3/11/2023 0 Comments Tommy dorsey well git it![]() Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers After Goodman temporarily disbanded in 1940, Elman found a new home in the Dorsey band where he dominated the brass and was the featured trumpet soloist. A spirited and effusive musician, he had been a member of Benny Goodman’s classic 1936-39 orchestra, although for most of the time he was stuck in the shadow of Harry James. The arrival of trumpeter Ziggy Elman was the last important addition to Tommy Dorsey’s greatest band. To enhance the sweet side, Dorsey brought in some new singers: Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers and that skinny kid from trumpeter Harry James’ band, Frank Sinatra. There was also romantic, mood music often featuring Dorsey’s smooth, lyric trombone. With his technical skills and extroverted personality, Rich gave the band an unrivaled power and drive.īut that was just one side of the Dorsey orchestra’s personality. With Oliver on board, Dorsey was able to entice master drummer Buddy Rich away from Artie Shaw, just before the clarinetist ran away to Mexico. Tommy Dorsey's band in a still from the 1941 movie Las Vegas Nights. The band now had a totally new musical personality, dramatically changing from a sluggish, middle-of-the-road pop group into a thrilling, modern jazz band. Oliver and Dorsey revamped the band’s book and within a few months almost completely overhauled the personnel. His first move was hiring arranger Sy Oliver away from the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, one of the greatest and most admired African-American bands of the thirties. Its jazz instrumentals were often stuck in an old-fashioned, two-beat Dixieland rut.ĭorsey knew he needed to freshen his approach if he wanted to maintain his popularity in the increasingly crowded and competitive big band field. It cranked out hundreds of dull, pop tunes that all sounded more or less the same. But despite its popularity, the Dorsey band, other than the leader’s pretty trombone, wasn’t all that special. Glenn Miller’s did too, but not at the same level of musical excellence.īy 1940 Tommy Dorsey had been one of the most successful bandleaders in the country for a half-decade, racking up dozens of hit records. While the “sweet bands” of Kay Kyser, Horace Heidt and others specialized in musical entertainment designed for theater engagements, Dorsey’s was one of the few swing bands that did. Like all the top bands of the day, Dorsey worked just as much in theaters as ballrooms, playing stage shows between movies. This Dorsey outfit wasn’t just a dance orchestra, but a musical variety show. It’s a band that, in my estimation, ranks among the ten finest groups of the Swing Era. Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf opened the festivities by saying, "Everybody loves a party.This week on SDPB Radio’s Big Band Spotlight, we’re featuring music from Tommy Dorsey’s remarkable orchestra of 1940-42. George Barnett, 82, a former Suffolk mayor, spent most of his time jiving up a storm with his partner, Bertha Joyner. There were some sweet, slow dance numbers that enticed most of the crowd to the floor, b ut the accent was on up-tempo, including a Dixieland version of "That's A-Plenty," as it was performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven, the small group within the band that concentrated on that genre. One of his classiest offerings was "I've Got You Under My Skin," which, he said, "is one of the most requested Sinatra songs." What they did hear was well-received – songs such as "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You " and "I'll Never Smile Again." The latter, and quite a few pieces, were sung by Rob Zappulla, an excellent vocalist with Frank Sinatra-like phrasing. Sunday night, audience members were left hungry for Dorsey hits such as "Quiet Please," "Well, Git It " and "Yes, Indeed." If there was one complaint, it was something common to most of today's resurrected big bands : They veer from their orchestra's standards.
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