So Rare

Great entertainment can, indeed, be "so rare." But for area big band music lovers, any scarcity of good music will come to an end on Tuesday, April 28, when the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra appears at the Belle Fourche Community Center. The 7:30 p.m. performance will be the final event in the 2008-09 Center of the Nation Concert Series -- and what a way to conclude the season!

"So Rare," of course, was one of Jimmy Dorsey's great hit tunes -- albeit a bit later in his career, long after he and brother Tommy had split up. Their careers date back to the very beginning of the big band era. Jimmy Dorsey was born February 29, 1904 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, where his father was a coal miner. His younger brother Tommy would be born the following year. Their first significant gig was with the "Scranton Sirens." By the mid 1920's, they joined the Paul Whiteman band and their careers took off; they also developed their own "on again-off again" Dorsey Brothers orchestras.

Both the Dorseys could play a multitude of instruments -- but Jimmy was best known for his alto sax work, while Tommy was a superb trombonist. The Dorseys died relatively young and have been gone many years -- Tommy in 1956 and Jimmy in 1957.

It's a testament to their talents that tribute bands about for both Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and these bands usually retain the styles and arrangements of their namesakes while adding a bit of fresh material. It'll be interesting to see what this group, led by Bill Tole, will do with Dorsey's music. Here's a link where you can learn more about the current Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.

For transportation from Yellowstone Place, call 642-6668 by 1 p.m. on Monday, April 27th; rides cost $6.00, payable to the driver (please remember that the driver does not make change); rides will depart 218 Yellowstone at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28th!