James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baerma ...

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...

, composer and

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "

I'm Glad There Is You "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People)" is a song written by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira (sometimes credited as Paul Mertz) first published in 1941. It has become a jazz and pop standard. Original recording The song was rele ...

(In This World of Ordinary People)" and " It's The Dreamer In Me". His other major recordings were "

Tailspin In flight dynamics a spin is a special category of stall resulting in autorotation (uncommanded roll) about the aircraft's longitudinal axis and a shallow, rotating, downward path approximately centred on a vertical axis. Spins can be entered ...

", " John Silver", " So Many Times", " Amapola", "Brazil ( Aquarela do Brasil)", " Pennies from Heaven" with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and

Frances Langford Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nightinga ...

, "Grand Central Getaway", and "

So Rare "So Rare" is a popular song published in 1937 by composer Jerry Herst and lyricist Jack Sharpe. It became a hit for Jimmy Dorsey in 1957. The version by Carl Ravell and his Orchestra, from a session on 4 June 1937, was the earliest recording of ...

". He played clarinet on the seminal jazz standards "

Singin' the Blues ''Singin' the Blues'' is the first LP album by American bluesman B.B. King, released in 1957 by the Bihari brothers on their Crown budget label. It is a compilation album whose songs were issued between 1951 and 1956 on singles by RPM Records ...

" in 1927 and the original 1930 recording of "

Georgia on My Mind "Georgia on My Mind" is a 1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell and first recorded that same year by Hoagy Carmichael. However, the song has been most often associated with soul singer Ray Charles, who was a native of the U ...

", which were inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

Early life

Jimmy Dorsey was born in

Shenandoah, Pennsylvania Shenandoah is a borough in Schuylkill County in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. It is distinct from Shenandoah Heights, which is part of West Mahanoy Township immediately to the north. As of 2021, the borough's population was 4,247. Shenandoa ...

, United States, the first son of Theresa Langton Dorsey and Thomas Francis Dorsey. His father, Thomas, was initially a coal miner, but would later become a music teacher and marching-band director. Both Jimmy and his younger brother,

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

, were musically active during their childhoods and by the age of seven, Jimmy was already playing with his father's band. He made his first public appearance at the age of 9 while playing

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

with J. Carson McGee's King Trumpeters in New York in 1913. He switched to alto saxophone in 1915, and then learned clarinet. Jimmy Dorsey played on a clarinet outfitted with the

Albert system The Albert system refers to a system of clarinet keywork and fingering developed by Eugène Albert. In the United Kingdom it is known as the simple system. It has been largely replaced by the Boehm system and Oehler system. Big Band musician J ...

of fingering, as opposed to the more common

Boehm system The Boehm system is a system of keywork for the flute, created by inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm between 1831 and 1847. History Immediately prior to the development of the Boehm system, flutes were most commonly made of wood, with an ...

used by most of his contemporaries including Benny Goodman and

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

.Walker, Leo.'' The Big Band Almanac'' (revised edition). New York: Da Capo, 1989. With his brother Tommy playing trombone, they formed Dorsey's Novelty Six, later called Dorsey's Wild Canaries, one of the first jazz bands to broadcast. In 1924 he joined the California Ramblers (who were based in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

). He did much freelance radio and

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

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. The same year, he played clarinet on the iconic jazz standard "

" in 1930 with

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

and His Orchestra which featured Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. Dorsey married Jane Porter in 1928, and they had one daughter, Julia. Jane Porter and Dorsey divorced in 1949.

Career

During his early days as a musician, Jimmy Dorsey performed with various ensembles and artists, including the Scranton Sirens, The California Ramblers,

Red Nichols Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols (May 8, 1905 – June 28, 1965) was an American jazz cornetist, composer, and jazz bandleader. Biography Early life and career Nichols was born in Ogden, Utah, United States. His father was a college music profes ...

Jean Goldkette John Jean Goldkette (March 18, 1893 – March 24, 1962) was a jazz pianist and bandleader. Life Goldkette was reportedly born on March 18, 1893 in Valenciennes, France,Russel B. Nye (1976). Music in the Twenties: The Jean Goldkette Orchestra ...

Frankie Trumbauer Orie Frank Trumbauer (May 30, 1901 – June 11, 1956) was an American jazz saxophonist of the 1920s and 1930s. His main instrument was the C-melody saxophone, a now-uncommon instrument between an alto and tenor saxophone in size and pitch. He a ...

Ben Pollack Ben Pollack (June 22, 1903 – June 7, 1971) was an American drummer and bandleader from the mid-1920s through the swing era. His eye for talent led him to employ musicians such as Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Jimmy McPartland, ...

, and

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

. He played the clarinet solo on the iconic 1927 jazz standard "

", with the

Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke (which would, a half-century later, be inducted into the

). After returning to the United States from his European tour, he worked briefly with

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

, and with several other bandleaders; and likewise with his brother Tommy—including starting their famed eponymous band. He appeared on at least seventy-five radio broadcasts, many of them with his brother. He was a member of

Nathaniel Shilkret Nathaniel Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American musician, composer, conductor and musical director. Early career Shilkret (originally named Natan Schüldkraut) was born in New York City, United States, to parents ...

's orchestra, on programs such as (starting in 1937) "The Music That Satisfies" (also known as the Chesterfield Quarter Hour). Glenn Miller arranged and played trombone on several early sessions that he and his brother Tommy did together for OKeh Records, including "The Spell of the Blues", "

Let's Do It Let's Do It may refer to: General * Let's Do It 2008, an environmental cleanup campaign in Estonia ** Let's Do It! World, an international civic movement that originated from the Estonian campaign ** Let's do it! Armenia, an environmental clean ...

", and "My Kinda Love"—all with Bing Crosby on vocals. In 1927, the brothers created the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra and signed with Okeh Records. For some of their sessions, Glenn Miller would join them as trombonist, arranger, and composer; composing Annie's Cousin Fanny", " Tomorrow's Another Day", "

Harlem Chapel Chimes "Harlem Chapel Chimes" is a 1935 jazz instrumental composed by Glenn Miller. The song was released as an A-side 78 single by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Background The song was recorded by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra on February 6, 1935, in ...

", and "

Dese Dem Dose Dese Dem Dose is a 1935 instrumental composed by Glenn Miller and recorded by The Dorsey Brothers orchestra. ''Dese Dem Dose'' was recorded in New York on February 6, 1935, and was released as a 78 by The Dorsey Brothers on Decca paired with "Wear ...

". Their first song to chart was "Coquette", composed by the brothers with vocals from Bill Dutton in June, 1928. Their song, "

Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love" (also known as "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)" or simply "Let's Do It") is a popular song written in 1928 by Cole Porter. It was introduced in Porter's first Broadway success, the musical ''Paris'' (1928) by Fre ...

" with vocals by Bing Crosby, was their first to reach the top ten charts. Despite their success, the brothers frequently disagreed over management of the band and their conflict would come to a head in May 1935 when, after an onstage disagreement, Tommy stormed off. Afterwards, Jimmy continued the band, keeping the Dorsey Brothers name in hopes his younger brother would return; in September 1935, the Dorsey Brothers band became "Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra", and he signed with Decca Records. In December, 1935 Dorsey's first song with the band, "You Let me Down", would reach the charts. For the next two years, Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra would provide accompaniment for Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall radio show. The band was featured on 73 programs, from December 1935 to July 1937; they also backed Crosby on his commercial recordings during this time. In 1936, Bing Crosby released the single " Pennies from Heaven" recorded with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra on Decca Records. The early band was considered more jazz-oriented than his brother's, and in response the band recorded instrumental swing classics: Dorsey Stomp, Tap Dancer's Nightmare, Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps, John Silver, and Dusk in and included musicians such as Bobby Byrne,

Ray McKinley Ray McKinley (June 18, 1910 – May 7, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader. He played drums and later led the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra in Europe. He also led the new Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1956. ...

, Donald Matteson and

Skeets Herfurt Arthur Relsmond "Skeets" Herfurt (28 May 1911 – 17 April 1992) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Career highlights Herfurt was born in Cincinnati and raised in Denver and played in bands while attending the University of Colora ...

along with vocalists

Bob Eberly Robert Eberly (born Robert Eberle; July 24, 1916 – November 17, 1981) was an American big band vocalist best known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell. His younger brother Ray was also a big-band singer, ma ...

and Kay Weber. Jimmy dorsey

Dorsey left Crosby in 1937, to concentrate on his own career, and he did well commercially, although he was overshadowed by Benny Goodman, whose

had "grabbed center stage" in the mid thirties. Dorsey's main vocalist was

, considered to be the best in the music business, and in 1939,

Helen O'Connell Helen O'Connell (May 23, 1920 – September 9, 1993) was an American singer, actress, and hostess, described as "the quintessential big band singer of the 1940s". Early life Born in Lima, Ohio, O'Connell grew up in Toledo, Ohio. By the time ...

joined the band, and the idea to have them perform duets proved to be highly successful. She and Bob 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. This format was reportedly developed at the insistence of a

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

(then called an A&R executive) who wanted to feature both singers and the full band in a single 3-minute

78 rpm A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...

recording. Eberly sang the first minute, usually as a slow romantic ballad, the next minute featured the full band backing Jimmy's

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

, and the last minute was sung by O'Connell in a more up-tempo style, sometimes with lyrics in Spanish. Almost every record released during 1939–1943 were hits, but especially their Latin American stylized songs like "Amapola", "Maria Elena", and "Green Eyes", which topped the charts in 1941. They continued singing with his band for future records and motion picture appearances.

Kitty Kallen Kitty Kallen (born Katie Kallen; May 25, 1921 – January 7, 2016) was an American popular singer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, to include the Swing era of the Big Band years, the post-World War II pop scene and the early ...

sang with the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra following Helen O'Connell's departure in 1942. Jerry Lewis' first wife Patti Palmer (birth name Esther Calonico) was a singer with his orchestra for less than a year, starting about 1944. Despite personnel changes, Jimmy remained one of the top big band leaders after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and into the 1950s, always updating the sound of his band, but the big band business was beginning to decline. Dorsey employed pianist and arranger

Joe Lipman Joseph P. Lippman (April 23, 1915 - January 21, 2007) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, and songwriter working in jazz and traditional pop. His musical career was over five decades long, having started at age 19 with the Ben ...

in 1939 (who had just left

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

); he contributed heavily to the repertoire of the band an success of the recordings through the next three years. Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey reunited on March 15, 1945, to record a

V-Disc V-Disc ( "V" for Victory) was a record label that was formed in 1943 to provide records for U.S. military personnel. Captain Robert Vincent supervised the label from the Special Services division. Many popular singers, big bands, and orches ...

at Liederkranz Hall in New York City. Released in June 1945, V-Disc 451 featured "More Than You Know" backed with "Brotherly Jump". The songs featured the combined orchestras of Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey. In 1947, Jimmy signed with MGM Records and in the same year, the brothers would put aside their tensions to film ''

The Fabulous Dorseys ''The Fabulous Dorseys'' is a 1947 musical biopic which tells the story of the brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, from their boyhood in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through their rise, their breakup, and their personal reunion. The film was also rele ...

.'' The film was a look inside the brothers' lives from practicing as children, to making it big as adults; the brothers played themselves in the film. It also highlighted their struggles leading the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra and showed what their lives were like on the road. Despite the brothers coming together for the movie, Jimmy continued to lead his own band until the early 1950s. In 1950, Jimmy moved to Columbia Records and his brother offered him a seat in the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In 1953, Tommy and Jimmy would rename the band, the "Dorsey Brothers Orchestra." Tommy was the leader of the group, and made Jimmy both the co-leader and featured soloist. On December 26, 1953, the brothers and their orchestra appeared on

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

's CBS television program. The success of that television appearance led Gleason to produce a weekly variety program, ''

Stage Show A theatrical production is any work of theatre, such as a staged play, musical, comedy or drama produced from a written book or script. Theatrical productions also extend to other performance designations such as Dramatic and Nondramatic theatre, a ...

'', hosted by the brothers on CBS from 1954 to 1956.Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1992), ''

The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'', Ballantine Books, ; McNeil, Alex (1996), ''Total Television'', Penguin Books, . The show gave other big band leaders hope in a business that was steadily declining for them. In January 1956, the ''Stage Show'' made history with the network television debut of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. Promoting his early recordings for RCA Victor, Presley made a total of six guest appearances. Competitive ratings from

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's popular Perry Como Show forced ''Stage Show'' into early cancellation. In 1956, after Tommy Dorsey died from choking in his sleep, Jimmy took over leadership of the orchestra. Around that same time, Jimmy was diagnosed with

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

. He died on June 12, 1957, at age 53 in New York City. Broadcasts of Jimmy Dorsey and The Fabulous Dorsey Orchestra on NBC Bandstand survive from December 25, and December 31, 1956.Stockdale, Robert L. ''Jimmy Dorsey: A Study in Contrasts. (Studies in Jazz Series)''. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1999. At least two other extant broadcasts from the month of December 1956 are available as well. Recordings of the band from their winter 1957 tour have not surfaced. These recordings would provide the last aural evidence of Jimmy Dorsey's work. It is thought that Dorsey's last appearance was in

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jas ...

, on March 12, 1957. At the time of his death, Jimmy's final hit song, "So Rare", reached the number-two spot on the '' Billboard'' charts, becoming the highest-charting song by a big band during the first decade of the

rock-and-roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

era. With an arrangement heavily influenced by R&B saxophonist

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he ...

, it marked Dorsey's attempt to acknowledge rock music and marked a significant departure from his earlier work. This final recording sold 500,000 copies and earned him a gold record. Jimmy Dorsey is considered one of the most important and influential alto saxophone players of the Big Band and Swing era, and also after that era. Jazz saxophonists

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

and

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

both acknowledge him as an important influence on their styles. Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey 2 1955

Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra were among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Movie appearances and filmography

Dorsey appeared in a number of Hollywood

motion pictures A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, including ''That Girl From Paris'', ''

Shall We Dance Shall We Dance may refer to: Films * ''Shall We Dance'' (1937 film), a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical * ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996 film), a Japanese film about ballroom dancing * ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004 film), an American remake of the ...

'', '' The Fleet's In'', ''

Lost in a Harem ''Lost in a Harem'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Charles Reisner and starring the team of Abbott and Costello alongside Marilyn Maxwell. Plot When a traveling vaudeville show becomes stranded in the Middle East, their singer, Haze ...

'' with Abbot and Costello, ''

I Dood It ''I Dood It'' (UK title ''By Hook or by Crook'') is a 1943 American musical-comedy film starring Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell, directed by Vincente Minnelli, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay is by Fred Saidy and Sig Herzig ...

'', and the bio-pic with his brother Tommy, ''

'' in 1947. In 1938, Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra also appeared in a movie short performing many of his hits including "It's the Dreamer in Me", "I Love You in Technicolor", and "Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps". Films in which Dorsey appeared: *''Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra'' (1938 short) *'' The Fleet's In'' (1942) *''

'' (1943) *''

Four Jills in a Jeep ''Four Jills in a Jeep'' is a 1944 American comedy-drama musical film starring Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, and Mitzi Mayfair as themselves, re-enacting their USO tour of Europe and North Africa during World War II. Production The ...

'' (1944) *''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for serv ...

'' (1944) *''

'' (1947)

Compositions

* "Dixieland Band From Santa Claus Land" * "Mood Hollywood" * "Shim Sham Shimmy" * " So Many Times" -which reached no. 20 in 1939 on Billboard, staying on the charts for one week, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded the song, as well as Jack Teagarden and His Orchestra. * "Beebe" * "Oodles of Noodles" * " John Silver" with Ray Krise, which reached no. 13 on Billboard in 1938, staying on the charts for 2 weeks * "Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps" * "Dusk in Upper Sandusky" with

Larry Clinton Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was an American musician, best known as a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader and arranger. Biography Clinton was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He became a ver ...

* "Shoot the Meatballs to Me Dominick Boy" with Toots Camarata * "A Man and his Drums" * "Mutiny in the Brass Section * "Praying the Blues" * "Contrasts", his theme song * "Major and Minor Stomp" * "Hep-Tee Hootie (Juke Box Jive)" with Fud Livingston and Jack Palmer * "I Bought A Wooden Whistle" * "

" with

, the classic jazz standard * "

(In This World of Ordinary People)" * "Clarinet Polka" * "I Love You in Technicolor" * "All The Things You Ain't" with Babe Russin * "JD's Boogie Woogie" * "Jumpin' Jehosaphat" * "I'll Do Anything For You" * "Any Time at All" * "Two Again" * "It's Anybody's Moon" * "Dixieland Detour" * "Shades of Twilight" * "Dorsey Stomp" * "Grand Central Getaway" with Dizzy Gillespie * "Sunset Strip" and "The Champ" with

Sonny Burke Joseph Francis "Sonny" Burke (March 22, 1914 – May 31, 1980) was an American musical arranger, composer, Big Band leader and producer. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University, where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke ...

* "Town Hall Tonight" * "Outer Drive" with Herb Ellis * the jazz standard " It's the Dreamer in Me" with Jimmy Van Heusen – recorded by Duke Ellington and others. Dorsey co-wrote the jazz and pop standard "(In This World of Ordinary People)

" with Paul Madeira, also known as Paul Mertz, in 1941. Mertz had been a pianist with the

orchestra in the 1920s and had worked in Hollywood. Sung by Dorsey vocalist

, it was released on Decca as 4197B in 1942. It was also released on Decca 18799A with

Dee Parker Dee Parker (died March 13, 2000) was an American model, singer, and actress best known for her work on local television in Detroit, Michigan. She also made recordings and performed in night clubs, with big bands, and with a symphony orchestra. E ...

in 1946.

Number-one hits

Jimmy Dorsey had eleven number one hits with his orchestra in the 1930s and the 1940s: * "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?" * "Change Partners" * " The Breeze and I" * "Amapola" * "My Sister and I" * "Maria Elena" * "Green Eyes" * "

Blue Champagne "Blue Champagne" is a song written by Grady Watts, Jimmy Eaton and Frank L. Ryerson and recorded by American bandleader Jimmy Dorsey, featuring vocals by singer Bob Eberly. Background It was first released by Jimmy Dorsey on Decca Records in 1 ...

" * "Tangerine" * "Besame Mucho" * "Pennies from Heaven" with Bing Crosby. *"

", which went to the No. 2 position in 1957, and was on the record charts for 38 weeks. In 1935, he had two more number ones as part of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra: "Lullaby of Broadway" and "Chasing Shadows". His biggest hit was " Amapola", which was number one for ten weeks in 1941 on the Billboard pop singles chart.

Honors

In 1996, the U.S. Postal Service issued a Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey commemorative postage stamp. In 2009, the Recording Academy added the 1942 recording of "Brazil ( Aquarela do Brasil)", by Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, to the

. Jimmy Dorsey was among the hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

VDisc Recordings

* Julia, No. 117A, 1940 * John Silver, No. 117B, 1940 * The Breeze (Bob Eberly, vocal)/You, You Darlin' (Helen O'Connell, vocal), No. 217B, 1940 * The Great Lie, No. 283A;Navy 63A, 1944 * Sunset Strip, No. 326A; Navy 106A, 1944 * Contrasts/Oh! What A Beautiful Mornin', No. 314A; Navy 94A, 1944 * Grand Central Getaway/All the Things You Ain't, No. 391B, 1944 * Long John Silver, No. 409B; Navy 189B, 1944 * Jumpin' Jehosaphat, No. 470B; Navy 189B, 1944 * Together, No. 514A; Navy 274A

Grammy Hall of Fame

Jimmy Dorsey's recordings were posthumously inducted into the

, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance."

References

Sources

*Stockdale, Robert L. ''Jimmy Dorsey: A Study in Contrasts''. (Studies in Jazz Series). Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1999. * Arnold, Jay, ed. ''Jimmy Dorsey Saxophone Method: A School of Rhythmic Saxophone Playing''. Warner Bros Pubns, 1999. * Sanford, Herb. ''Tommy and Jimmy: The Dorsey Years''. (Introduction by Bing Crosby). DaCapo Press, 1980. * Bockemuehl, Eugene. ''On the Road with the Jimmy Dorsey Aggravation, 1947–1949''. Gray Castle Press, 1996. * ''Metronome Magazine'', March 1942: Jimmy Dorsey cover. Metronome Editors. Vol. LVIII, No. 3. * ''Down Beat Magazine'', October 21, 1946: Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Whiteman cover.

External links

Big Band Serenade
* *
Jimmy Dorsey recordings
at the Discography of American Historical Recordings. * Robert L. Stockdale, "Jimmy Dorsey: A Study In Contrasts", Lanham, MD, The Scarecrow Press, (c) 1999 () {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Jimmy 1904 births 1957 deaths 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century clarinetists 20th-century American saxophonists American jazz alto saxophonists American jazz bandleaders American jazz clarinetists American male jazz musicians American male saxophonists Bell Records artists Big band bandleaders Big band clarinetists Big band saxophonists Burials in Pennsylvania The California Ramblers members The Charleston Chasers members Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from esophageal cancer Dixieland clarinetists Dixieland saxophonists The Dorsey Brothers members Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Original Memphis Five members People from Shenandoah, Pennsylvania Rhumba musicians Swing bandleaders Swing clarinetists Swing saxophonists Victor Recording Orchestra members