In Big Band history, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is recognized as one of the best all-around dance bands. They could swing with the best of them, and no other band could come close to Dorsey’s when it came to playing ballads.
Considered “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing”, Dorsey was a master at creating warm, sentimental, and always musical moods – at superb dancing and listening tempos. He sustained these moods through the arrangements of the likes of Paul Weston, Axel Stordahl and Sy Oliver, and he showcased singers like Frank Sinatra who could project them brilliantly.
Dorsey’s legacy continues today under Jeff Bush’s leadership as the orchestra’s Music Director. Jeff joined the band in 2000 when trombone legend Buddy Murrow was conductor, often playing many of the great Tommy Dorsey solos and fronting the band on occasion in Buddy’s absence. After taking a break to begin graduate work at The Manhattan School of Music, Jeff has returned to lead one of the greatest big bands of all-time.