Swingin' In Hollywood

Album Review

Although credited to Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey jointly, this is not a collection of collaborations or duets, just an anthology of tracks that one or the other of the brothers filmed and recorded for MGM soundtracks in 1942-45. It's actually much more weighted toward Tommy (who has 13 of the 21 sides) than Jimmy; it's mostly instrumental, but vocalists like Bob Eberly, Helen O'Connell, and Nancy Walker are featured on some of the selections. The sound is good, and as a dozen of the items were previously unreleased (with 13 appearing for the first time in stereo), Dorsey collectors will consider this indispensable. For the more general fan, it's not the first place to get acquainted with their work, but it's quite respectable early-'40s swing. In general, it's more effective the harder and faster it swings — as on Jimmy's extended version of "One O'Clock Jump," and Tommy's "Battle of the Balcony Jive" and "Opus One" — and the less it resembles movie musicals.