[Dixielandjazz] "Living in a great big Way - Tommy Dorsey

[Steve barbone]

"Ron L'Herault" <lherault at bu.edu>
 
> Levinson was on CBS Sunday Morning this past week and stated that Dorsey was
> not a jazz player.  How the heck can this guy have written a good book about
> TD and come away with that impression.  Did he never listen to any of the
> recordings Dorsey was on before the 40s  era big bands?  Even in the big
> band setting, TD was a jazzy, swinging trombonist.  Sheesh.

Hi Ron:

I think the below view is what Levinson espouses. Most of the Dorsey
biographies have similar versions of this which is from another of his
biographers.

====
"Although Dorsey recorded, especially in the 1920s, with Bix Beiderbecke and
other major jazz players, he was not a notable jazz soloist. He was vastly
admired by other musicians, however, for his technical skill on his
instrument. His tone was pure, his phrasing was elegant, and he was able to
play an almost seamless legato line; as a player of ballads he has rarely
been surpassed."
====

Perhaps a view that there are "jazz musicians" and there are "musicians who
also play jazz". Dorsey falls into the latter category if one agrees with
that line of reasoning. Simply stated, if Dorsey was not much of a jazz
improviser, some are reluctant to call him a "Jazz Musician".

Maybe splitting hairs, but I agree with Levinson that Dorsey was not a jazz
trombonist in the sense that e.g. Ory, Teagarden, Mole, J.J. Johnson, Cutty
Cutshall, Kai Winding, Curtis Fuller and all of the others were/are.

On the other hand, he was one hell of an excellent musician who influenced
singers like Sinatra who picked up on his impeccable phrasing.

Cheers,
Steve