- Byname of:
- Thomas Francis Dorsey, Jr.
- Born:
- November 19, 1905, Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died:
- November 26, 1956, Greenwich, Connecticut (aged 50)
- Movement / Style:
- big-band jazz
- swing
- Notable Family Members:
- brother Jimmy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
-
Who was Tommy Dorsey?
Tommy Dorsey (1905-1956) was a highly regarded American musician and trombonist who, both on his own and with his brother Jimmy, fronted some of the most popular big bands of the swing era.
Dorsey began his music career playing both the trumpet and the trombone. In 1920, he formed Dorsey's Novelty Six with his brother Jimmy. In 1935, Tommy took over the Joe Haymes Orchestra and recorded "I'm Getting Sentimental over You," which became his theme song.
His band played a mix of smooth dance tunes and hot swing, and he also led a smaller group called the Clambake Seven for more intense jazz. Frank Sinatra, who sang with Dorsey for nearly three years, credited Dorsey as his main musical influence.
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What kind of music did Tommy Dorsey play?
Tommy Dorsey was an American musician and trombonist who led big bands of the swing era.
Dorsey's big band played varied music, from smooth dance tunes to hot swing, and Dorsey also had a smaller group, the Clambake Seven, for more intense jazz. His band was known for its versatility and excellence, making it one of the most popular of the swing era. Some of their hit recordings included "Boogie Woogie," "The Dipsy Doodle," and "Marie.".
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What instrument was Tommy Dorsey famous for?
Tommy Dorsey, born in 1905, was an American musician celebrated as a highly respected and influential trombonist. He began his musical journey on both the trumpet and trombone but eventually focused solely on the trombone, though he was exceptional at playing the trumpet. Dorsey perfected a ballad style on the trombone, distinguished by its smooth, seamless legato phrases and purity of tone, earning him acclaim from critics and fellow musicians. Some fine examples of Dorsey’s trombone playing can be heard on recordings such as “If My Heart Could Only Talk,” “Annie Laurie,” and “Tea for Two”.
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What is a big band, and how was Tommy Dorsey involved in big band music?
A big band is a large ensemble, bigger than a combo, that plays jazz or swing music, typically featuring both ensemble sections and solo improvisation. These bands became popular in the 1930s and 1940s, growing to include 13 wind instruments, including five reeds, four trumpets, and four trombones.
Tommy Dorsey was a leading American musician during the swing era, known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing". After splitting with his brother Jimmy, Tommy took over the Joe Haymes Orchestra and formed his own big band. Dorsey's big band was known for its versatility, playing both smooth dance tunes and hot swing, with Dorsey also leading a smaller group called the Clambake Seven for more intense jazz. His band was one of the most popular and consistently excellent bands of the swing era.
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Who were some famous musicians or singers who worked with Tommy Dorsey?
Tommy Dorsey, a leading figure of the swing era, collaborated with numerous talented musicians and singers. His band was a platform for emerging talents and established stars.
Among the vocalists, Frank Sinatra stands out, with Dorsey significantly influencing his phrasing and breath control. Jack Leonard was also a popular baritone featured early on with Dorsey's band.
Dorsey's band also included sidemen such as trumpeters Bunny Berigan and Ziggy Elman, saxophonists Bud Freeman and Johnny Mince, guitarist Al Viola, pianist Joe Bushkin, and drummer Buddy Rich. His orchestra's versatility led to hits like "Boogie Woogie," "Marie," and "Opus One".
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How did Tommy Dorsey influence American music and jazz?
Tommy Dorsey significantly impacted American music and jazz as a respected and influential trombonist and bandleader during the swing era.
Dorsey, known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing," led one of the most popular big bands, showcasing versatile music from smooth dance tunes to hot swing. His band was known for its excellence, versatility, and sidemen like Buddy Rich, Ziggy Elman, and arrangers such as Sy Oliver. Dorsey perfected a seamless legato ballad style on the trombone, earning praise for his distinctive sound and accurate intonation.
Frank Sinatra credited Dorsey as a primary influence regarding phrasing and breath control.
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Tommy Dorsey (born November 19, 1905, Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died November 26, 1956, Greenwich, Connecticut) was an American musician who—both independently and with his brother Jimmy—led several of the most popular big bands of the swing era. He was also a highly respected and influential trombonist.
Both brothers received their first musical training from their father, a music teacher and marching band director. Tommy began his performance career on trumpet and trombone, eventually playing the trombone exclusively, though his trumpet playing was exceptional. As teenagers, the brothers worked in several bands before forming their own combo, Dorsey’s Novelty Six, in 1920. By 1922 the group, now known as Dorsey’s Wild Canaries, had attained some prominence in the Baltimore, Maryland, area and was among the first jazz bands to be broadcast on radio. During this period the brothers also played (sometimes separately but usually together) in a variety of musical groups. In 1927 they began recording with a changing slate of musicians they dubbed the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. They had a string of hits in the late 1920s and early ’30s, often featuring vocalists such as Bing Crosby and his younger brother Bob.
After splitting with Jimmy in 1935, Tommy took over the remnants of the recently disbanded Joe Haymes Orchestra. Soon thereafter Tommy recorded “I’m Getting Sentimental over You,” which became his theme song and the source of his nickname, “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing.”
Dorsey’s big band played music that ranged from smooth dance tunes to hot swing; Dorsey had a small group, the Clambake Seven, for more intense jazz. Noted sidemen who played for Dorsey included trumpeters Bunny Berigan and Ziggy Elman, saxophonists Bud Freeman and Johnny Mince, guitarist Al Viola, pianist Joe Bushkin, and drummer Buddy Rich. The band’s outstanding arrangers included Paul Weston, Bill Finegan, and Sy Oliver. Among their hit recordings were “Boogie Woogie,” “The Dipsy Doodle,” “Marie,” “Song of India,” “Opus One,” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.” With its versatility and excellence, Tommy’s band was one of the most consistently popular of the swing era.
Singers were important in Dorsey’s band from the start, and many early recordings featured the popular baritone Jack Leonard. But the crooner Dorsey hired in January 1940—a 24-year-old named Frank Sinatra—was the band’s main attraction for nearly three years. In later years, Sinatra acknowledged his debt to Dorsey and frequently cited him as his main musical influence in terms of phrasing and breath control. Classic Dorsey-Sinatra sides include “I’ll Never Smile Again,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Oh! Look at Me Now,” “East of the Sun,” and “In the Blue of Evening.”
Dorsey perfected a ballad style on the trombone, noted for seamless legato phrases and purity of tone. He earned high praise from critics and fellow musicians for his distinctive sound and accurate intonation. Noted jazz historian Gunther Schuller stated: “Dorsey was clearly the creator and master of this smooth ‘singing’ trombone style, so seemingly effortless, largely because of his flawless breath control.” Fine examples of Dorsey’s trombone can be heard on such recordings as “If My Heart Could Only Talk,” “Annie Laurie,” “Tea for Two,” and “Say It.”
The Dorsey brothers had a tentative reunion in 1947 to play themselves in the fictionalized autobiographical film The Fabulous Dorseys. In 1953, after Jimmy’s band had broken up, Tommy hired Jimmy as a soloist and band member. Tommy (with some help from his friend and benefactor, entertainer Jackie Gleason) was one of the few prominent bandleaders able to keep a big band going into the mid-1950s. After a few months’ billing as The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, featuring Jimmy Dorsey, the band returned to its original name, the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. The brothers’ most notable success during the 1950s came with the television program Stage Show (on which Elvis Presley made his TV debut), which they hosted from 1954 to 1956. Tommy died in 1956, and Jimmy continued to lead the band until his own death the following year.
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