Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

''.

Early life

Severinsen was born in

Arlington, Oregon Arlington is a city in Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. The city's population was 586 at the 2010 census and has a 2019 estimate of 591. History The account of how the city received its name varies; one tradition claims it was named aft ...

, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) and Carl Severinsen (1898–1972). He was nicknamed Doc after his father, the only dentist in Arlington, who was born in Germany to a Danish father and a Swiss mother. Severinsen's father played violin and wanted him to play it as well, but Severinsen wanted to play trombone. Because his arms were not long enough for trombone, and the small Arlington music store had none available, he settled for the

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

. A neighbor gave him some help on how to play, while his father, tobacco in mouth, instructed him to spit out the notes like spitting tobacco. His mother threatened to spank him if he didn't practice. Severinsen proved to have a knack for the instrument, and was in a high school band when he was seven. At 9, he won a state trumpet contest, at 13, he joined a multi-state all-star band and, at 14, he auditioned for

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

but wasn't hired. He started a quartet called the Blue Notes that performed at local dances. Before graduating from high school, he was hired to go on the road with the

Ted Fio Rito Theodore Salvatore Fiorito (December 20, 1900 – July 22, 1971),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 95. known professionally a ...

Orchestra. After graduation, he went on tour with

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

, Tommy Dorsey, and

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

. He served in the Army during World War II. Severinsen was a member of

Sam Donahue Samuel Koontz Donahue (March 18, 1918 – March 22, 1974) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, and musical arranger. He performed with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Biography Donahue ...

’s band between 1946-1951. In 1946, he played trumpet on radio station KODL.

''The Tonight Show'' and other television appearances

In 1949, Severinsen landed a job as a studio musician for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

, where he accompanied

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, ''The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress Eli ...

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

, and

Kate Smith Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" & "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain". ...

, and was a member of the original band for ''

Tonight Starring Steve Allen ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen'' is an American talk show hosted by Steve Allen. It was the first version of what eventually became known as ''The Tonight Show''. ''Tonight'' was the first late-night talk show, as well as the first late night tel ...

'', and was the soloist playing the closing theme. He left the show with Allen in 1957. The leader of

The Tonight Show Band The Tonight Show Band is the house band that plays on the American television variety show '' The Tonight Show''. From 1962 until 1992, when the show was known as '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', the band was a 17-piece big band, and ...

Skitch Henderson Lyle Russel "Skitch" Henderson (January 27, 1918 – November 1, 2005) was a pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname "Skitch" came from his ability to "re-sketch" a song in a different key. Bing Crosby suggested that he should use the ...

, asked him to return as first-chair trumpeter in 1962 for what had become ''

'', and five years later Severinsen was leading the band. Under Severinsen's direction, The Tonight Show Band, styled the NBC Orchestra, became a well-known

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

in America. Severinsen became one of the most popular bandleaders, appearing almost every night on television. He led the band during commercials and while guests were introduced. He joked with

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six P ...

, the show's host, and developed an amusing habit of wearing gaudy clothing. The show introduced a comic "Stump the Band" segment in which audience members called out the titles of obscure songs to see if the band could play them. Severinsen often cried "key of E", his signal for the band to strike up a western theme, and then he would enthusiastically sing a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

-flavored nonsense song. Severinsen substituted for

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...

on occasions when Ed was absent as Carson's announcer and sidekick. He typically assumed this role when the show featured a guest host, which became increasingly frequent during the program's later years. Tommy Newsom was usually the band's substitute director when Severinsen was away from the show or filling in for McMahon. The sidekick role was omitted from the show when Leno guest hosted (it was discontinued altogether after Leno replaced Carson on a full-time basis). While Leno guest hosted for Carson, Severinsen typically introduced the guest host and led the band while interacting with Leno in a similar manner to his interactions with Carson and McMahon. He continued as bandleader until Carson's retirement in 1992. He appeared on Jimmy Fallon's ''Tonight Show'' in February 2015 when the show traveled to Los Angeles for a week. He played for the evening with The Roots. The appearance helped to promote his nationwide tour. Through the 1970s to the 1990s Severinsen also made appearances on ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', '' The Bionic Woman'', ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'' and ''

The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO ...

'', among others.

Recording career

During the early 1960s, Severinsen began recording big band albums, then moved toward instrumental pop music by the end of the decade. In the 1970s he recorded jazz funk, then disco, finding hits with "Night Journey" and "I Wanna Be With You". He released an album with the jazz fusion group Xebron in 1985. During the next year, he recorded '' The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen'' which won the

Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works ...

. After Carson retired in 1992, he toured with some of the band's members, including

Conte Candoli Secondo "Conte" Candoli (July 12, 1927 – December 14, 2001) was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orc ...

Snooky Young Eugene Edward "Snooky" Young (February 3, 1919 – May 11, 2011) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known for his mastery of the plunger mute, with which he was able to create a wide range of sounds. Biography Young was lead trumpeter of t ...

, Bill Perkins,

Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa ...

Ross Tompkins Ross Tompkins (May 13, 1938 – June 30, 2006) was an American jazz pianist who was a member of ''The Tonight Show'' Band. Biography Tompkins attended the New England Conservatory of Music, then moved to New York City, where he worked with Kai Wi ...

, and

Ed Shaughnessy Edwin Thomas "Ed" Shaughnessy (January 29, 1929 – May 24, 2013) was a swing music and jazz drummer long associated with Doc Severinsen and a member of The Tonight Show Band on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Biography Shaughn ...

. Severinsen performed with high school bands, in particular in the 1970s with

Don Caneva Donald Earnest Caneva (October 10, 1936 – August 29, 2008) was an American internationally renowned, third generation band director, conductor, music editor, festival founder and band music educator. Early life and education Donald Earnest Canev ...

's John Hersey High School Bands, which recorded four albums. He performed the "

Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...

" on at least three nationally telecast occasions; however, the first two renditions were marred by problems. When he accompanied actor Pat O'Brien, as O'Brien recited the National Anthem at

Super Bowl IV Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking e ...

, the public address system at Tulane Stadium went dead for a minute, although viewers were unaware of it. Fifteen years later, when he performed the anthem again prior to the Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns fight, a giant American flag on the side of the Fantasy Tower at

Caesar's Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesar ...

overlooking the outdoor ring was not unfurled properly due to problems with the roping. He performed the anthem again, as well as "

O Canada "O Canada" (french: Ô Canada, italic=no) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the ...

", at the 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

. With the game being played in the Los Angeles television and radio market, he was accompanied by the ''Tonight Show'' band. As of 2020, Severinsen and the NBC Orchestra's performance remains the most recent non-vocal rendition of the national anthem at the Midsummer Classic. Severinsen is credited for co-writing the hit song " Stop and Smell the Roses" with

Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist, and during his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, ...

, although both parties agree that Severinsen only came up with the title.

Conducting and teaching

Severinsen was the principal pops conductor for several American orchestras during and after his time on ''The Tonight Show''. His first was with the

Phoenix Symphony The Phoenix Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Phoenix, Arizona. The orchestra performs primarily at Phoenix Symphony Hall, and is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the state of Arizona. History Founded in 1947, the ...

in 1983. He held similar positions with the

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Faletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it p ...

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The orchestra performs primarily at the Bradley Symphony Center in Allen-Bradley Hall. The orchestra also serves as the orchestra for Florentine ...

, and

Minnesota Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Em ...

. He retired from conducting in 2007 and was named Pops Conductor Emeritus in Milwaukee and Pops Conductor Laureate in Minnesota. Severinsen was also named distinguished visiting professor of music and Katherine K. Herberger Heritage Chair for Visiting Artists at Arizona State University School of Music in 2001 and 2002. In 2014, he was inducted into the

Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame The Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame (SAHF) was established in 1984 in Minot, North Dakota, by the Norsk Høstfest Association. The Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame is "an enduring means of honoring the persons of Scandinavian descent in North ...

. Severinsen performed his final concert, accompanied by his San Miguel 5 group, on September 1, 2022 in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

Personal life

Severinsen's children are Nancy, Cindy, Allen, Robin, and Judy. He has eight grandchildren, including Blaire and Gray Reinhard, who write and perform roots rock music together in various incarnations as Curtis & Reinhard and the

Blaire Reinhard Band Blaire Reinhard is a singer, pianist, and songwriter from Morristown, New Jersey. She is the granddaughter of trumpet player and Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen. On September 7, 2012, her single "No Nothing" with Curtis & Reinhard reached # ...

. Severinsen has been quoted as saying that he has been married four times. His third wife, Emily Marshall, was a television writer and producer, and is an on-camera subject in a PBS documentary produced by

American Masters ''American Masters'' is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and those who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the ...

titled, ''Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story'', that premiered April 2, 2021. They met when she was working as a secretary for ''The Tonight Show'' producer

Fred de Cordova Frederick Timmins de Cordova (October 27, 1910 – September 15, 2001) was an American stage, motion picture and television director and producer. He is best known for his work on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life De Cordova ...

. His current partner, Cathy Leach, is a professor emerita of trumpet at the University of Tennessee.

Discography

* ''A String of Trumpets'' (

Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

, 1960) with Billy Mure * ''Tempestuous Trumpet'' (

Command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards * ...

, 1961) * ''The Big Band's Back in Town'' (Command, 1962) * ''Torch Songs for Trumpet'' (Command, 1963) * ''High, Wide & Wonderful'' (Command, 1965) * ''Fever!'' (Command, 1966) (Pop No. 147) * ''Command Performances'' (Command, 1966) (Pop No. 133) * ''Live!: The Doc Severinsen Sextet'' (Command, 1967) * ''Swinging & Singing'' (Command, 1967) * ''The New Sound of Today's Big Band'' (Command, 1967) * ''The Great Arrival'' (Command, 1968) * ''Doc Severinsen & Strings'' (Command, 1968) * ''Doc Severinsen's Closet'' (Command, 1970) * ''Brass Roots'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, 1971) (Pop No. 185) * ''Brass on Ivory'' (RCA Victor, 1972) (Pop No. 74) with

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

* ''Doc'' (RCA Victor, 1972) * ''Brass, Ivory & Strings'' (RCA Victor, 1973) (Pop No. 185) with Henry Mancini * ''Rhapsody for Now!'' (RCA Victor, 1973) * ''Trumpets & Crumpets & Things'' ( ABC, 1973) * ''Night Journey'' ( Epic, 1976) (Pop No. 189) * ''Brand New Thing'' (Epic, 1977) * ''Live from Beautiful Downtown Burbank'' Tommy Newsom Featuring Doc Severinsen (Direct Disk Labs, 1978) * ''Doc Severinsen and Friends'' (Everest, 1978) * ''London Sessions'' (Firstline, 1980) * ''Seductive Strings Featuring Doc Severinsen'' (Bainbridge, 1980) *Doc Severinsen Plays Modern Trumpet Concertos (Firstline, 1981) * ''Doc Severinsen & Xebron'' (

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

, 1985) * ''Episodes'' (Pro-Arte, 1986) * ''Ja-Da'' (

MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...

, 1986) * '' The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen'' (Amherst, 1986) (Pop No. 65) * ''The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Vol. II'' (Amherst, 1988) * ''Facets'' (Amherst, 1988) * ''The Big Band Hit Parade'' (

Telarc Telarc International Corporation is an American audiophile independent record label founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner (recording engineer), Jack Renner and Robert Woods (producer), Robert Woods. ...

, 1989) * ''Trumpet Spectacular'' (Telarc, 1990) * ''Once More...With Feeling!'' (Amherst, 1991) * ''Merry Christmas from Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Orchestra'' (Amherst, 1991) (Pop No. 171) * ''Unforgettably Doc'' (Telarc, 1992) * ''Good Medicine'' (

Bluebird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...

/RCA, 1992) * ''Lullabies and Goodnight'' (Critique, 1992) * ''Two Sides of Doc Severinsen'' (The Right Stuff, 1993) * ''Swingin' the Blues'' (Azica, 1999) * ''El Ritmo De La Vida'' (Tejate, 2009) with Gil Gutierrez and Pedro Cartas * ''En Mi Corazon'' (Tejate, 2010) with Gil Gutierrez and Pedro Cartas * ''From the Archives'' (Essential Media Group, 2012) * ''Oblivion'' (

CD Baby CD Baby, Inc. is an online distributor of independent music. The company was described as an "anti-label" by its parent company's Chief Operating Officer Tracy Maddux. The CD Baby music store was shut down in March 2020 with a statement that " ...

, 2014)

As sideman

With

Chris Connor Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, known professionally as Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009) was an American jazz singer. Biography Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer and Mabel Shir ...

* 1959 ''Witchcraft'' * 1961 ''Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song'' With Urbie Green * 1956 '' All About Urbie Green and His Big Band'' (ABC-Paramount) * 1958 ''Let's Face the Music and Dance'' * 1960 ''The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green'' * 1963 ''Urbie Green & His Sextet'' With

and "The Tonight Show" Orchestra * 1964 ''Skitch...Tonight!'' * 1965 ''More Skitch Tonight!'' Mort Goode, liner notes to Columbia LP, CL 2450 With

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

* 1961 ''

Gerry Mulligan Presents a Concert in Jazz ''Gerry Mulligan Presents a Concert in Jazz'' is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1961 which were released on the Verve label.

'' * 1963 ''

Gerry Mulligan '63 ''Gerry Mulligan '63'' (subtitled ''The Concert Jazz Band'') is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in late 1962 which were released on the Verve label.Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...

* 1957 ''Night Beat'' * 1957 ''Top Percussion'' * 1960 ''Tambó'' With others * 1956 ''The Swingin' Miss "D"'',

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

* 1957 ''Dinah Washington Sings'',

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

* 1957 '' Stormy Weather'',

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

* 1958 ''Steve Allen at the Roundtable'',

* 1958 ''United Nations'',

Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese–American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Akiyoshi received fourteen Grammy Award nominations and was the first woman to win Best Arranger and Composer awards in '' Down Beat'' magazine's annual Readers' Poll. ...

* 1959 '' Late Date with Ruth Brown'',

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for At ...

* 1959 ''More Charlie Barnet'',

* 1959 '' New York, N.Y.'', George Russell * 1959 ''Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements'',

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

* 1961 ''

Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments ''Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments'' is an album by jazz trombonist and arranger Bob Brookmeyer recorded in 1961 for the Verve label. Brookmeyer said: "I consider it my pride and joy. I took many creative risks here, most based on the heels ...

'',

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of G ...

* 1961 '' The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying"'',

Gary McFarland Gary Robert McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 3, 1971) was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. '' Down Beat magazine'' said he made "on ...

* 1961 ''Into the Hot'',

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role i ...

* 1961 ''Memories Are Made of This'',

Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United St ...

* 1961 ''

Perceptions Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...

'',

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

* 1962 ''Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith'', Jimmy Smith * 1962 ''

All the Sad Young Men ''All the Sad Young Men'' is the third collection of short stories written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published by Scribners in February 1926. Composition Fitzgerald wrote the stories at a time of disillusionment. He was in financial difficulty ...

'',

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

* 1962 '' Big Bags'' (Riverside, 1962),

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging so ...

* 1962 '' Big Band Bossa Nova'',

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

* 1962 ''Big Noise from Winnetka'', Bob Haggart * 1962 ''It's About Time'',

Joe Morello Joseph Albert Morello (July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011) was an American jazz drummer best known for serving as the drummer for pianist Dave Brubeck, as part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from 1957 to 1972, including during the quartet's "classic ...

* 1962 ''Joe Morello'', Joe Morello * 1962 ''Off Beat Percussion'',

Don Lamond Donald Douglas Lamond Jr. (August 18, 1920 – December 23, 2003) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Born in Oklahoma City, Lamond attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore in the early 1940s, and played with Sonny Dunham and Boyd ...

* 1962 ''Spanish Guitar'',

Tony Mottola Anthony C. Mottola (April 18, 1918 – August 9, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist who released dozens of solo albums. Mottola was born in Kearny, New Jersey and died in Denville. Career Like many of his contemporaries, Mottola began ...

* 1962 ''Vibrations'',

Enoch Light Enoch Henry Light (August 18, 1907 – July 31, 1978) was an American classically trained violinist, danceband leader, and recording engineer. As the leader of various dance bands that recorded as early as March 1927 and continuing through at le ...

* 1963 ''Right Here, Right Now'',

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the ...

* 1964 ''Dimension "3"'', Enoch Light * 1974 ''The Hi-De-Ho Man'',

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

* 1987 ''Jazz'',

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

* 1988 ''Big Band Hit Parade'',

Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the ''Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati ...

* 1989 ''Swinging West'',

Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935) is an American singer, comedian and actor, best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as " Steve and Eydie", and for his performance as Maury Sline, the manager and fr ...

* 1994 ''Eartha-quake'',

Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...

* 1994 ''Loose Walk'',

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his ...

* 1997 ''Jammin' with Ben Webster'',

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

* 1999 ''Some Cats Know'',

Connie Evingson Connie Evingson is an American singer who performs jazz and pop music. Career Evingson was born in Hibbing, Minnesota. With parents who were music fans, she grew up listening to Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Tony B ...

References

External links

*
Jazz at the Spa interview
(audio)
Interview with Doc Severinsen
NAMM Oral History Library *
Doc Severinsen recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Severinsen, Doc 1927 births Living people People from Gilliam County, Oregon American jazz bandleaders American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters United States Army personnel of World War II Arizona State University alumni Bebop trumpeters Big band bandleaders Grammy Award winners Military personnel from Oregon Swing trumpeters American people of Danish descent The Tonight Show Band members Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients United States Army soldiers Musicians from Oregon 21st-century trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians