Tommy Dorsey Volume 2

Personnel includes: Tommy Dorsey (trombone); Sy Oliver (vocals, arranger); Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Connie Haines; The Pied Pipers; The Sentimentalists (vocals); Buddy DeFranco (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Bunny Berigan, Ziggy Elman (trumpet); Joe Bushkin, Milt Raskin (piano); Buddy Rich, Dave Tough (drums).

Recorded between 1936 & 1950.

Personnel: Connie Haines, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Stuart Foster, Sy Oliver, Sentimentalists (vocals).

Recording information: 06/09/1936-01/04/1950.

The second of two volumes (both double LPs) in a 1971 series from RCA Victor, This Is Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Vol. 2 featured a few of the band's big early hits missing from the first volume ("After You've Gone," "Night and Day," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"), but focused largely on Dorsey's later years. Twelve of the performances date from the '40s or later, including many vocal features: "Blue Skies" and "This Love of Mine" for Frank Sinatra, "For You" with Jo Stafford, and "What Is This Thing Called Love?" for Connie Haines. Reissued on CD by Collectables in 2001, the set lost none of its luster, and is one of the best ways for a beginner to hear the best war-era swing. ~ John Bush