Tommy Dorsey - TROMBONEOLOGY

[@felixthestoryteller]

I was a senior in high school in 1948 when I bought the recording and learned it all, not as smooth as Tommy of course. Later that year I heard Tommy and the band play it at the Paramount Theater in NYC. What a thrill. Later in my career I had no trouble playing it well. I didn't play for over 50 years because of a facial paralysis and am playing again at 85 and relearning Tromboneology, except I'm not playing it as well as I did in high school. It's still a challenge.

[@konidolfine]

Felix Mayerhofer I respect for your not losing will to still challenge it !!

[@seivaDsugnA]

+Felix Mayerhofer  Thanks for sharing. I'll pass trombology on. Felix; you ever play other stuff too? What was jumping up in your day?

[@felixthestoryteller]

That's a good question, and I can sincerely say I can't remember because it was my senior year in high school and was incredibly active. I was studying with a great teacher in NYC, and paid for it by giving lessons to young kids after school. Naturally I was practicing after school and preparing for my audition to Juilliard School of Music where I got a full scholarship in the fall. When I began school I worked as an usher at the Capitol Theater on Broadway so I could survive such as my room and eating. Nineteen forty eight and forty nine were rough years for me to live.

[@geraldnichols2722]

Felix--- good for you Bud! I'm 85 and also play, but I don't try that number! 8)

[@247hdjazz]

YEAH FELIX!! YOU'RE THE MAN!

[@slukky]

dorsey wore out slides so fast he had a drawer full of extras. i could never play that much. that's what made him great.

[@Quazyqat]

Frank Sinatra sang with Tommy Dorsey, and was amazed at Dorsey's breath control and phrasing. Sinatra tried with every ounce of will power, to try an emulate his boss. Tommy Dorsey thought this was funny watching the kid try and copy his phrasing. Dorsey use to tease Sinatra, with it, telling him he would never get it. Finally Dorsey told Sinatra his secret . When Dorsey played, he held the mouthpiece in his fingers, which covered his mouth, so you could never see when he took a breath.

[@geraldnichols2722]

HaHA that's a hoot!

[@jjwassa44]

The best Trombone player ever, Don Lusher was great but Tommy was the man.

[@247hdjazz]

not true

[@johnmcilroy6874]

Lusher was great, but even he said Tommy was the greatest ballad player ever.

[@TheTromboneone]

Tommy played what is the hardest thing on a trombone which is "open" (No valve slurs) all the time. That is to play perfectly, smoothly and lyrically and to be able to change registers flawlessly. In his style, the slightest error is glaring and he made damn few. He had the air, the chops and the concept. There will really never be another and many have tried to be.

[@geraldnichols2722]

The players of those years mostly had personal styles, and were readily identifiable ; today , the players are much farther advanced but tend to sound the same [even the best of the best.]

[@gruu]

I used to play trombone, and this guy doesnt play around, stunning!

[@jlassie]

Darn it! I thought this was going to be actual video of Dorsey performing this tune! Sigh, if only he actually HAD made a film version of him playing this - such incredible skill would be greatly enhanced by the visual component...

[@geraldnichols2722]

That's what I wrote in my first comment. Yea!

[@247hdjazz]

dream on

[@JGFajardoPainter]

Tommy Dorsey era um gênio, um magnífico trombonista!!!

[@edwardconway27]

this man is outstanding!

[@matcha--]

POV: you’re coming back to this 14 years later

[@Mybpeterson]

I come back every now and then. Dorsey was a master.

[@TheSailingTrombonist]

I got sheet music for this song about 4 months ago, been practicing it on and off, no private lessons, and I am still having trouble with the beginning...Good reason Dorsey played it.

[@ItsLynch1]

I was about to ask if you could send me the sheet music but I just saw this was 11 years ago💀

[@matcha--]

😭

[@walt1896]

@nealbfinn And, his brother Jimmy was the first to record a passage with polyphonics on the alto sax in 1936 and was greatly admired by Charley Parker.

[@cenotosa1]

@shlarg there's an embrouchure trick I learned. You hold a note, like a concert F, that is easy to play. You then play it for 30 seconds as quietly as you can. After that, take a big breath and do it again until you're mouth is on fire. It's CRAZY effective!

[@247hdjazz]

its called long tones!

[@fernandochevarriavucetich5671]

TOMMY GRANDIOSO TROMBONISTA, MELODIAS MUY BONITAS.

[@charlesmiller7283]

Tommy was a technical master of the trombone, when he did play jazz it was wonderful, he didn't play enough jazz to be considered a real jazz player like Teagarden.

[@geraldnichols2722]

The Truth of it , IMO, is that Dorsey was a SUCCESSFUL jazz player, and some of the others--- not so much!

[@musicloverdavid]

Although Tommy Dorsey was well before my time, I see his frequently mentioned in the list of all time great trombone players. I just wished I could find more of him playing in a solo format. When he plays in a large band, the beauty of his playing is lost for me.

[@247hdjazz]

"he didn't play enough jazz to be considered a real jazz player like Teagarden." THAT'S IN-CORRECT! HE COULD STAY RIGHT WITH JACK! He didn't WANT to play jazz!! His bread & butter was the smooth style that he invented! He was a multi-millionaire, and Jack, like most jazz musicians, was fortunate to have a gig and be paid!

[@pauletheridge2412]

Yes. It is too bad that even with the internet so much of his early small group recordings, including him killing it on trumpet, are not accessible yet. A DJ in SF used to play the most arcane jazz from 20's and 30's that I have heard nowhere else.@@247hdjazz

[@davidbento9459]

charles miller This is old post but I was thinking the same thing. I heard from reliable sources that when Big T would walk in a club where Dorsey or Miller were playing they were nervous to play.. Big T hands down the king of the Jass T-Bone!

[@EddieJazzFan]

HIgh F on the end note. NICE!

[@theSam91]

Wow what a trombonist! must have some funky embouchure. Seriously he is amazing.

[@konidolfine]

@heiseimonozuki コメントありがとうございます。 このパッセージをこれだけサラリと吹くことは実に困難ですよね。他の方々からTommyの循環ブレス有無についてコメント頂いていますが、ｔｂ吹きだった若い頃の私などそれ以前に音を拾うだけで精一杯でした。 興味を持たれたheiseimonozukiさんもひょっとして演奏経験がおありなのではありませんか？

[@247hdjazz]

TB-OLOGY is very cool, but check out "Trombonanza" written by Don Sebesky for Warren Covington....I played in Warren's band in 1960, sat next to him in the section and witnessed, first-hand his performance (many times) on this number...after I left the band I bought a copy of the piece and began playing it soon after!

[@MrDEMcT]

TD vs. Glenn, I'll propose. Glenn was the better arranger/conductor and businessman. His sound was new and elegant. His bands and his career were superbly managed. Tommy was the better trombonist, and his band, though not innovative or sophisticated as Glenn's, played very, very sweetly.

[@247hdjazz]

LMAO.....Tommy wasn't an arranger at all! forget about conducting, and Business Tommy had Glenn beat 2 to 1! Anything else you'd like to know?

[@247hdjazz]

TOMMY WAS NEVER AN ARRANGER........DUH!

[@TheTromboneone]

Lusher always sounded like a euphonium. TD WAS the man, that's for sure. And, he did all his wonderful stuff while others were still playing crudely. My great friend Buddy Morrow was closest.I have played "Trombonology" many times but never get that last 15% that Tommy somehow always had. He gave me some tips that helped me in my career. For example, F above high C is best in a sharp 3rd position, try it! That's why his sounds sounds so great.

[@247hdjazz]

I'm not saying this is wrong, but when I stopped using my tuning slide, I played the F in 1.5 position...plenty of room to get a great sound on that note!

[@johnmcilroy6874]

The Tromboneone- You are full of it. Don Lusher had one othe most beautiful Trombone sounds of anyone.

[@PatrickCurrie1]

Tommy is the master. He started the style we have today and even Sinatra claimed he studied Tommy's phrasing of a song and called the trombone his musical mother.

[@geraldnichols2722]

Sinatra learned his breath control watching Dorsey play--- it's reported.

[@federicozimerman8167]

This is like when a double bass sounds like a cello. to my ears it sounds a bit like a trumpet, amazing playing skills!👏👏👏

[@ParadiddleMcFlam]

He seems to take fewer breaths playing trombone than I do when I am trying to hold my breath. Wow.

[@donbenham1]

Efficiency in his chops!

[@bengreens]

would love to see the slide moving on this one! fabulous

[@247hdjazz]

he didn't move it much!

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

Combination of clarino playing (high up in the harmonic series, where the harmonic series notes are close together) with the use of the trombone slide.

[@jkara7843]

I cannot event wistle it at that speed !

[@DARIUS225]

i have this along with other pieces for my recital.. wish me luck

[@jameschavez6400]

I Don’t Call It Trombone Because Tommy Straight Owned It,It’s Tombone

[@jeepjockey9219]

Thanks for this item. TD was a fine lyrical trombonist and played some trumpet. However, he never felt he was able to play as a jazz man and on the Metronome dates actually said he would play melody and let Teagarden and Harris improvise. UK's Don Lang was a superb swing trombone player with a fat tone. Charles Dreyfuss you should listen to him with Ted Heath on Lush Slide! Sad people make ignorant comments!

[@Cthulhu1970]

I think you mean Don Lusher. :)

[@247hdjazz]

"However, he never felt he was able to play as a jazz man"....TOTALLY UNTRUE! DID YOU KNOW HIM? I DID! HE PLAYED THE SWEET HIGH STYLE (NOT EASY) TO MAKE MONEY WITH HIS HORN! HE MADE MILLIONS! TEAGARDEN DIDN'T!

[@N2pster]

This is AMAZING

[@zelig46]

Le prime 10 note di questo filmato sono identiche all'intro del film La "guerra dei mondi" (The War of the world) del 1953 e nonostante abbia fatto ricerche in ogni direzione non ho trovato una spiegazione valida, se qualcuno lo dovesse sapere...

[@birdieputtnh74]

@247hdjazz He actually did use circular breathing. An old trombone instructor of mine told me once about seeing him practicing it

[@walt1896]

May very well have, being that there are so many Nichol's recordings. Heard tail that he an BG used to toss for who did alto or clarinet duties. And once read Artie Shaw remarking, "Benny had a sound on alto like a buzz saw." Anyway, the Dorsey alto may indeed have been the last sound Charlie Parker ever heard as he watched the Dorsey Brothers show the day he died. & JD's "Tiger Rag" with Nichols is credited with establishing the saxophone firmly as a jazz instrument. (There's a Glen Grey vid)

[@bigkittysmile]

this is totally sweet

[@cenotosa1]

I know, he 's a master of circular breathing.

[@alexcarter8807]

Crazy, man!

[@glen1ster]

Actually, "Stage Show" was a lead-in for the Jackie Gleason Show which the Dorsey brothers took turns hosting. They had Elvis on six times in the first couple months of 1956. Tommy Dorsey, who liked and worked with some of the best players in jazz, was replaced by another host and his career ended only because he died that year. (Wikipedia)

[@acfinney1]

Actually, he recorded a few Red Nichols disc in the late twentys using polyphonics and the use of the register key, that made Lester Young so famous, ten years later. One song that comes to mind is Stampede on Edison disc.

[@plafkinfarms]

John LeBaron would have appreciated Tommy Dorsey's recording of this tune; John's family sponsored the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra on the Radio in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area for several years. Roger Plafkin-Plafkin Farms, Ada, Michigan

[@MARKMANIATT]

Fantastic Louie Bellson!!!!

[@kelvyloo]

Got sheet music for the trombone part. Wish me luck!

[@oldbiff8194]

Hep Cat 1940's style ! Groovy Man !

[@Tombo162]

That was great!

[@total1nessiam]

AWESOME! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@johnmcilroy6874]

@bigkittysmall. Nothing sweet sbout this piece, just phenominal technical trombone playing by Dorsey.

[@cenotosa1]

@Crasybutchek where did you get it?

[@adhanda2017]

ol' Tommy would crap in his pants if he heard some of the bone players of today! (Wat

[@slukky]

With this as a standard, who can claim excellence in his own right? I gave up decades ago.

[@heiseimonozuki]

A lot of advanced techniques are necessary for this tune. If I can also perform so smoothly, its good.

[@nealbfinn]

Dorsey was indeed an amazing trombonist. But he was not comfortable improvising jazz. His brother, Jimmy, was more skilled in this area. So everything he plays here is notated. I also have an earlier live air check of the band playing it and the passages are identical. Doesn't diminish the performance. Tommy could flat-out PLAY. He proves it here

[@zabuzato]

@Crasybutchek can i haz ?

[@Chadiseinsteinjr]

@slukky i thought he had the box of slides because people kept denting his

[@heiseimonozuki]

@konidolfine ばれちゃいましたか（笑）

[@skyfire8950]

Is this what you study at jazz school?

[@michaeldenise1984]

the high f at the end 😱

[@georgeb.wolffsohn30]

Clean, beautiful.

[@247hdjazz]

AMAZING!

[@MrBsantini]

When Tommy needed a tune-up, he sought out Simone Mantia. Shhhh

[@demontefreeman6941]

Listen to this on 2x the playback speed😂

[@geraldnichols2722]

Click Bait!!! I wanted to see the action when Tommy played that number. 8/

[@harrydaniel6699]

Tommy dorsey kind of looks like Harry s. Truman

[@geraldnichols2722]

I thought he looked like Miff Mole in some of the pics.

[@247hdjazz]

but doesn't play like him! Truman was a pianist!

[@Chadiseinsteinjr]

@bengreens doesnt really move that much. all those lip slurs

[@Volker8817]

Lip slurs EVERYWHERE

[@thzzzt]

That's really clean and tight. Many of today's players have that messy "clucking chicken" sound when playing fast. Not this dude. By clucking chicken, I mean there are a few milliseconds between attack and tone, the fewer milliseconds the better. Geez, with Dorsey, there was practically NO time between attack and tone. Maybe it's because most of today's players insist on these large orchestral bore horns, yet they think they can be solo instruments. How many successful trombone soloists do you know today? None.