Jimmy Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He was known as "JD". He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People)" and "It's The Dreamer In Me". His other major recordings were "Tailspin", "John Silver", "So Many Times", "Amapola", "Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)", "Pennies from Heaven" with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Frances Langford, "Grand Central Getaway", and "So Rare". He played clarinet on the seminal jazz standards "Singin' the Blues" in 1927 and the original 1930 recording of "Georgia on My Mind", both inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
During his early days as a musician, Jimmy Dorsey performed with various other ensembles and artists including the Scranton Sirens, The California Ramblers, Red Nichols, Jean Goldkette, Frankie Trumbauer, Ben Pollack, and Paul Whiteman. He played the clarinet solo on the iconic 1927 jazz standard "Singin' the Blues" with the Frankie Trumbauer Orchestra featuring Bix Beiderbecke. This recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1977. He and his younger brother Tommy formed several bands known as "The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra" during the late 1920s and early 1930s which suddenly ended in May 1935, when Tommy stormed off the bandstand after an onstage argument. For several months, Jimmy continued leading the band, keeping the Dorsey Brothers name, hoping that his younger brother would return. In September 1935, the Dorsey Brothers band legally became the "Jim Dorsey Orchestra", after Jimmy found out that Tommy Dorsey now had his own band, and had signed a recording contract with RCA Victor. Jimmy Dorsey remained with Decca Records as the two brothers were now competing with each other musically.
He played clarinet on the iconic jazz standard "Georgia on My Mind" in 1930 with Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra which featured Bix Beiderbecke on cornet.
Jimmy Dorsey's first hit record was "You Let Me Down" in 1935. His early band was considered to be more jazz-oriented than his brother's, and recordings of some instrumental swing classics soon followed: Dorsey Stomp, Tap Dancer's Nightmare, Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps, John Silver, and Dusk in Upper Sandusky. The band was featured on 73 of Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall radio shows from December 1935 to July 1937 and also backed Crosby on his commercial recordings in the same period.
In 1936, Bing Crosby released the single "Pennies from Heaven" recorded with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra on Decca Records.
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Listen to Jimmy Dorsey on Swing City Radio. We are a Big Band Radio Station playing a wide selection of Big Band and Swing music.
Swing City Radio plays Jimmy Dorsey - Listen to our station and hear the songs:
Contrasts
Tiger Rag
So Rare
I'm just Wild About Harry
Maria Elena
The Breeze And I
Blue Champagne
When They Ask About You
They're Either Too Young Or Too Old
The Things I Love
My Sister And I
Jersey Bounce
Shoot the Meatballs to Me Dominick Boy
You, You Darlin'
Nearness of You
Shine on Harvest Moon
Just for a Thrill
Moonlight on the River
Julia
Imagination
Fools Rush In
I'm Stepping Out With a Memory Tonight
Flight of the Jitterbug
Carolina in the Morning
Blue Lou
Blueberry Hill
At Least You Could Say Hello
