Jimmy Dorsey

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Jimmy Dorsey, in an undated publicity photo.
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Jimmy Dorsey, in an undated publicity photo.

James "Jimmy" Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was a prominent jazz clarinetist, saxophonist and big band leader.

Jimmy Dorsey was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the son of a music teacher and older brother of Tommy Dorsey who also became a prominent musician. He played trumpet in his youth, appearing on stage in a Vaudeville act as early as 1913. He switched to alto saxophone in 1915, and then learned to double on clarinet.

With his brother Tommy playing trombone, he formed Dorsey’s Novelty Six, one of the first jazz bands to broadcast. In 1924 he joined the California Ramblers (who were based in New York City). He did much free lance radio and recording work throughout the 1920s. The brothers also appeared as session musicians on many jazz recordings. He joined Ted Lewis's band in 1930, with whom he toured Europe.

After returning to the USA he worked briefly with Rudy Vallee and several other bandleaders, in addition to the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra with Tommy. Tommy broke off to form his own band in 1935 after a musical dispute with Jimmy. The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra became the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, and included musicians such as Bobby Byrne, Ray McKinley, and Skeets Herfurt along with vocalists Bob Eberly and Kay Weber.

In 1939 Jimmy hired Helen O'Connell as his female singer. She and Eberly possessed a "boy and girl next door" charm and their pairing produced several of the band's biggest hits. Many of the Eberly-O'Connell recordings were arranged in an unusual 3-section "a-b-c" format. The three-part format was reportedly developed at the insistence of a record producer who wanted to feature both singers and the full band in a single 3-minute 78 rpm recording. Eberly sang the first minute, usually as a slow romantic ballad, the next minute featured the full band backing Jimmy's saxophone, and the last minute was sung by O'Connell in a more up-tempo style, sometimes with lyrics in Spanish.

Jimmy Dorsey playing alto saxophone in The Fabulous Dorseys (1947).
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Jimmy Dorsey playing alto saxophone in The Fabulous Dorseys (1947).

Jimmy continued leading his own band until the early 1950s. In 1953 he joined Tommy's Orchestra, renamed "The Fabulous Dorseys"; he took over leadership of the orchestra after Tommy's death. Jimmy survived his brother by only a few months and died of lung cancer, aged 53, in New York City. Shortly before his death he was awarded a gold record for "So Rare". That track also has the distinction of reaching to the number-two spot in Billboard Magazine's popularity rankings, becoming the highest-rated song by a big band during the first decade of the rock-and-roll era.

Jimmy Dorsey appeared in a number of Hollywood motion pictures, including That Girl From Paris, Shall We Dance?, The Fleet's In, Lost in Harlem, I Dood It, and the bio-pic with his brother Tommy, The Fabulous Dorseys.

Dorsey is considered one of the most prominent alto saxophone players of the pre-bebop era. He was a musical genius and will be known for many years to come.

[edit] Selected Recordings

  • "Contrasts" (theme song)
  • "Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps"
  • "On A Little Street in Singapore"
  • "John Silver"
  • "Amapola"
  • "Green Eyes"
  • "Tangerine"
  • "Besame Mucho"
  • "Dusk In Upper Sandusky"
  • "I'm Stepping Out With A Memory Tonight"
  • "Just For A Thrill"
  • "So Rare"

[edit] External links

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