Buy new:
-18% $20.48
FREE delivery Thursday, May 23 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: Murfbooks
$20.48 with 18 percent savings
List Price: $24.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, May 23 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Tuesday, May 21. Order within 2 hrs 12 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$20.48 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$20.48
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
Murfbooks
Sold by
Murfbooks
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$6.84
Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less
FREE delivery May 23 - 30. Details
Or fastest delivery May 17 - 22. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$20.48 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$20.48
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Peter J. Levinson
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way, A Biography Paperback – November 7, 2006

by Peter J. Levinson (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 51 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$20.48","priceAmount":20.48,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"20","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"48","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ZWlTnqIZ4GHA4DbGdQ%2FeqA23jDqmnfdUWDYztu2X6iaKa8wf5ilnCJhCt91kXIShfo0zPMBIuhk10iFizwBk%2B%2Bjj859ZKDTD0tKzvSCPUY5m4L9%2Bh%2BwgKOW3elLcQm7ZlyS%2BdKyE4YnfYsdJ8PizlyUcd9ElLcdm0kwuVb%2F5X4oZQ17eC1lsYEByMiZsw380","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$6.84","priceAmount":6.84,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"6","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"84","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ZWlTnqIZ4GHA4DbGdQ%2FeqA23jDqmnfdUdu4Rf%2FHLevN%2FIrilk2VfjaN%2B87vzDXj54OT67Ftp6ZaI1MTWdGQlRaEL5Mj%2BKoAmR6kcq6SwQC2nhz6OxWTyk5NvzezhzBDWjNHqFrbHbr52ahBaYNTyVCtj21ZG3dZydEz4a9Egba8%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons


Swing has never gone out of style. It was the music the Greatest Generation danced to--and went to war to. And no musician evokes the Big Band era more strikingly than Tommy Dorsey, whose soaring trombone play and hit tunes influenced popular music for a generation. Tommy Dorsey (1905-1956) led a rich and complex life. Beginning with his childhood in the coal mining towns of Pennsylvania, we follow the young trombonist's journey to fame and fortune during the Jazz Age. Tommy, with his brother Jimmy, created one of the most popular bands of the era and played with such giants as Bing Crosby and Glenn Miller. They also launched the career of a skinny young singer named Frank Sinatra. But Tommy's volcanic personality eventually split the band and Tommy went off on his own. Drawing on exhaustive new research and scores of interviews with the musicians who knew him best, Levinson delves into Dorsey's famously eccentric lifestyle and his oversize appetite for drink, women, and perfection. The first biography on Dorsey in more than thirty years, Tommy Dorsey is a dazzling portrait of the Big Band's brightest star--his tumultuous life, his turbulent times, and the unforgettable music that made him a legend.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    November 7, 2006
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.97 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0306815028
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0306815027
  7. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent biographical survey of Dorsey and his impact on an era." -- Midwest Book Review, February 2007

About the Author

Peter J. Levinson is the author of Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James and September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle . He has worked for four decades in the entertainment business as a publicist, freelance writer, booking agent, and personal manager. He lives in California.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press (November 7, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306815028
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306815027
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.97 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 51 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Peter J. Levinson

Peter J. Levinson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
51 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Larry Rochelle
5.0 out of 5 stars From the Depths of the Coal Mines
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
Tommy Dorsey had a very strong dad who wanted his kids to avoid working in the depths of the coal mines in eastern Pennsylvania. Peter Levinson explains how the Dorseys' father taught them music, insisted on music careers, and drove Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey to the top of the big band charts in the 1930s and 1940s.

Of course, along the way there was a different kind of chaos in their music careers. The Dorseys, huge rivals, argued incessantly, stopped being friends and referred to each other as "The Brother." For 30 years, their careers dovetailed with Tommy being the young but more aggressive bother and Jimmy being the older but softer kid.

Most band members thought they learned more with Tommy, but they also thought Jimmy was the nicer guy. Tommy Dorsey molded his bands toward perfection, and he also helped in a cantankerous way to mold his musicians, often firing them for no reason, and then hiring them back the next day. Tommy demanded excellence and got it.

While reading, I listened to the CD's by both of the brothers and the magic of their playing made reading this biography even more enjoyable. Put on some Dorsey big band music and enjoy the sentimental sounds of great music history.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Nowen
5.0 out of 5 stars An American idol, he was a musical Martha Stewart-like perfectionist who out-Trumped Donald when it came to firing people
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2006
Verified Purchase
One can have grown up loving Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra without having any idea of what was going on behind the scenes, what the fabled bandleader was really like. In Peter J. Levinson's illuminating and well-sourced book, "Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way," the subject emerges as a man both with and ahead of his time: an American idol, he was a musical Martha Stewart-like perfectionist who out-Trumped Donald when it came to firing people. Some of the greatest names in jazz and popular music were hired, fired and later re-hired by Dorsey. Levinson does full justice to him, covering his music (danceable was the goal), his movies (MGM quality). his marriages (several, sometimes stormy), and his moods (subject to change without notice) There would be frequent eruptions, most often with his brother, rival and sometimes co-bandleader Jimmy Dorsey, and most significantly with his singing discovery Frank Sinatra. It was Dorsey's amazing breath control as a trombonist that Sinatra modeled his vocal technique after; it was Dorsey's character that he, knowingly or not, emulated. "Livin' in a Great Big Way" tells an engaging, well-rounded story of a complex figure who played beautifully, nurtured careers and largely influenced pop culture for two decades.
10 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Anthony J
4.0 out of 5 stars Swing's man of swagger...
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2012
Verified Purchase
I bought this book after reading the author's biography of Harry James, and enjoyed it almost as much. The format is the same: a chronological story of Dorsey, beginning with his childhood in the coal country through to his early death as a big band icon. The book is long on detail, providing extensive information on Dorseys musical career: the lead to and then success of the "Tommy Dorsey Band", including rosters of musicians (which were changing constantly) singers, writers and arrangers, etc; also, concert dates, recording sessions, radio shows, cross-country tours, movie appearances and finally the TV shows promoted by Jackie Gleason. It is all diligently chronicled. Dorsey's personal life (three wives), and contentious relationship with "the Brother" is given almost equal attention.

Of course, Dorsey was known as much for his charismatic and mercurial personality as he was for his musical talents and influence on the big-band era, and this is really what makes the book so interesting.

The anecdotes and "color' come through first-hand accounts by people who interacted directly with Dorsey professionally, personally, or both.( Dorsey's last wife was even interviewed ). The author was lucky to finish the book when he did as many of those people giving the first-hand accoutns have passed on ( including the author himself). It is these commentaries on the "bigger than life" Dorsey that make the story so compelling. Future histories of this era in American entertainment will never be able to capture this aspect of the story as the eyewitnesses and players are now almost all gone.

If there is any quibble with the book it would be with the ending which is a little too sentimental(ironic for the sentimental gentleman?), and almost maudlin in regards to Dorsey's death and legacy. Otherwise, I think this is a book for fans and historians alike of the swing era, and American entertainment in general. 4 1/2 stars
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
pa joe
5.0 out of 5 stars A must buy, if you love big bands or a fan of the American songbook.
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
Loved the book! Saw an old interview with the author on PCN - Pennsylvania Cable Network. That got me interested in the book.
The interview is available through PCN by the way.
So much information in the book. Tommy was a complex man. A great bandleader. He had so many different musicians in his orchestra. I believe he fired Sinatra twice. He would fire and rehire.
Tommy aged quickly. He died at the age of 51, but looked more than ten years older than that.
The book does give information on 'the brother', Jimmy. Jimmy died before he was 55 also. Jim is buried in Shenandoah Pa. - Tommy is buried in New York State.
Great book! If you have any interest big bands and their music, do get this book. You will enjoy it.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Howard J. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Tommy Dorsey Unbuttoned
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2012
Verified Purchase
For those who wonder what it was like in the "big band" era - especially on the inside - this book is a gem. It gives an unvarnished picture of the origins and workings of the big bands and provides a personal in-depth look at one of the founders. If you wonder about the story of the horse's head told in the Godfather Movie or if you are nostalgic about the music and its producers in the heyday, this is the book for you. Tommy was certainly no saint, but he helped change the way music is performed to this day.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

michael c cowie
4.0 out of 5 stars Tommy Dorsey? then read this
Reviewed in Canada on December 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
Great book! Captures the Big Band era lifestyle and vibe. Dorsey was NOT a swinging' cat...very commercial and a GREAT bone player. Lots of stories and behind the scenes fly on the wall info. I dug!
Report
Nicholas Ronai
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
Reviewed in Germany on September 14, 2013
Verified Purchase
It is clear that Peter Levinson has done his homework in researching the subject of this book. It is a thorough appreciation of Tommy Dorsey both as a professional musician and as a private person. Not knowing much about Tommy Dorsey this book was a revelation to me and, after reading it, I find it very difficult to like the man. The many personal memories of TD which provide the bulk of the book describe someone who, at times, could be extremely supportive to his colleagues but who, on the whole, was overbearing, bad-tempered, unreasonable and vindictive.

There is no doubting his talent as a trombonist and band leader and his many successful records, concerts and tour dates were evidence of his overwhelming achievements. However it's sometimes hard to appreciate those achievements because TD's unsympathetic dealings with his musicians, friends and family get in the way.

Despite my feelings about the subject, this is an excellent book. A good biographer has to be honest about his subject and Peter Levinson is just that.
Report
J. McDonald 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Biography of a Trombone-Master and Band-leader.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2011
Verified Purchase
At the height of his fame Tommy Dorsey was one of the most popular band-leaders of the swing era and a major stylist on his instrument - the trombone.
No musician who has heard his wonderful, haunting solo feature "I`m Getting Sentimental Over You" - which became his signature tune - can fail to respect the technical mastery of the high register, the breath control displayed in the phrasing and the sheer beauty of the sound.
Dorsey the man was rather at odds with this picture. As a band-leader he was a martinet; driven by his own perfectionism, he expected it in others - his volatile moods resulted in almost continuous changes in the personnel of his bands with hiring, firing and re-hiring of musicians almost a matter of routine. An astute businessman and clued-up master of his profession, he was always commercially mindful of how best to develop both his music and his band's presentation - he hired the best arrangers, players and singers - and sometimes he was willing to be indulgent of his performers faults (the juvenile antics of Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich, a case in point) - if it kept the band at the standard he wanted. His activities took in film appearances, publishing a music- trade magazine and a TV. Show (he wouldn't have liked his music much, but Dorsey presented Elvis Presley to the American public before the Ed Sullivan Show appearances).
Inevitably, as a biography such as this must do, there are comparisons with his equally talented brother Jimmy. Jimmy was, early in his career a major stylist on clarinet and alto sax; a genuinely nice guy and far more likable than the unpredictable Tommy, but he lacked the drive and organisational discipline his brother had, leading to the break-up of their band, each brother striking out for themselves with different results.
Levinson`s book is probably the most concise and exhaustive study on this complicated, gifted man; he could be generous and there were many who saw different aspects of him - this book tells it all - if you are at all seriously interested in Dorsey - you've read this far after all - then this is the book to have - I could not recommend it more highly.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Mr. Brian Hillier
5.0 out of 5 stars Tommy Dorsey Biography
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2011
Verified Purchase
Brilliant book, very detailed. Not at all sentimental or sloppy. Packed with facts and quotes. Makes references to so many other musicians and orchestras you want to read up on those too. A must for Tommy Dorsey fans.
3 people found this helpful
 Report
JEB
5.0 out of 5 stars Once again delivery on time, condition perfect. Thanks.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent book week worth the money. A valuable addition.
Report