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Doc Severinsen
Artist Biographyby Steve Huey [allmusic.com]For 25 years, Doc Severinsen was arguably the best-known trumpet player in America, appearing on television every weeknight as the leader of the Tonight Show Orchestra. Known for his exceptionally loud wardrobe, Severinsen often bantered good-naturedly with host Johnny Carson, while supplying the show's incidental music (bridging commercial breaks, introducing guests, etc.). Despite the musical limitations of that format, the Tonight Show Orchestra was increasingly considered one of the best big-band jobs available as time passed: generous exposure, steady work, and declining options elsewhere. Severinsen maintained a side career to allow himself to stretch out, recording bop, big-band swing, and crossover-friendly instrumental pop for a series of labels beginning in the '60s. When The Tonight Show was on hiatus, he toured with smaller groups and guested with numerous jazz and pops orchestras around the country. He had his critics in the jazz world, partly because his albums weren't strictly jazz, but also partly because he didn't display his chops very often; he was an able bebop soloist with a bright, clean tone and a tremendous range in the upper register of his horn. In the mid-'80s, he finally brought the Tonight Show Orchestra into the studio for a series of popular and well-received recordings. When the orchestra broke up in 1992, Severinsen hit the road with a select group of alumni, and also continued his guest appearances around the country. Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen was born on July 7, 1927, in Arlington, OR, and was initially nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, a dentist. Starting music lessons at age seven, Severinsen originally wanted to play the trombone, although his violin-playing father urged him to take up that instrument instead. As it turned out, the trumpet was the only brass instrument available in their small town, and Severinsen got so good so quickly that he was performing with the local high school band while still seven years old. At age 12, he won the Music Educators' National Contest, and as a high schooler, he toured with Ted Fio Rito's orchestra. Upon finishing school, he joined a succession of touring big bands starting in 1945, including Tommy Dorsey (where he was a featured soloist), Charlie Barnet, Benny Goodman, and Noro Morales. In 1949, he settled in New York, where he worked as a staff musician for NBC and a recording session sideman, backing the likes of Dinah Washington and Anita O'Day. He moved over to television in 1952, and appeared on the original, Steve Allen-hosted Tonight Show as a member of Skitch Henderson's orchestra. In 1962, when Carson took over the show, Henderson made Severinsen his assistant orchestra leader. Around the same time, Severinsen cut the first of a series of albums for the Command label; his earlier efforts were largely standard big-band swing, but by the late '60s he had moved into groovy, swinging instrumental pop in the so-called "now sound" vein, often arranged by Dick Hyman. In 1966, Henderson abruptly departed The Tonight Show under still-mysterious circumstances. Milton DeLugg briefly took over as his replacement, but Severinsen was promoted to the post of orchestra leader and musical director in 1967. His outlandish, brightly colored wardrobe and easy comic chemistry with Carson quickly cemented him into the job, where he would stay for the next 25 years. In the meantime, Severinsen moved from Command over to RCA in the early '70s, and then went to Epic for 1975's Night Journey, a surprisingly credible foray into jazz-funk fusion. Even more surprisingly, Severinsen landed some disco play with the dance-club hits "I Wanna Be With You" and "Night Journey" in 1976. The follow-up LP, 1977's Brand New Thing, offered more of the same. In 1985, Severinsen recorded an album for Passport with a new fusion group called Xebron. The following year, he brought the Tonight Show Orchestra into the studio for their long-awaited first recording sessions, cutting a number of swing standards. The resulting album, The Tonight Show Band, was released on Amherst and sold briskly, also winning a Grammy for Best Jazz Large Ensemble Recording. A second, similar album, The Tonight Show Band, Vol. 2, was released in 1987. Facets, which found Severinsen working with crossover fusion ensembles and string orchestras, was a Top Ten jazz hit in 1988. Severinsen returned to the studio with the Tonight Show Orchestra in 1991 for the well-reviewed Once More...With Feeling!; they followed it in 1992 with Merry Christmas From Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra. It proved to be their last hurrah together; Carson's retirement that year ushered in major changes at The Tonight Show, and new host Jay Leno let Severinsen and the band go. Severinsen quickly gathered some of the band's most prominent members, and embarked on a sort of farewell tour of America. He would continue to tour with many of them during the '90s, most notably trumpeters Conte Candoli and Snooky Young, drummer Ed Shaughnessy, saxophonists Ernie Watts and/or Bill Perkins, and pianist Ross Tompkins. Additionally, Severinsen cut an album with the Cincinnati Pops (1992's Unforgettably Doc) and served as guest conductor for symphony orchestras in Minnesota, Milwaukee, Buffalo, and Phoenix; he also made numerous guest appearances as an instrumentalist, led brass workshops and clinics, and even moved into designing and manufacturing trumpets. After a lengthy hiatus from recording, he returned with 1999's Swingin' the Blues, which featured a generous selection of Tonight Show Orchestra alumni. |
Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Tempestuous TrumpetReleased: 1961Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 819 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 After You've Gone 02 When It's Sleepy Time Down South 03 Night In Tunisia 04 Tenderly 05 I Can't Get Started 06 And The Angels Sing 07 Baubles, Bangles And Beads 08 Stardust 09 Mack The Knife 10 You Made Me Love You 11 Sleepy Lagoon 12 Sugar Blues LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS819SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:The Big Band's Back In TownReleased: 1962Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 837 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 Love for Sale 02 Flamingo 03 Blues in the Night 04 Granada 05 When Your Lover Has Gone 06 Johnny One Note 07 Lonesome Road 08 My Funny Valentine 09 St. Louis Blues 10 The Look of Love 11 I Cried for You 12 Poor Butterfly LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS837SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Torch Songs For TrumpetReleased: 1963Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 859 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 By Myself 02 I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good 03 There Will Never Be Another You 04 Angostura Suite 05 Born To Be Blue 06 Yesterdays 07 Stormy Weather 08 Just One Of Those Things 09 Don't Worry 'bout Me 10 Cry Me A River 11 They Can't Take That Away From Me 12 This Is All I Ask LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS859SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:High--Wide And WonderfulReleased: 1966Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 883 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 It Ain't Necessarily So 02 Hey, Pretty Pussycat! 03 I Will Wait For You 04 Bluesette 05 Memories Of You 06 Malaguena 07 What's New 08 What's Up, Doc? 09 Theme From "Black Orpheus" 10 The Phantom Trumpet 11 For Mama (La Mamma) 12 If I Had A Hammer 13 You Are My Sunshine LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS883SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Fever!Released: 1966Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 893 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 In A Little Spanish Town 02 On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) 03 Cotton Fields 04 Walk Right In 05 Sidewinder 06 Raggedy Jim 07 The Lady In Red 08 Tennessee Waltz 09 Fever 10 Ja-Da 11 He's Got The Whole World In His Hands 12 Cleopatra's Asp LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS883SD |
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![Doc Severinsen: Sextet Live [Mono] (1966)](http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn58/anconia/dseverinsen_SR-RS33901_FRONT.jpg "Doc Severinsen: Sextet Live [Mono] (1966)")
Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Sextet Live [Mono]Released: 1966Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 33-901 Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 When The Saints Go Marching In 02 I'm Confessin' That I Love You 03 Down Home Melody 04 Summertime 05 If He Walked Into My Life 06 Cielito Lindo 07 Sunday Morning 08 Georgia On My Mind 09 Strangers In The Night 10 Melancholy Baby 11 Michelle 12 Mothers And Daughters LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS33901 |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Command PerformancesReleased: 1966Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 904 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 When The Saints Come Marching In 02 Stormy Weather 03 Baubles, Bangles And Beads 04 My Funny Valentine 05 It Ain't Necessarily So 06 On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) 07 In A Little Spanish Town 08 Summertime 09 Love For Sale 10 Don't Worry 'bout Me 11 Bluesette 12 Stardust LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS904SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Swinging And SingingReleased: 1967Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 909 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 Mas Que Nada 02 Love Theme From Is Paris Burning 03 It's Not Unusual 04 Un Poco Rio 05 Summer Wind 06 Don't Go Breakin' My Heart 07 Walk On By 08 So Nice (Summer Samba) 09 Love 10 Bye Bye Blackbird 11 Goin' Out Of My Head 12 Guantanamera LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS909SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:The New Sound Of Today's Big BandReleased: 1967Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 917 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 Canadian Sunset 02 Monday, Monday 03 Little Brother 04 Here, There And Everywhere 05 I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart 06 One, Two, Three 07 (You're My) Soul And Inspiration 08 All 09 One Step Above 10 I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 11 People Power 12 Music To Think By LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS917SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:The Great ArrivalReleased: 1968Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 927 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 Free Again 02 What The World Needs Now Is Love 03 The More I See You 04 Trumpets And Crumpets 05 Enchante 06 You And The Night And The Music 07 Sunny 08 It Must Be Him 09 Up, Up And Away 10 Nikki 11 I Have Dreamed 12 Alone Together LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS927SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Doc Severinsen And StringsReleased: 1968Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 937 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 Bond Street 02 The Maria Theme 03 Wave 04 Macarthur Park 05 Samba De Orfeu 06 That's What Love's About 07 If We Lived On The Top Of A Mountain 08 Upa, Neguinho 09 Le Terisita 10 Love Was Here Before The Stars 11 Lullaby From "Rosemary's Baby" 12 Summer's Coming Back! LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS937SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:The Best Of Doc SeverinsenReleased: 1972Label: Command Records Catalog: RS 952 SD Genre: Jazz / Lounge 01 If I Had A Hammer 02 Goin' Out Of My Head 03 Trumpets And Crumpets 04 Fever 05 Granada 06 Monday, Monday 07 In A Little Spanish Town 08 Love 09 It Ain't Necessarily So 10 (You're My) Soul And Inspiration 11 Malaguena 12 It Must Be Him LP to CD transfer bundle $49.99
ITEM# SR-RS952SD |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Torch Sons For Trumpet (Pickwick Reissue)Released: 1978Label: Pickwick Records Catalog: SPC-3608 Genre: Jazz / Lounge NOTE: Reissue of Command Records RS 859 SD 01 By Myself 02 I Got It Bad 03 There Will Never Be Another You 04 Born To Be Blue 05 Cry Me A River 06 Stormy Weather 07 They Can't Take That Away From Me 08 Yesterdays 09 This Is All I Ask LP to CD transfer bundle $29.99
ITEM# SR-SPC3608 |
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Artist: Doc SeverinsenTitle:Tempestuous Trumpet (Pickwick Reissue)Released: 1978Label: Pickwick Records Catalog: SPC-3627 Genre: Jazz / Lounge NOTE: Reissue of Command Records RS 819 SD 01 After You've Gone 02 When It's Sleepy Time Down South 03 A Night In Tunisia 04 Tenderly 05 And The Angels Sing 06 Baubles, Bangles And Beads 07 Stardust 08 You Made Me Love You 09 Sugar Blues LP to CD transfer bundle $29.99
ITEM# SR-SPC3627 |
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