Dorsey, Sinatra

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Macbone1
Posts: 501
Joined: Oct 01, 2019

by Macbone1 »

Been reading the book "Livin' in a Great Big Way", the Tommy Dorsey biography by Peter Levinson. So fatherly, bespectacled Tommy with his receding hairline and huge pants was only 2 yrs older than boyish Frank Sinatra, his boy singer. They practically looked like father and son in photos. To cement the image, Tommy of course died many years before Frank.

Such a different time; trombonist Tommy made huge money by any standard. Plenty famous too. Soon, Glenn Miller would make the first million-selling record. And nowadays probably half of Americans don't even know what a trombone is, or would have to take a guess.
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EriKon
Posts: 636
Joined: Apr 03, 2022

by EriKon »

I don't know this book, should get it for myself!

I really love some of those recordings. When listening to this, I always feel like I've time traveled to the time where this was broadcasted on the radio stations, sitting in front of an old radio.

<YOUTUBE id="f4k8VjwZr-4">https://youtu.be/f4k8VjwZr-4?si=ZQIBijg5tbQiI9AT</YOUTUBE>
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BGuttman
Posts: 7368
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by BGuttman »

Dorsey was 10 years older than Sinatra. Dorsey born in 1905, Sinatra born in 1915.

Sinatra used to try to emulate Dorsey's use of air to make very long phrases with great interpretation. I think it made a big difference in his style.
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Macbone1
Posts: 501
Joined: Oct 01, 2019

by Macbone1 »

I have this album, practically have it memorized! Can play many of the solos too.
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WGWTR180
Posts: 2152
Joined: Sep 04, 2019

by WGWTR180 »

So good.
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Macbone1
Posts: 501
Joined: Oct 01, 2019

by Macbone1 »

[quote="BGuttman"]

Sinatra used to try to emulate Dorsey's use of air to make very long phrases with great interpretation. I think it made a big difference in his style.[/quote]

True...and Tommy's tiny mouthpiece also helped him economize the air. Tommy called Frank a "soft singer" and predicted he would flop when he proposed taking off on his own. But as we certainly know, Frank had a wonderful resonance to his voice, all his life. Even more so once he got his nutritional act together and put on a few pounds!
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harrisonreed
Posts: 6479
Joined: Aug 17, 2018

by harrisonreed »

This is the sound of a world that doesn't know what is about to hit it.
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JohnL
Posts: 2529
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by JohnL »

[quote="harrisonreed"]This is the sound of a world that doesn't know what is about to hit it.[/quote]
More the sound of an America that's still hoping that it can stay out of what was already hitting elsewhere in the world - and the sound that helped America get through the nightmare when that hope was dashed.
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Macbone1
Posts: 501
Joined: Oct 01, 2019

by Macbone1 »

Love it! Very clever, good impression too. I just recommend a visit to a barber...<EMOJI seq="1f604" tseq="1f604">😄</EMOJI>