Mysterious, "modern" tenor solo on Jimmy Dorsey

[BERIGAN]

The song is called Murderistic, from December 22nd of 1941. The only cd I can find it on is the 2 cd Decca Anthology of Big Band Swing 1930-1955.

I remember reading the liner notes from Loren Schoenberg years ago, saying basically, the brief, far out tenor solo was unlikely anyone with the band at the time. (Those listed are Milt Yaner, Frank Langone, Don Hammond, and Charles Frazier )

Forgot about it, but I'd say once a week for a month now, I hear the tune on my Dish Jazz station! It really does sound like someone who was a bop man, or soon to be a bop man....The liner notes are from 1993, has any new info come along since then??? Sorry, I dug around, but all the sound samples are early in on the song...Scan of part of the liner notes below....

Edited March 12, 2005 by BERIGAN

[ghost of miles]

I haven't found any info about the soloist, Berigan, but have you ever heard the instrumental "Turn Right"? From the same year, I think (1941), on CONTRASTS, the one CD of Dorsey's Decca work that GRP has put out. written by Dorsey pianist/arranger Joe Lippmann. I also have a live version from 1943, and it sounds pretty modernistic as well. A lot of folks (not us around Org, of course B-) ) forget or don't realize how much Bird admired Jimmy Dorsey.

Strange (or maybe not) that GRP has done so little with Dorsey's Decca catalogue (he recorded more than 400 sides for them). Even Chronological Classics hasn't done anything with it... Hep has only touched upon later material. I'd sure like to hear more of his work with Joe Lippmann. Any recommendations in that regard? Looks like Circle has issued a couple of volumes circa 1939-1941.

Edited March 30, 2005 by ghost of miles

[Dave James]

Interesting that the liner notes talk about Dorsey's band and Jay McShann's. I don't suppose there's any chance this was a recording with both bands present either live or in a studio setting. If that's the case, I could go way, way out on a limb and wonder if maybe the bop sounding soloist was Bird himself, just sitting in for a number with the other band. I think Parker did play a bit of tenor from time to time. Nothing like some wild "second shooter, grassy knoll" speculation, right?

Up over and out.

Edited March 30, 2005 by Dave James

[BERIGAN]

I haven't found any info about the soloist, Berigan, but have you ever heard the instrumental "Turn Right"? From the same year, I think (1941), on CONTRASTS, the one CD of Dorsey's Decca work that GRP has put out. written by Dorsey pianist/arranger Joe Lippmann. I also have a live version from 1943, and it sounds pretty modernistic as well. A lot of folks (not us around Org, of course B-) ) forget or don't realize how much Bird admired Jimmy Dorsey.

Strange (or maybe not) that GRP has done so little with Dorsey's Decca catalogue (he recorded more than 400 sides for them). Even Chronological Classics hasn't done anything with it... Hep has only touched upon later material. I'd sure like to hear more of his work with Joe Lippmann. Any recommendations in that regard? Looks like Circle has issued a couple of volumes circa 1939-1941.

Thanks for digging Ghost! Yeah, I have heard Turn Right on that GRP cd (One of my favorite cds) Some of the last tracks are very different sounding than most of J.D.'s recordings. I have a few other cds of his,(Both Circles) but I'll have to listen to them again before recommending any of them to you. What do you have the live 43 track on, cd or lp???

And yes, where is Classics with his output? Yes, a fair number of vocals, and commercial stuff, but great solos abound on what I have heard......

[BERIGAN]

Interesting that the liner notes talk about Dorsey's band and Jay McShann's. I don't suppose there's any chance this was a recording with both bands present either live or in a studio setting. If that's the case, I could go way, way out on a limb and wonder if maybe the bop sounding soloist was Bird himself, just sitting in for a number with the other band. I think Parker did play a bit of tenor from time to time. Nothing like some wild "second shooter, grassy knoll" speculation, right?

Up over and out.

You know, I even wondered if Parker had possibly been around at that time as well! I don't think it sounds that much like Bird, but Tenor Vs. Alto might explain that....a bit....

[ghost of miles]

What do you have the live 43 track on, cd or lp???

CD... Soundcraft put it out several years ago. It's simply titled "Broadcasts 1942-43." A live version of "Turn Right," early version of "Besame Mucho," some Helen O'Connell, some Kitty Kallen (particular fave of mine right now ), Bob Eberly, of course... it's fun. I've added those Circles to my humongous "to-get" list (still need to get the Ellington Circles while I'm at it).

The person who does the liners for Classics now posts here--I'll try to drop him a line and see if he knows anything about why they haven't done Dorsey.