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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZDORSEY, Jimmy(b 29 February 1904, Shenandoah PA; d 12 June 1957, NYC) Alto sax, clarinet, bandleader; sometimes played trumpet or cornet '20s, 30s. Brother of Tommy Dorsey; their father was a coal miner turned music teacher; they led bands together (Novelty Six, Wild Canaries) and were one of the first jazz groups to broadcast. Freelance and studio work through '20s with Jean Goldkette, Paul Whiteman, Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, Ted Lewis, Rudy Vallee, many others; with Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra including Bix '27 he played on some of the most famous jazz records of all time. His playing was fluent and never hackneyed, but convincing and expressive, for example on 'Praying The Blues' and 'Beebe' with his own band '29, and he was influential: decades later Ornette Coleman noted that Jimmy Dorsey was still underrated. The brothers organized bands for studio work and Broadway show Everybody's Welcome '31, made it full-time '34 with eleven pieces: the drummer was Ray McKinley, and one trumpet and three trombones (two of them T. Dorsey and Glenn Miller) got a round, warm sound influenced by Bing Crosby, for whom the Dorseys had often played. On the way to success the brothers had a violent quarrel at a Glen Island Casino gig '35; each then led a very popular band. Jimmy did a lot of radio work; arrsangers included Fud Livingston at first, later Don Redman, Tutti Camarata; the boy singer from the beginning was Bob Eberly (b 24 July 1916, Mechanicville NY; d 17 November 1981, Glen Burnie MD); Helen O'Connell (b 23 May 1920, Lima OH; d 9 September 1993, San Diego CA) joined '39; they often sang duets. Jimmy had 23 top ten hits '40-4, including no. ones 'Amapola', 'My Sister And I', two-sided 'Green Eyes'/'Maria Elena', 'Blue Champagne', all '41, 'Tangerine' '42, all classics of the era. Eberly was extremely popular, beaten in '39 poll only by Crosby, while O'Connell was one of the most highly rated white female vocalists of the era. Jimmy's band was perceived as sweeter than Tommy's, but never failed to swing. The brothers reunited '53 until Tommy's death; Jimmy carried on until cancer forced him to hand over to trumpeter Lee Castle: the band's hit 'So Rare' (no. 2 '57) four months before he died featured his soaring alto. Appeared in biopic The Fabulous Dorseys '47, other films; book Tommy And Jimmy -- The Dorsey Years by Herb Sandford was published '72. |