Volume 209: Dixie Dorsey

Liner Notes

Welcome to the last episode of season 4.

You know you can get close to new years eve and NOT have to listen to Guy Lombardo. WE are going to finish out 2024 on a really upbeat note. In fact, there’s nothing like that two-beat music to send us out dancing.

Our featured artist has a slightly more famous brother, but he certainly made a big name for himself as well. And on this record, he features music from the Big Easy, which was among my dad’s favorite styles.

So get ready to hear some energetic New Orleans music in Volume 209: Dixie Dorsey.

Video Intro

Listen here or on my PodBean Podcast Episode page:

You can check out the video version here or on YouTube:

Credits and Copyrights:

See information from the Discogs.com page here

Jimmy Dorsey And His Original “Dorseyland” Jazz Band – Dixie By Dorsey
Label: Columbia – CL 608, Columbia – CL-608
Format: Vinyl, LP, Hollywood Pressing
Released: 1955
Genre: Jazz
Style: Dixieland

South Rampart Street Parade
Written-By – Andy Razaf and Paul Denniker

Jazz Me Blues
Written-By – Tom Delaney

That’s A Plenty (That’s a Party!)
Written-By – Lew Pollack

Struttin’ With Some Barbecue
Written-By – Lil Hardin

Panama
Written-By – Unknown Artist

When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
Written-By – Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay, and Mark Fisher

I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain.

Here is the Episode Script!

Thanks sweetie and thank YOU for tuning into episode 209 of Spinning My Dad’s Vinyl.

And welcome to the last episode of season 4.

You know you can get close to new years eve and NOT have to listen to Guy Lombardo. WE are going to finish out 2024 on a really upbeat note. In fact, there’s nothing like that two-beat music to send us out dancing.

Our featured artist has a slightly more famous brother, but he certainly made a big name for himself as well. And on this record, he features music from the Big Easy, which was among my dad’s favorite styles.

So get ready to hear some energetic New Orleans music in Volume 209: Dixie Dorsey.

[Music: South Rampart Street Parade]

What a great way to get this party started.

Jimmy Dorsey And His Original “Dorseyland” Jazz Band with
South Rampart Street Parade
Written-By – Andy Razaf and Paul Denniker

Ok…Why this record for this episode?

I’ve been a big fan of Tommy Dorsey for years. I knew he had a musical brother that he had formed a band with, but Jimmy wasn’t out there recording with the Frank Sinatras of the world.

And that’s just it. Jimmy was performing in the shadow of his big brother but many critics think that Jimmy’s band was extremely underrated.

On an earlier episode I featured an album where they performed together but this record is letting Jimmy shine with his own band.

Tragically the other thing these brothers had in common is that neither reached their mid 50s.

Next up is a Dixieland standard you’ve heard a couple of times on this show.

[Music: Jazz Me Blues]

Jazz Me Blues
Written-By – Tom Delaney

Now let me tell you about my dad’s vinyl I am spinning for this episode.

Jimmy Dorsey And His Original “Dorseyland” Jazz Band – Dixie By Dorsey
Label: Columbia – CL 608, Columbia – CL-608
Format: Vinyl, LP, Hollywood Pressing
Released: 1955
Genre: Jazz
Style: Dixieland

We will hear 6 of the 12 songs on this record.

The back cover is filled with liner notes, mostly the story of Dixieland Jazz, but there is a paragraph about this record specifically.

Plus the first sentence of the notes does mention Dorsey.

In this collection are new additions of 12 sturdy Dixieland favorites, vigorously and brilliantly played by Jimmy Dorsey and an aggregation known as the original dorseyland jazz band.

Here are the echoes of that music, in exciting, infectious reprisals by Jimmy Dorsey and his superlative group. The dazzling variations, the relaxed, easy going atmosphere, the technical proficiency are such as might have been heard any night in New Orleans some years ago. here they are for you to enjoy now, reminders of the vastly entertaining and expressive music of Dixieland style.

Let’s see what prices this record is being sold at on discogs dot com.

$7.59 High
$0.50 Low

$1.93 Average
$1.50 Median

Last sold on Sep 19, 2024 for $2.99.

eBay had them in the 5 to 10 dollar range and so did Amazon.

My dad’s record is in fair condition. There’s not much hiss or crackle at all between the tracks. The surface is in pretty good shape too. Just a few spots here and there.

However, the cover is another story. It’s in poor condition. It has an odd plastic laminate along the opening that is starting to fray. I think the original photograph by Hugh Bell is odd. It’s a hazy black & white image of musicians on a stage. You see a clarinet player, bass player, drummer, electric guitarist, trombone and somebody’s hands that might be playing a piano or a theremin. There’s no instrument in the photo for that pair of hands. There’s also another musician just visible in the haze. I wonder if that’s Jimmy.

There’s a short green magic marker streak on the back along with some tap along the top edge to keep the cover together. There is no address label on the front.

So I’ll value my dad’s vinyl at 50 cents.

Why yes, I’ll go to that party.

[Music: That’s A Plenty (That’s a Party!)]

That’s A Plenty (That’s a Party!)
Written-By – Lew Pollack

Now let’s learn a little about our featured artist.

Jimmy Dorsey was a famous American musician who became one of the most important bandleaders during the Swing Era in the 1930s and 1940s. Born on February 29, 1904, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, Jimmy grew up in a musical family. His father taught him and his younger brother, Tommy, how to play music. Jimmy played the clarinet and saxophone, while Tommy played the trombone. Together, they worked hard to become great musicians, eventually forming their own band called the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra.
Jimmy’s music was upbeat and fun, perfect for dancing. His band was known for playing swing music, a style that was very popular at the time. Some of Jimmy’s most famous songs include “Amapola,” “Tangerine,” and “So Rare.” People loved listening to Jimmy play the saxophone, and his music brought joy during difficult times, like the Great Depression and World War II. Although he and Tommy sometimes had arguments and went their separate ways, Jimmy continued to lead his own band and made many hit records.
Later in life, Jimmy and Tommy reunited and worked together on a popular television show called Stage Show. Sadly, Jimmy passed away on June 12, 1957 at age 53, but his music is still remembered today. He was a talented musician who helped shape the sound of the Swing Era and inspired many other artists. His songs remind us of a time when music brought people together to dance and celebrate.
And that’s what we’re doing in this episode. Celebrating the coming of another new year and the coming of another new season.

In fact, I think I’m going to strut about that.
Struttin’ With Some Barbecue
Written-By – Lil Hardin

Time now for this episode’s interesting side note and it has to do with a radio first.

Jimmy had a special claim to fame: he played the very first saxophone solo ever broadcast on national radio!
Dorsey’s historic saxophone solo broadcast is an example of how he helped shape the popularity of swing and jazz. In 1924, while playing with the California Ramblers, a well-known jazz band of the time, Jimmy performed a saxophone solo during a radio broadcast. This was an exciting and groundbreaking moment because, at that time, radio was still a new technology, and it was quickly changing how people experienced music. Live performances could suddenly reach audiences across the country.

Jimmy’s solo introduced many listeners to the sound of the saxophone as a leading instrument in jazz and swing music. Before this, instruments like the trumpet or clarinet were more commonly featured in solos. His performance helped show how expressive and versatile the saxophone could be, paving the way for its central role in swing bands during the 1930s and 1940s. This moment helped solidify Jimmy’s reputation as a talented and innovative musician early in his career.
This story also highlights how Jimmy was at the forefront of new musical trends. By embracing the saxophone and the relatively new medium of radio, he helped bring jazz and swing to a broader audience. His ability to adapt and excel in this evolving musical landscape set the stage for his later success as a bandleader and swing music icon.

Next up…no this is not a Van Halen tune, but I know the Tijuana Brass recorded it.

[Music: Panama]

Panama
Written-By – Unknown Artist

Well, I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you.

There are some great Dixieland standards on this record and Dorsey’s versions sounded fresh even if they were recorded almost 70 years ago. I really liked some of the arrangements I heard.

I know I played plenty of Jimmy Dorsey music at the first radio station I worked at, WBBG in Cleveland.

This is one of those album covers that I’m not sure I remember laying around my parent’s house or if my dad played it a lot. But I’m sure glad I pulled it out of the stack for this episode.

This episode also marks the end of season 4. I hope you’ve been able to enjoy this great musical journey I’ve been on while spinning my dad’s vinyl. And I hope you will continue to join me in season five.

2024 was a great year of live music for me. It started out watching the Cleveland Orchestra perform Beethoven’s Fifth and Shubert’s Third. Karen and I enjoyed our usual local outdoor summer concert series in various towns in northeast Ohio that usually feature some really good tribute bands. We saw five groups who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chicago and Earth, Wind, & Fire, Steve Winwood and The Doobie Brothers and Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra. We saw Apollo’s Fire perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on the grounds of the beautiful Holden Arboretum. And we were back at the majestic Severance Music Hall earlier this month to hear the Cleveland Orchestra perform two from Aaron Copeland, a tune from Duke Ellington, and one of my favorite tunes of all time, Rhapsody in Blue.

By the way, I’ve already got tickets to see Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass on an Akron stage in March.

Although I didn’t play Guy Lombardo for this season ender, I still want to offer up a year end toast.

Here’s to music, which Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called “the universal language of mankind.”

Happy New Years! Salut!

My dad always had a big smile on his face, so as I wish you a happy new year, please remember, the whole world smiles with you.

[Music: When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)]

When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
Written-By – Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay, and Mark Fisher

I thought that was an appropriate song to bring season four of this show to a close.

And there you have selections to dance to as we near new years eve of 2024.

So thanks for tuning into Volume 209: Dixie Dorsey

however you did. If you want more information about this SHOW, head over to spinning my dad’s vinyl dot com.

I’ll be back next week with all my skips, scratches, and pops

As we kick off season five with Volume 210: Jonah Style

Until then,
Go with the flow my friends.