The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
From a coal mining family in Pennsylvania, Tommy Dorsey (born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1905) and his brother Jimmy grew up to become two of the most popular US jazz stars of the 1930s, entertaining audiences with up-tempo swing and show tunes and shaping the dance sounds of the era. With Tommy on trombone and Jimmy on saxophone, the siblings worked together in bands as teenagers before uniting as The Dorsey Brothers and scoring many hits. Despite numerous rows and disagreements, they successfully ran the orchestra (which included a young Glenn Miller in its ranks) together for years, before Tommy left in 1935 to start his own band. Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra became one of the most popular ensembles during the big band era, scoring seventeen Number 1 hits including "On Treasure Island", "The Music Goes 'Round and Around", "Satan Takes a Holiday", "The Big Apple", "The Dipsy Doodle", "Our Love", "All the Things You Are", "Indian Summer", and "Dolores". With over 200 chart hits, the orchestra’s biggest single was 1940’s “I’ll Never Smile Again”, which featured Frank Sinatra on vocals. During the group’s existence, Tommy Dorsey’s eye for talent meant that he hired many of the finest musicians and singers of the era including trumpeters Bunny Berigan and Doc Severinsen, clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, drummers Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson, and vocalists Frank Sinatra, Jack Leonard, Jo Stafford, Dick Haymes, and Connie Haines. Like most of his contemporaries, Tommy Dorsey’s reign on the charts ended when World War II came to a close. He dismantled his orchestra in 1946, although a renewed interest in his music the following year ensured that he would remain busy. Tommy Dorsey reunited with his brother in 1953 and they hosted a national television series together called Stage Show, which introduced Elvis Presley to a wider televised audience. Tommy Dorsey died at the age of 51 on November 26, 1956, after taking sleeping pills and choking to death in his sleep.
©Copyright Music Story Stephen Schnee 2023
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Boogie Woogie
Jazz - Released by American Popsongs on 25 Sep 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vol. IV - Last Moments of Greatness
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Jimmy Dorsey
Jazz - Released by Jazz King Records on 2 Dec 1965
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Incomparable Tommy Dorsey
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 27 Aug 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Fabulous Dorseys In Hi-Fi, Vol. 1
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Jimmy Dorsey
Jazz - Released by CoolNote on 1 Jan 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tommy Dorsey All Time Hits
Jazz - Released by Shellac Revival on 3 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tommy Dorsey Plays Cole Porter for Dancing
Jazz - Released by SWANK on 3 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Early Years, Vol. 1 (1940-1942)
Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
International Pop - Released by Naxos on 2 Apr 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Fabulous Arrangements of Tommy Dorsey in Hi-Fi
Jazz - Released by Planet Blue Records USA on 1 Jan 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
March/June 1940 Broadcasts To S. America
Jazz - Released by Soundcraft on 2 Dec 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Everything Happens to me (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 09)
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 19 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Chinatown, My Chinatown (The Blue Bird Recordings in chronological Order, Vol.15, 1938)
Pop - Released by Jazz Classics on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra Selected Favorites, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 21 Mar 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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I Could Make You Care (Billboard Hot 100 - No 18)
Jazz - Released by Music Manager on 5 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Frank Sinatra - The Dorsey Years Volume 1
Frank Sinatra, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
Jazz - Released by T.B. Vocal Classics on 31 Jul 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo