Favorite "Doc" Recording?

ScottA · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 4:49 am Post subject:

I am currently in the process of putting all of my Doc Severinsen albums on CD and it made me wonder what the rest of you thought of his recordings. I know a lot of the younger TH members may not be familiar with his earlier "Command" albums because they have not been released on CD but they are all worth tracking down.

Although it is a little more commercial than some of his recordings I think my all around fav would be "Doc" or as I call it, the green album. His ballad playing on this is just beautiful and he also kicks it up on some other numbers. Other notables include "Big Band's Back in Town" from 1962 (I love "Johnny One Note")and of course the "A Song for You" cut on "Rhapsody of Now" in 1973. The CD's with the Cincinatti Pops are also great.

With the exception of "Brand New Thing" There isn't one Doc album that I cound't listen to for a long time. What are your favorites??

Mark Heuer · Veteran Member Joined: 23 Nov 2001 Posts: 232

"Trumpet Spectacular". I love that cd.

Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

Well, I like all of Doc's recordings if for no other reason than for his sound, concept, chops, integrity, taste, great beauty. Granted some are musically more meaningful than others, but I like them all. I saw him in a rare quartet setting playing with a local Memphis based trio back in 1966 or so while I was in college. Man, I wish I had a recording of that two hour show.
Larry Smithee

trickg · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 7:32 am Post subject:

I've always liked the Second Tonight Show Band album and Doc himself told me that between albums 1 and 2, that number 2 was the better of the two.

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Patrick Gleason

[ This Message was edited by: trickg on 2002-07-31 08:13 ]

kzem · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2002 9:42 am Post subject:

I guess mine would be the "Once More With Feeling" Tonight Show recording. I also really liked the stuff he did with the Summit Brass. I only heard Xebron once, and don't recall too much of it. Too bad he didn't really record all that much. I wonder if they'll ever re-release some of his older stuff.
I remember reading a Scott Yanow review where he wrote something like, "With his talent, one would have expected him to do so much more"

Kurt Z.

pedaltonekid · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Nov 2001 Posts: 1711

The record is out of print, but "High, Wide and Wonderful" has a version of Malaguena on it that is unbelievable.

SHS_Trumpet · Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2002 11:00 am Post subject:

Once more with feeling
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dbacon · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 8592

weezintrumpeteer · Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2002 8:16 pm Post subject:

pedaltonekid,
I have that LP and I love it. Doc's sound is SOOOOO great on that album. I also like Vol. 2

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Patrick

[ This Message was edited by: weezintrumpeteer on 2002-07-31 01:08 ]

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2002 9:32 pm Post subject:

Isn't Volume 2 and Once more With Feeling the same album???? Wynton and Tony Bennett guesting.....
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Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

ScottA · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2002 4:27 am Post subject:

Volume 2 opens with the Jeff Tyziak arrangement of "In The Moood" and is just the Tonight Show Band. "Once More..." is the one with with Tony Bennett and Wynton.

The first cut on volume one is my favorite though. Doc plays his tail off on "Begin the Beguine"!

trjeam · Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2002 9:05 pm Post subject:

I love Doc's "Georgia On my Mind" Recording. It really shows off his beutiful tone.
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Perry dAndrea · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2002 7:04 pm Post subject:

Alright, yeah..

There's some overlap of songs on a lot of Doc's earlier recordings, but the compilation called "Doc" (2 record set) that came out in the seventies, I think, puts a lot of it together.

"Doc Severinsen's Closet" is worth it just for "Court Of The Crimson King" alone. Incredible.

Other than that, I'd say that MANDATORY in a Doc collection would be, in order,

1. The Big Band's Back In Town
2. Torch Songs For Trumpet
3. Command Performances

Unbelievable stuff. I would be amazed if any future trumpeter could ever equal the "command", passion, control, expression, unbelievable articulation, and soaring excitement that is displayed by Doc in these albums.

I mean, you take the old Maynard stuff (NOT to knock Maynard, as he's one of the best ever in stratosphere playing), and along comes Arturo and Faddis and those skyrocketing riffs of Maynard's are carried farther by these guys. But the absolute EXQUISITE expression in Doc's playing makes our best new artists almost sound clunky in comparison. In COMPARISON. Not to knock the new crop, it's just that Doc still leaves a LOT for these guys to live up to. Playing loud and high with great control ain't enough. There's eons to go to equal Doc's sterling legacy in terms of the supreme command and passion in his expression..

The only way to beat those great old albums is to see Doc LIVE this fall when he goes on tour again. At 75, he will BLOW YOU AWAY, I'm serious. The sound is bigger and better than ever before. His range is WAY better than it was in those Command albums. I saw him 2 months ago in Portland Oregon, and he was playing a "home-made" (his words) trumpet made from different parts- the waterkeys didn't even match. But it sounded incredible. And HUGE.

pd

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"Don't forget- P R A C T I C E ." -Doc Severinsen

[ This Message was edited by: Perry D'Andrea on 2002-08-10 01:01 ]

slip0106 · Veteran Member Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 174

Do I have to pick only one??? I like ALL of Severisens recordings. His sound & complete "command" of the horn are really something. Personally I think he was recorded best in the 60's & 70's. But then again, "Trumpet Spectacular" & his newsest "Swingin' The Blues" he is recorded well.

I've played a gig or two & play regularly in a rehersal band down here with a trpt player who did some of the studio stuff with Doc when the od NYC studios were happening (50's & 60's) Jimmy (and I have to agree) said that if you have to pick "one" album ... "Big Bands Back In Town".

Michael - Southern Florida

Keith Wood · Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2002 9:38 pm Post subject:

My favorite, and dear to my heart, recording of Doc is "A Song For You" on his "Rhapsody for Now" album. What a sweet Double Eb at the end! All the best.
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Keith Wood