Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 09/29/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So many "greatest hits" compilations miss the mark either in quality or song selection. But this disc lives up to its billing as the "Best" of the Dorsey orchestra. It kicks off with one of the stellar and swingiest tunes of the Big Band era, "Opus Number One" (though this version is inferior to the more famous "single" version). It's hard to listen to this song and not appreciate the brilliant arrangement and musicianship displayed here. Along with Goodman's "Sing, Sing Sing" and Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" this has got to be in the top three of any Big Band all-time greatest list.It's a pity that Dorsey has been somewhat forgotten today and shoved aside in preference of Benny, Glenn and Artie. Was he as good as those giants? No, but this disc shows that his band could swing, had a phenomenal young vocalist named Sinatra and that Tommy's trombone playing wasn't half bad. This is a must have album for anyone serious about the Big Band era."
Absolutely marvellous!
M. Fischer | 09/09/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"They're all here, his big hits and some more: "Opus one", "Indian Summer" and of course "Song of India", and they were songs to get us through a very dark decade. And we thank English radio broadcasting for bringing these tunes to a country where German Schlagers were all over the airwaves in the early 40's. If you loved these tunes by Tommy Dorsey then, you'll find the sound on this CD just wonderful. Bittersweet memories of friendship, our country united in a struggle against a huge enemy, and finally resisting occupation so that our children could enjoy that awful music called rock & roll in the 50's... Only kidding, some of the rock stuff was endurable, but nothing can beat the beat of a real big band like Tommy Dorsey's!"
"Opus one" the best of the best.
Michael D Coomer | Sellersburg, In United States | 11/20/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have allways been a fan of Tommy Dorsey, and so will you when you listen to "Opus one", "Song of India" and "Marie" which, I think are some of his best work. Is it worth the price? If you are a fan of Tommy Dorsey and after, listening to the tracks, you will be, along with answering many times over, YES!"
Tommy Dorsey -Best All Around Dance Band!
JazzMan John | High on a hillside in LA, CA | 05/09/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Dorsey band could do everything. The hottest Swing and the smoothest ballads and the liveliest pops and novelties. His band was every inch as good as The Miller, Goodman and Shaw bands and at times, even better!
Dorsey had several bands and his pre 1940 band is very different than his band of 1940 - 1946. The '40s band had a more dynamic sound to it, especially in the Swing instrumentals! Plus...all those great vocalists - Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Connie Haines and the Pied Pipers vocal group, not to mention Dick Haymes, Stuart Foster and the great Clark Sisters aka The Sentimentalists.
The recordings on the CD above are a mixture of 'both' of TD's band of the era.
All the sides on the CD are choice and the only reason I have rated the CD 4 stars out of 5 is because my 'personal best' are not all on there!
And with all due respect to the reviewer below, the version of "Opus One" on this CD *is* the original 1944 recording when TD was featuring a big string section in his band. "Inferior"? No such way.
*For more by me on the Dorsey band, click on the link below-