2018 tommy dorsey led one of the most popular bands in the swing world of the late 1930searly 40s and is still a famous name in jazz circles today. After tommy dorsey passed away in november 1956, trombonist warren covington assumed leadership of the dorsey band, and continued making records for decca on the lp format. Tommy dorsey studied the trumpet with his father but later switched to trombone. The number was cut, so this clip uses footage from other performances. But the 70 choice selections here, recorded with fine musicianship and in great sound from 1950 to 1953, show that dorsey was still a formidable trombonist. Tommy dorsey born november 19, 1905, mahanoy plane, pennsylvania, usa died november 26, 1956, greenwich, connecticut, usa was an american trombonist, trumpeter, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. It cranked out hundreds of dull, pop tunes that all sounded more or less the same. He was known as the sentimental gentleman of swing and as td. Jul 27, 2018 tommy dorsey and his band at the commodore hotel in new york, february 1937. Feb 05, 2012 by 1940 tommy dorsey had been one of the most successful bandleaders in the country for a halfdecade, racking up dozens of hit records.
You knew after eight bars that you were hearing something just absolutely new and unique says jo stafford about frank sinatra. Dorsey s final releases were the longplaying decca albums in a sentimental mood and a sampling of musical comedy hits by howard dietz and arthur schwartz. The dorsey brothers band played as usual monday night in the cafe rouge at the hotel statler in new york. It was the music the greatest generation danced toand went to war to. Berigan in the background, les jenkins, td, joe dixon, gene traxler and freddie stulce. Todays orchestra features vocalists in the same great tradition. It takes the student from the very beginning, step by step, through a systematic course of lessons, up to and including difficult technical studies for the advanced player.
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