THE TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

Tickets for this performance go on sale to the public on Friday, November 8 at 10am. Interested in reserving your seats before the public? Members of Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts have access to an exclusive presale starting Thursday, November 7 at 10am. Call (727) 300-2000 to reserve your seats and to learn more about the perks of membership!

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In the history of the Big Bands, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is recognized as one of the all-time best swing orchestras in the world.  With the collaboration of Paul Weston, Axel Stordahl and Sy Oliver, Tommy Dorsey created superb arrangements for his feverish dance tunes or romantic ballads that remain immortal today. Over the years The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra musicians have been the masters of creating ‘mood’ with their sentimental favorites or the upbeat tempos that got the world dancing.

“Stardust,” “Night and Day,” “Marie,” “Song of India,” and “I’ll Never Smile Again,” are only a few of the songs immortalized by the brilliant combination of The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and their singer Frank Sinatra … And now, this legendary Big Band, led by the excellent Jeff Bush, tours America to honor the magic of this incomparable team.  With 18 of the finest musicians and singers ever assembled, this magnificent tribute to Frank Sinatra is a memorable step back in time. Perhaps the most enduring big band of the Swing Era, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra scored 286 Billboard chart hits from 1935 to 1956. The band’s current iteration keeps the magic alive with many songs that continue to move audiences!

Frank Sinatra’s career literally exploded with the help of Dorsey and in turn, it was Sinatra’s smooth vocals that propelled The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to a new level of popularity!  Frank often admitted that it was Tommy’s music that helped create his famous phrasing and breathing techniques and ultimately influenced his overall musical tastes and knowledge!

Tommy Dorsey was an extremely successful bandleader from the 1930s until the ‘50s. His technical skill on the trombone was unmatched and earned him respect amongst musicians and the public alike. Frank Sinatra joined Tommy Dorsey in early 1940. He was with The TDO until September 1942 when he embarked on his remarkable solo career. The actual Tommy Dorsey Orchestra’s band leader is Jeff Bush, a Duquesne University faculty member who has worked with The Temptations, The Four Tops, Frankie Valli, and Paul Anka, has been with the band since 2000. He promises to be “Getting Sentimental Over You” as The One and Only Tommy Dorsey Orchestra performs their best hits here on stage.