jimmy dorsey orchestra™

DAVID PRUYN comes to his position as leader of The Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra from a lifetime in music. The son of professional musicians, this New Orleans, LA. native began his career (at age 11!) as a circus drummer, working for his bandleader dad- then followed the path of his hero, Harry James, as he became smitten with the trumpet a few years later. After honing his drum and trumpet chops in the demanding repertoire of the circus, David branched out into the big band, jazz, and show facets of the music business, eventually studying arranging, orchestration, and conducting. Then, in 1994, rather by a confluence of accident and necessity, he discovered the joys of singing. Soon after, colleagues were struck by the similarity of his vocal timbre and phrasing to that of the great Mel Tormé,  becoming a protégé of the renowned Broadway vocal coach, Fred Silver. Along the way, David has played 1st trumpet, drums, and/or sung for the Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Les Brown bands. 

David considers it his great fortune to have trained “on the job” with his parents, Bill (a Jimmy Dorsey sideman in the late 1940’s) and Lee, who together graced the worlds of the trumpet and piano, respectively, including Doc Severinsen, Bobby Shew, Byron Stripling, Walt Johnson, Carl Saunders, Bill Watrous, Dave Steinmeyer, Buddy Morrow, Bill Allred, Ken Peplowski, Ed Calle, Pete Christlieb, Eddie Barefield, Terry Myers, Nick Brignola, Chick Corea, Dick Hyman, Mike Renzi, Vincent Falcone, Bob Florence, Eddie Higgins, Ray Brown, John Clayton, Jaco Pastorious, Ed Shaughnessy, Grady Tate, Bob Rosengarden, and singers Mel Torme, Jack Jones, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Steve Lawrence, Dick Haymes, Al Jarreau, Rosemary Clooney, Eydie Gorme, The Manhattan Transfer, and an old hometown buddy by the name of Harry Connick, Jr. 

In his words: “In accepting the mantle as leader of this storied and renowned musical institution, I wish to acknowledge the sense of honor which it brings me. My dad was one of Jimmy’s trumpet players long ago and told me from the time I was old enough to understand, that Jimmy Dorsey was not only a virtuoso, but the nicest man he ever worked for. At being chosen for this amazing adventure, it is with a grateful heart that my everlasting thanks go to Nancy Knorr, leader of The Pied Pipers, one of the great ladies and champions of the present day big band scene and to her brother, Maestro Bill Tole- as fine a gentleman as has ever graced our business and one of the world’s finest brass players for over fifty years, a man who was loved and admired as a leader by virtually every musician who ever sat on his bandstand. He also created the perfect template for involving his audience in the presentation of the program while maintaining Jimmy’s high standards of musicianship. My job now is to live up to that ideal and I embrace it with all I have.”