Fabulous Dorsey Brothers on Columbia

[MartyJazz]

Going through my big band vinyl the other day and I spotted this 2 LP set I acquired some time ago. Unfortunately, my copy happens to be a single sleeve, rather than gatefold, and thus there is absolutely no discographical detail, i.e., no personnel or recording dates, other than the listing of the compositions played. If anyone has any of the discographical details regarding this recording, I'd appreciate it. Towards that end here is a link to a CD reissue that posts the titles of the tunes, but nothing else.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=3090792

[Ian Bradley]

This is absolutely my favourite big band collection of all time. Putting aside the supremacy and beyond category-ness of Duke Ellington (a given), Basie's various bands, Woody Herman's first and thundering herds - and purely in terms of nostalgia, I discovered these recordings myself when I was sixteen years old - so I suppose nostalgia has a great deal to do with them being my absolute favourites - and the very essence of all a dance band should be. But don't you think Jimmy Dorsey is an under-rated player? His lacy, obliggato solos on the ballads here especially - hard edged but with such a melancholy undertow, make these recordings for me.

I, too, would love to have a discographical run down of the band. I do have recording details for Peace Pipe I think it is from the sentimental gentleman of swing box set - which I am happy to post unless someone - maybe with access to Lord? - can post all the session details. I would love to have these details, too.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Ian Bradley

[Stereojack]

Don't have full details, but there are several tidbits of information in the liner notes. The tapes were produced by Tommy Dorsey & sold to Columbia.

Charlie Shavers, Lee Castle (tp) are in the band.

Buddy Rich (d) on We've Crossed the Widest River, How Far Is It To Jordan, Judgement Is Coming, Where Is That Rock, Heaven Help Us.

Cliff Leeman (d) on Wagon Wheels.

Louis Bellson (d) on This Is What Gabriel Says.

Neal Hefti (arr) on Moonlight In Vermont.

Deane Kincaide (arr) on We've Crossed the Widest River, How Far Is It To Jordan, This Is What Gabriel Says, Judgement Is Coming, Where Is That Rock, Heaven Help Us.

Sy Oliver (arr) on Wagon Wheels.

Ernie Wilkins (arr) on Peace Pipe, Skirts and Sweaters, Do It Yourself, Flagler Drive, Stereophonic.

Btw, several of the Wilkins charts were also recorded by Count Basie.

[Stereojack]

Here is a collective personnel as listed in Raben:

Lee Castle, Charlie Shavers, Billy Marshall, John Frosk, Paul Cohen, Dick Perry, John McCormick, Art Tancredi, Andy Ferretti (tp)

Tommy Dorsey, Tak Takvorian, Vince Forrest, Jimmy Henderson, Sam Hyster, Sonny Russo (tb)

Jimmy Dorsey (cl/as), Red Press, Skip Galluccio, Kenny DeLange, Toots Mondello (as)

Buzzy Brauner, Joe Pamelia, Gail Curtis, Boomie Richman (ts), Teddy Lee (bars)

Doug Talbert (p), Sam Herman (g), Bill Cronk (b), Cliff Leeman, Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson (d)

Sy Oliver, Dick Jones, Neal Hefti, Deane Kincaide, Ernie Wilkins (arr)

Recorded at several sessions in 1954 & 1955 in NYC.

(Edited for typos)

Edited April 2, 2008 by Stereojack

[Swinging Swede]

FWIW, this is what Lord says:

Lee Castle (tp) Charlie Shavers (tp,vcl,arr) Billy Marshall (tp) or John Frosk, Paul Cohen (tp) or Dick Perry, John McCormick (tp) or Art Tancredi (tp) Tommy Dorsey, Tak Takvorian, Jimmy Henderson (tb) or Vince Forest, Sam Hyster (tb) or Sonny Russo (tb) Jimmy Dorsey (cl,as) Skip Galluccio, Kenny DeLange (as) or Red Press (as) Buzzy Brauner, Joe Pamelia (ts) or Gale Curtis (ts) Teddy Lee (bar) Doug Talbert (p) Sam Herman (g) Billy Cronk (b) Cliff Leeman (d) Lynn Roberts, Bill Raymond (vcl) Sy Oliver, Dick Jones, Dean Kincaide, Ernie Wilkins, Neal Hefti (arr) Collective personnel August 1954 to August 1955.

New York, October, 1954

Wagon wheels

Note: The above title and following titles were recorded by Tommy Dorsey and the tapes were later bought by Columbia. It is believed that these titles were recorded between August 1954 and August 1955.

Buddy Rich (d) replaces Cliff Leeman

New York, late 1954 or early 1955

We’ve crossed the widest river (dk arr)

How far is it to Jordan? (dk arr)

Judgement is coming (dk arr)

Where is that rock? (dk arr)

Heaven help us (dk arr)

Peace pipe (ew arr)

Toots Mondello (as) Andy Ferretti (tp) added, or replaces an unknown (tp)

New York, May 7, 1955 (or later)

Flagler Drive (ew arr)

Skirts and sweaters (ew arr)

Do it yourself (ew arr)

Stereophonic (ew arr)

This is what Gabriel says (dk arr)

Navada (hg arr)

Yesterdays (dj arr)

It started all over again (dj arr)

Dream of you (dj arr)

This love of mine (dj arr)

Rain (dj arr)

Do do do (hg arr)

I should care (dj arr)

Moonlight in Vermont (nh arr)

Melancholy serenade

Autumn in New York (hg arr)

There are such things (dj arr)

All titles were also released on Columbia CL1150 and CL1151. On the CD reissue Wagon Wheels and the original liner notes have been omitted. Lord doesn’t mention Bellson.

Additional material from these sessions were released on CL1240 as Sentimental And Swinging.

Btw, after mid-1954 the Dorsey orchestra didn’t record commercially (not counting these purchased sessions) again during Tommy’s lifetime, which may seem surprising considering that Tommy Dorsey was RCA’s best-selling artist before Elvis Presley, but that just goes to show how much things had changed since the Swing era.

[Ian Bradley]

Thanks, Swinging Swede - and it's Flagler Drive incidentally on the Tommy Dorsey centennary box set, not Peace Pipe. Oh, well.

I had no idea there was more material recorded at these sessions - that's one more LP to comb Ebay for! I love this band. I got an awesome set of LPs from there issued on the Top Rank label, live recordings from the Cafe Rouge, titled Last Moments of Greatness - and then there's that great double CD from the Holiday Ballroom. Any other recommendations of particularly good stuff to look out for?

[MartyJazz]

Thanks so much to Stereojack and Swinging Swede for the wealth of information provided. Will reprint and stick the info in the plastic sleeve that envelops this 2 LP set. Also, don't know why I thought there was only a single jacket on my copy, I do have the mono gatefold edition. (I guess they're all mono considering the pre-1957 recording dates).

Just one question, "hg" is listed as the arranger on several tracks, yet not identified in the collective personnel. Who is he?

Edited April 3, 2008 by MartyJazz

[Stereojack]

Thanks so much to Stereojack and Swinging Swede for the wealth of information provided. Will reprint and stick the info in the plastic sleeve that envelops this 2 LP set.

Just one question, "hg" is listed as the arranger on several tracks, yet not identified in the collective personnel. Who is he?

Record labels show "H. Gibeling". This name was unfamiliar to me, so I did a Google search, and came up with Howard Gibeling, a trombonist who also wrote for Stan Kenton.

[Big Al]

Resurrecting a two-year-old topic because I saw this vinyl in Half Price Books today, but passed up on it so I could find out more info. After a number of Google searches, I did a search here and realize now that I should've started here. Oh well. I'd read about this album in the notes to the Buddy Rich Mosaic, and was curious..... I just hope it's still there when I go back tomorrow!