Formed in the mid 1930s, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is recognized as one of the best all-around dance bands. Tommy Dorsey, "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" from Shenandoah, PA, was a master at creating warm, sentimental, and always musical moods – at superb dancing and listening tempos. Dorsey sustained these moods through the arrangements of the likes of Paul Weston, Axel Stordahl and Sy Oliver, and he showcased singers who could project them brilliantly. Jack Leonard sang with the band for about four years. Frank Sinatra's career blossomed with Dorsey, and with Sinatra's vocals, the band became more successful than ever.
The band was at its best in the summer of 1941 when it outranked every other band to finish first in one of the most indicative of all popularity polls, Martin Block's Make Believe Ballroom contest. But by late 1946, it was becoming apparent that the band business was having problems. In December 1946, eight top bandleaders announced they were calling it quits – Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Les Brown, Jack Teagarden, Benny Carter, Ina Ray Hutton and Tommy Dorsey. This was the officially the end of the Big Band Era but less than two years later, Tommy was back fronting a formidable new group. The music world lost Tommy in 1956 at an early age, but his legacy of great music has transcended time. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra still represents explosive and swinging Big Band entertainment at its very best.
After Dorsey’s death, leadership of the band changed hands a few times until it landed in the hands of Buddy Morrow, one of the all-time great trombone players. Morrow was at the helm from 1977 up till his passing in 2010. In addition to Morrow, past music directors included Tommy’s brother Jimmy, trombonists Murray McEachern, Warren Covington and Urbie Green, tenor saxophonists Sam Donahue and Terry Myers, and vocalist Nick Hilscher.
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra continues to carry on the legacy of Tommy Dorsey with new music director Jeff Bush, who began his association with the orchestra in 2000. Jeff, a trombonist as well, was a member of the band when Morrow was the director, and played many of the iconic Tommy Dorsey solos and on occasion led the band in Buddy’s absence. Jeff is honored to carry on the Dorsey tradition in leading The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
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