Doc Severinsen And His Orchestra - Tempestuous Trumpet & The Big Band's Back in Town

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:31
Size: 176,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:40)  1. After You've Gone
(3:40)  2. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
(3:16)  3. Night in Tunisia
(3:35)  4. Tenderly
(3:23)  5. I Can't Get Started
(3:17)  6. And the Angels Sing
(2:41)  7. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
(4:10)  8. Stardust
(2:55)  9. Mack the Knife
(2:40) 10. You Made Me Love You
(2:16) 11. Sleepy Lagoon
(3:10) 12. Sugar Blues
(2:31) 13. Love for Sale
(2:58) 14. Flamingo
(4:11) 15. Blues in the Night
(2:49) 16. Granada
(4:00) 17. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:41) 18. Johnny One Note
(3:07) 19. Lonesome Road
(2:51) 20. My Funny Valentine
(3:26) 21. St. Louis Blues
(3:16) 22. The Look of Love
(3:04) 23. I Cried for You
(3:42) 24. Poor Butterfly

Heeeeere’s Johnny!” That lead-in, followed by a big band trumpet blast, was the landmark of late night television for three decades. The ‘Johnny’ was Johnny Carson, the announcer was Ed McMahon and the bandleader was Doc Severinsen. Beginning in October 1962, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson ruled the night air for thirty years. On May 22, 1992, it came to an end… Within a week of the final telecast, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band were on the road, and to this day, audiences across America love and respect Doc and his big band, not just because he shared their living room with them for so many years, but because of Doc’s love of the Big Band repertoire.  His musicianship keeps this iconic American music fresh to this day. Their repertoire includes Ellington and Basie standards, pop, jazz, ballads, big band classics and, of course, The Tonight Show theme.  Severinsen can still blow hard with his horn, and hit the high notes, a result of his continued commitment to the practice studio and the refinement of his craft.

But as a band leader, Doc continues to surround himself with the best in the business, and he’s only too happy to give them a turn in the spotlight.

A Grammy award winner, Doc has made more than 30 albums–from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads.  The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises fifteen of Doc’s signature pieces. His other recordings include Unforgettably Doc with the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc, and the Grammy nominated Once More With Feeling on Amherst. He received a Grammy Award for “Best Jazz instrumental Performance Big Band” for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band-Volume I. In 2006, Doc moved to San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico, ostensibly to retire from performance. Within weeks, he was jamming with the magnificent guitarist Gil Gutierrez.  He now tours regularly with Gil in a quintet called The San Miguel Five, performing a mix of Latin and Gypsy jazz and standards, to exceptional acclaim. They just released their most current CD, Oblivion, in January 2014.

Severinsen’s accomplishments began in his hometown of Arlington, Oregon, population: 600. Carl H Severinsen was born on July 7th, 1927, and was nicknamed “Little Doc” after his father, Dr. Carl Severinsen a dentist. Little Doc had originally wanted to play the trombone. But Doc Sr., a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to follow in his father’s footsteps. The Doc Jr. insisted on the trombone, which turned out to be unavailable in tiny Arlington’s music store.  And so, a trumpet it would be. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band. At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator’s National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the famous Ted Fio Rito Orchestra.  However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II and following his discharge, landed a spot with the Charlie Barnett Band.

When this band broke up, Severinsen toured with the Tommy Dorsey, then, the Benny Goodman bands in the late 40's. After his days with Barnett and Dorsey, Doc arrived in New York City in 1949 to become a staff musician for NBC. After years of playing with NBC’s many studio bands, Doc was invited to play a gig in the highly respected Tonight Show Band.  The band leader at the time, Skitch Henderson, asked him to join that band in 1962 in the first trumpet chair. Five years later, Doc became the Music Director for The Tonight Show and the rest is history.  His loyalty to Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon never faltered, and the warm camaraderie between the three was an enormous part of the show’s success.  When Johnny decided to retire from The Tonight Show, Doc and Ed said their goodbyes as well. Of course, free from the nightly grind of the TV studio, Doc Severinsen had far more time to expand his musical horizons and continues to keep an extensive touring schedule.

In addition to his San Miguel 5 appearances, Doc tours regularly with his own Big Band and continues to perform with symphony orchestras all over the country.  Over the years has been Principal Pops Conductor with the Phoenix Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, the Pacific Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Doc performs on a S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III, a trumpet he developed with Steve Shires and the S.E. Shires Company in Massachusetts.  The factory has 25 craftsmen who are professional, working brass players and totally understand what is involved in making great brass instruments.  The S.E. Shires Company features a line of trumpets that includes the S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III which was developed through Doc’s supervision until his exacting standards of quality and sound were achieved.  Doc continues to make regular visits to the factory. Today, Doc has not lost his flair for the outrageous fashion statement or his trademark wit. But his gregarious nature has never interfered with the fact that he has been one of the greatest trumpeters and musicians of the last 60 years, respected in the worlds of classical music, jazz, big band, and now even world music.  In the end, Doc Severinsen has transcended his celebrity, and rejoiced in his remarkable ability to simply play his trumpet as well as he can.  Which has proven to be good enough for the millions of people who count themselves his fans. http://www.docseverinsen.com/about/

Tempestuous Trumpet; The Big Band's Back in Town

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The Tonight Show Band With Doc Severinsen - The Tonight Show Band, Vol. II

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:20
Size: 99,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. In the Mood
(4:09) 2. The Jersey Bounce
(4:01) 3. Georgia on My Mind
(2:58) 4. The World Is Waiting for Sunrise
(2:37) 5. Airmail Special
(3:33) 6. April in Paris
(5:23) 7. Stardust
(3:09) 8. Take the "A" Train
(2:48) 9. Do Nothing 'Till You Hear from Me
(2:39) 10. Serenade in Blue
(3:38) 11. Hamp's Boogie Woogie
(3:43) 12. Jumpin' at the Woodside

The second of two long-overdue recordings by the Tonight Show Band has its moments, but its reliance on swing-era warhorses and the generally predictable arrangements (Bill Holman's reworkings of "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," "Take the 'A' Train," and "Serenade in Blue" are exceptions) are disappointments.

However, there is some excellent solo space for trumpeters Doc Severinsen, Snooky Young, and Conte Candoli; tenors Pete Christlieb and Ernie Watts; and pianist Ross Tompkins. Since this legendary big band recorded so little (just three albums for Amherst), all are worth picking up. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-tonight-show-band-vol-2-mw0000188827

Personnel: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Conductor – Doc Severinsen; Alto Saxophone [Lead], Flute, Clarinet – Tommy Newsom; Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Bill Perkins, John Bambridge; Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Don Ashwort; Bass – Joel DiBartolo; Bass Trombone – Ernie Tack; Drums – Ed Shaughnessy; Guitar – Bob Bain, Peter Woodford; Piano – Ross Tompkins; Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Ernie Watts, Pete Christlie; Trombone – Bruce Paulson; Trombone [Lead] – Gil Falco; Trumpet [Lead], Flugelhorn – John Audin; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Allen Vizzutti, Conte Candoli, Maurey Harris, Snooky Young

The Tonight Show Band, Vol. II

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The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen Vol. I

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:51
Size: 102,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:51) 1. Begin the Beguine
(3:26) 2. King Porter Stomp
(4:12) 3. How Long Has This Been Going On
(2:54) 4. One O'Clock Jump
(2:48) 5. Tippin' In
(3:02) 6. Shawnee
(1:21) 7. Johnny's Theme (The Tonight Show Theme)
(3:47) 8. Skyliner
(3:50) 9. Flying Home
(3:58) 10. Bye Bye Blues
(3:12) 11. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(3:22) 12. Sax Alley
(4:01) 13. Don't Be That Way

The Tonight Show Band gained fame during Johnny Carson's tenure as host of the perennially popular late-night TV program. Not only did the band gain air time with its playing, but it was a foil for Carson's jokes. The role of collective straight man did not in any way hinder the ensemble from being an exciting champion of dynamic big-band swing.

The chairs are filled with veterans of topflight big bands and studio work as well. Performers like John Audino, Bill Perkins, Gil Falco, and Conte Candoli anchor the band's sections while Ed Shaughnessy's relentless drums drive the outfit. And they are playing well-conceived charts by such arrangers as Bill Holman, Tommy Newsom, and Dick Lieb. Most of the tunes on this session are familiar big-band barnburners and feature the high-voltage trumpet of leader Doc Severinsen.
https://www.amazon.ca/Tonight-Show-Band-Vol/dp/B00000DHK0

The Tonight Show Band With Doc Severinsen

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Doc Severinsen and His Big Band - The Look of Love : Big Band Magic

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:40
Size: 89,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. The Look of Love
(2:58)  2. Flamingo
(4:11)  3. Blues In the Night
(2:49)  4. Granada
(4:00)  5. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:41)  6. Johnny One Note
(3:06)  7. Lonesome Road
(2:51)  8. My Funny Valentine
(3:26)  9. St Louis Blues
(2:31) 10. Love for Sale
(3:05) 11. I Cried for You { Now It's Your Turn to Cry for Me }
(3:42) 12. Poor Butterfly

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. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/doc-severinsen-mn0000167794/biography

The Look of Love : Big Band Magic

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George Russell - New York, New York

Styles: Big Band, Bop
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:26
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

(10:33)  1. Manhatten
(11:41)  2. Big City Blues
(10:10)  3. Manhatten - Rico
( 8:00)  4. East Side Medley
( 5:00)  5. A Helluva town

George Russell was one of the most forward-thinking composers and arrangers on the jazz scene during the 1950s, but his work was generally more appreciated by musicians than the jazz-buying public. New York, New York represents one of many high points in his career. He assembled an all-star orchestra, including pianist Bill Evans (a frequent participant on Russell's recordings), Art Farmer, Bob Brookmeyer, John Coltrane, and Milt Hinton, among others.

In Rodgers & Hart's "Manhattan," Russell has the soloists playing over the orchestra's vamp, while he also creates an imaginative "East Side Medley" combining the standards "Autumn in New York" and "How About You." His original material is just as striking as his arrangements, while vocalist Jon Hendricks serves as narrator between orchestra segments. While this release has been reissued several times, it rarely remains in print for long, so don't miss the opportunity to acquire this elusive CD. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-york-ny-mw0000309054 

Personnel: George Russell (leader, arranger, chromatic drums); Jon Hendricks (spoken vocals); Hal McKusick, Phil Woods (alto saxophone, flute, clarinet); John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Al Cohn (tenor saxophone); Gene Allen, Sol Schlinger (baritone saxophone); Art Farmer, Doc Severinsen, Ernie Royal, Joe Wilder, Joe Ferrante (trumpet); Bob Brookmeyer, Frank Rehak, Tom Mitchell, Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Bill Evans (piano); Barry Galbraith (guitar); Milt Hinton, George Duvivier (bass); Charlie Persip, Max Roach, Don Lamond (drums); Al Epstein (bongos).             

New York, New York

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Gene Krupa - Krupa Plays Mulligan Arrangements

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:54
Size: 101,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. Bird House
(3:16)  2. Margie
(4:02)  3. Mulligan Stew
(3:50)  4. Begin The Beguine
(2:47)  5. Sugar
(2:52)  6. The Way Of All Flesh
(3:10)  7. Disc Jockey Jump
(3:22)  8. Birds Of A Feather
(3:39)  9. Sometimes I'm Happy
(3:19) 10. How High The Moon
(4:50) 11. If You Were The Only Girl In The World
(5:37) 12. Yardbird Suite

Gerry Mulligan was only 19 in 1946 when he joined Gene Krupa's band, playing a bit of alto and tenor sax, but primarily serving as an arranger. But the Verve LP Gene Krupa Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements wasn't made until 1958, long after Mulligan went out on his own. Although there are solo features built into the framework of each piece, Mulligan was quite confident in his ability to showcase the entire band as well. Mulligan's "Disc Jockey Jump" became a hit for Krupa, though it wasn't recorded until after he left the band. The vague liner notes fail to identify any of the musicians in Krupa's big band, which includes Jimmy Cleveland, Hank Jones, Barry Galbraith, Kai Winding, and Phil Woods, though Woods' alto sax solos are easily identifiable to his fans. Baritone saxophonist Danny Bank is a bit disappointing compared to what Mulligan could have recorded on the instrument, though it would have been unlikely that the composer would have been interested in rejoining Krupa, even for one record date, at the time it was recorded. It's surprising that this excellent LP remained out of print for so long, particularly with the strong resurgence of interest in all aspects of Mulligan's work since his death in 1996. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/plays-gerry-mulligan-arrangements-mw0000205730

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods, Sam Marowitz;  Arranged By, Conductor – Gerry Mulligan;  Baritone Saxophone – Danny Bank;  Bass – James Gannon;  Drums – Gene Krupa;  Guitar – Barry Galbraith;  Piano – Hank Jones;  Tenor Saxophone – Ed Wasserman, Frank Socolow;  Trombone – Billy Byers, Eddie Bert, Jimmy Cleveland, Kai Winding, Urbie Green , Willie Dennis;  Trumpet – Al De Risi, Al Stewart, Doc Severinsen, Ernie Royal, Marky Markowitz

Krupa Plays Mulligan Arrangements

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Doc Severinsen & His Big Band - Swingin' The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 123.6 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[0:56] 1. Intro A La Indigo
[3:57] 2. C Jam Blues
[3:31] 3. Everyday I Have The Blues
[3:38] 4. Wang Wang Blues
[4:18] 5. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:03] 6. Happy Go Lucky Local Blues
[0:43] 7. Doc And Snooky Banter
[3:00] 8. Don't Touch Me
[3:10] 9. Topsy (Arr. T.P.T. Newsom) Topsy
[4:01] 10. What's New
[2:37] 11. The Hucklebuck
[4:10] 12. All Blues
[6:52] 13. West End Blues
[7:55] 14. The Supreme Sacrifice

Doc Severinsen, Tom Delibero, Snooky Young, Conte Candoli, Dennis Tribuzzi, Chuck Findley - trumpet/flugelhorn; Barbara Morrison - vocals; Ed Shaughnessy - drums; Ernie Watts - tenor sax; Mike Daigeau, Steve West - trombone; Ernie Tack - bass trombone; John Bambridge, Karolyn Kafer - alto sax/ soprano sax/flute/clarinet; Phil Feather, Doug Webb - tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Bill Perkins - baritone sax; Ross Tompkins - piano; Bill Cunliffe - piano, Hammond B3 organ#; John Leitham - bass.

Over the last few years, Doc Severinsen has kept a big band together by playing concerts and touring. This successor to the Tonight Show Band, so important to the success of the Johnny Carson show, continues to feature fresh, imaginative arrangements and stellar musicians to perform them. Many members of the group not only played with Severinsen on the Tonight show, but have their roots in the big band, swing tradition like Conte Candoli, Bill Perkins and especially Snooky Young who anchors the trumpet section. Critical to the success of a big band is a drummer who can drive the group, as well as take a roof raising solo from time to time. Ed Shaughnessy fills that prescription. Not only does he move the band with his relentless beat, but he hammers out some significant solos. That he is out of the Gene Krupa school of drumming is evident on Topsy. His performance recalls the Krupa solo on "Sing, Sing, Sing" at the 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert. He isn't all that subtle, but he sure can swing. "Topsy" is one of the highlights of the session and alone is worth the price of the album.

Severinsen is also generous is his distribution of solo time among the rest of the band members, as well as reserving time for himself. Doc is especially prominent on the Joe Oliver/Clarence Williams "West End Blues", an early favorite of Louis Armstrong. After an opening chorus from Severinsen, Bill Perkins comes in, assuming the Harry Carney baritone sax role on "In a Sentimental Mood", getting strong backing from Ross Tompkins' piano. Severinsen takes some more licks on a fervent arrangement of Bob Haggard's classic "What's New" recalling that Haggard was the first to occupy the bass chair in the original Tonight Show Band. The CD's denouement, "The Supreme Sacrifice", is a gospel-like number complete with Bill Cunliffe's Hammond B-3 organ, rumbling choruses from Mike Daigeau's trombone and Snooky Young' trumpet, with some parting shots from Severinsen. As icing on this musical cake, vocalist Barbara Morrison joins the group as "girl singer". Her presence also strengths the blues credentials for this session. She plays Joe Williams on "Every Day I Have the Blues" and does "Don't Touch Me" (pleasantly risque), and" The Hucklebuck", sharing the stage with Conte Candoli's trumpet. Probably no other form of jazz demands good, solid arrangements than big band swing. This album has outstanding material, with seven arrangements by the dependable Tommy Newsom and the rest divided among Artie Butler, John Bambridge and Bill Holman. Good arrangements, a fine play list and top flight musicians in a driving big band puts this album in the highly recommended category. ~Dave Nathan

Swingin' The Blues

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Urbie Green - The Persuasive Trombone Of Urbie Green

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:54
Size: 77.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Trombone jazz
Year: 1972/2010
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. At Last
[3:29] 2. Prisoner Of Love
[3:03] 3. Dream
[2:50] 4. I've Heard That Song Before
[2:55] 5. Moonlight Serenade
[2:40] 6. Stairway To The Stars
[2:42] 7. Let's Fall In Love
[2:47] 8. My Silent Love
[2:14] 9. My Melancholy Baby
[2:29] 10. I Had The Craziest Dream
[2:48] 11. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[3:08] 12. I Can't Get Started

This killer set combines both volumes of master Urbie Green's early-'60s The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green recordings on a single disc. The sessions for these dates took place between 1960 and 1962, and featured two different bands. The first sessions feature cats like Hal McKusick, Milt Hinton, Doc Severinsen, a very young Rolf Kuhn, and Detroit baritone boss Pepper Adams. The track list is impressive as well: Johnny Mercer's "Dream," a romping reading of "I Can't Get Started," and Johnny Burke's "It Could Happen to You." The latter volume keeps Hinton and Severinsen on some tunes but adds the great vibraphonist Eddie Costa, and baritone saxophonist Stan Webb replaces Adams. The program is equally divided between ballads and swinging modern big-band material, including great arrangements of "Skylark" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily." If this weren't enough, to fill out the CD the producers added four numbers from Green's sextet sessions, including "On a Slow Boat to China" and "Poor Soul," with some beautiful interplay between the leader and Costa. It seems Lonehill Jazz always does it right. ~Thom Jurek

The Persuasive Trombone Of Urbie Green

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Connie Evingson - The Secret Of Christmas

Styles: Vocal, Holiday, Christmas
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:48
Size: 114,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Snowfall/ I Love The Winter Weather
(5:19)  2. Carol Of The Bells
(5:34)  3. Simple Gifts
(5:50)  4. The Christmas Song
(6:41)  5. The Nutcracker Petit Suite
(6:05)  6. Some Children See Him
(4:22)  7. Gesu Bambino
(5:56)  8. The Secret Of Christmas
(5:14)  9. A Cradle In Bethlehem
(1:17) 10. Silent Night

Connie Evingson's set of Christmas jazz has plenty of variety and mood changes. The warm singer performs a medley of "Snowfall" and "I Love the Winter Weather," interacts with guest trumpeter Doc Severinsen on the Latin jazz number "Gesu Bambino," takes a brief "Silent Night" a cappella, and duets with guitarist/vocalist Robert Everest on "A Cradle in Bethehem." Most impressive is "The Nutcracker Petite Suite," which has the singer's lyrics to six parts of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite in a very coherent six-and-a-half-minute story. Mixing together the celebratory with the reverent, The Secret of Christmas is both entertaining and respectful. Recommended for one's Christmas jazz collection. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-secret-of-christmas-mw0000784579

Personnel: Connie Evingson (vocals); Robert Everest (vocals, guitar); Dave Karr (flute, clarinet, saxophone); Doc Severinsen (trumpet); Mary Louise Knutson, Sanford Moore (piano); Ricky Peterson (organ); Terry Burns (bass guitar); Steve Jennings, Jay Epstein (drums); Shai Hayo (percussion).

Thank You my Friend!

The Secret Of Christmas

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Doc Severinsen - Unforgettably Doc

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:56
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Unforgettable
(5:29)  2. Georgia on My Mind
(5:13)  3. Love
(6:49)  4. Lush Life
(4:49)  5. Misty
(5:14)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(4:44)  7. Someone to Watch over Me
(5:22)  8. Music of the Night (from 'Phantom of the Opera')
(5:15)  9. The Bad and the Beautiful
(4:31) 10. Stardust
(4:43) 11. Speak Low
(4:59) 12. Wind Beneath My Wings
(5:26) 13. Memory (from 'Cats')

Heeeeere’s Johnny!” That lead-in, followed by a big band trumpet blast, was the landmark of late night television for three decades. The ‘Johnny’ was Johnny Carson, the announcer was Ed McMahon and the bandleader was Doc Severinsen. Beginning in October 1962, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson ruled the night air for thirty years. On May 22, 1992, it came to an end…Within a week of the final telecast, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band were on the road, and to this day, audiences across America love and respect Doc and his big band, not just because he shared their living room with them for so many years, but because of Doc’s love of the Big Band repertoire.  His musicianship keeps this iconic American music fresh to this day. Their repertoire includes Ellington and Basie standards, pop, jazz, ballads, big band classics and, of course, The Tonight Show theme.  Severinsen can still blow hard with his horn, and hit the high notes, a result of his continued commitment to the practice studio and the refinement of his craft. But as a band leader, Doc continues to surround himself with the best in the business, and he’s only too happy to give them a turn in the spotlight. A Grammy award winner, Doc has made more than 30 albums–from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads.  The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises fifteen of Doc’s signature pieces. His other recordings include Unforgettably Doc with the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc, and the Grammy nominated Once More With Feeling on Amherst. He received a Grammy Award for “Best Jazz instrumental Performance – Big Band” for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band-Volume I.

In 2006, Doc moved to San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico, ostensibly to retire from performance. Within weeks, he was jamming with the magnificent guitarist Gil Gutierrez.  He now tours regularly with Gil in a quintet called The San Miguel Five, performing a mix of Latin and Gypsy jazz and standards, to exceptional acclaim. They just released their most current CD, Oblivion, in January 2014. Severinsen’s accomplishments began in his hometown of Arlington, Oregon, population: 600. Carl H Severinsen was born on July 7th, 1927, and was nicknamed “Little Doc” after his father, Dr. Carl Severinsen a dentist. Little Doc had originally wanted to play the trombone. But Doc Sr., a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to follow in his father’s footsteps. The Doc Jr. insisted on the trombone, which turned out to be unavailable in tiny Arlington’s music store.  And so, a trumpet it would be. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band. At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator’s National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the famous Ted Fio Rito Orchestra.  However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II and following his discharge, landed a spot with the Charlie Barnett Band. When this band broke up, Severinsen toured with the Tommy Dorsey, then, the Benny Goodman bands in the late 40's.

After his days with Barnett and Dorsey, Doc arrived in New York City in 1949 to become a staff musician for NBC. After years of playing with NBC’s many studio bands, Doc was invited to play a gig in the highly respected Tonight Show Band.  The band leader at the time, Skitch Henderson, asked him to join that band in 1962 in the first trumpet chair. Five years later, Doc became the Music Director for The Tonight Show and the rest is history.  His loyalty to Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon never faltered, and the warm camaraderie between the three was an enormous part of the show’s success.  When Johnny decided to retire from The Tonight Show, Doc and Ed said their goodbyes as well.  Of course, free from the nightly grind of the TV studio, Doc Severinsen had far more time to expand his musical horizons and continues to keep an extensive touring schedule. In addition to his San Miguel 5 appearances, Doc tours regularly with his own Big Band and continues to perform with symphony orchestras all over the country.  Over the years has been Principal Pops Conductor with the Phoenix Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, the Pacific Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Doc performs on a S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III, a trumpet he developed with Steve Shires and the S.E. Shires Company in Massachusetts.  The factory has 25 craftsmen who are professional, working brass players and totally understand what is involved in making great brass instruments.  The S.E. Shires Company features a line of trumpets that includes the S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III which was developed through Doc’s supervision until his exacting standards of quality and sound were achieved.  Doc continues to make regular visits to the factory. Today, Doc has not lost his flair for the outrageous fashion statement or his trademark wit. But his gregarious nature has never interfered with the fact that he has been one of the greatest trumpeters and musicians of the last 60 years, respected in the worlds of classical music, jazz, big band, and now even world music.  In the end, Doc Severinsen has transcended his celebrity, and rejoiced in his remarkable ability to simply play his trumpet as well as he can.  Which has proven to be good enough for the millions of people who count themselves his fans. http://www.docseverinsen.com/about/

Personnel: Doc Severinsen (trumpet); Erich Kunzel (conductor); Steven Schmidt (piano); Frank Proto (bass); Roland Wilcox (drums); Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Unforgettably Doc

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