Tommy Dorsey
Dorsey Wheeler attributes some of the success of his music store to the training and ongoing support he has received from companies such as Peavey Electronics and Cannonball Musical Instruments. Having a strong relationship with his suppliers has been a key element for his business, as is attending...
Morris Diamond sat down with us for his NAMM Oral History interview at the age of 97 and recalled his career in music which started when he was 15 years old. He was hired to be the “band boy” for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra one month after the famous bandleader hired a then unknown singer by the...
Kevin Brandon is the studio bass player known as "Brandino". While he was born in Southern California, his musical roots go back to New Orleans. When he was four, he met Louis Armstrong, which he feels changed the course of his life. Over the years, he toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and...
Larry McWilliams developed the jazz program at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He joined the faculty in 1970 and soon organized a jazz band that turned into two and three and then seven or eight combos. Having played jazz as well as classical trumpet, Larry had a real clear...
Denny Seiwell went along on gigs with his father who was the drummer for the Tommy Dorsey band during the great Swing Era. Denny recalled sitting on the floor and watching his father play. As a young child, Denny took up the drums and loved every minute. During school he played in marching bands...
Jackie Mills as a drummer put down the beat for jazz and big band stars such as Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday. As a record producer, he played a critical role in the careers of Janis Joplin, Irene Kral and Bobby Sherman. As the co-founder of Choreo Records (later...
Carl Janelli played several instruments but was most fond of the saxophone. He began his career during the big band era and performed with Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey before embarking on a wonderful career in the Broadway show orchestras. His stories of the shows and stars he worked with were engaging...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Bobby Byrne played trombone with such control and tenderness that Tommy Dorsey once remarked, "You sit on the edge of your seat waiting to feel the next note." Bobby's...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Paul Weston was an arranger for several dance bands before forming his own orchestra during the Big Band Era. He arranged for Tommy Dorsey's band and wrote several...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Ray McKinley provided a swinging and consistent rhythm behind several big bands during the 1930s and 40s. He worked with the Dorsey Brothers, Will Bradley and Glenn Miller...