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'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

''.

Early life

Severinsen was born in

Arlington, Oregon Arlington is a city in Gilliam County, Oregon, Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. The city's population was 586 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and has a 2019 estimate of 591. History The account of how the city received its n ...

, 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 The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

and wanted him to play it as well, but Severinsen wanted to play

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

. 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. There is also a soprano cor ...

. A neighbor provided him with some lessons, 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. Growing up, Severinsen idolized the trumpeter and band leader

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

. 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 12 he won the

Music Teachers National Association Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) is an American nonprofit professional organization for the support, growth, and development of music-teaching professionals, with more than 17,000 members in 50 states, and more than 500 affiliated loca ...

’s National 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 trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

but was not 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 "Nagasaki", "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "South ...

, and

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

. 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 and 1951. In 1946, he played trumpet on radio station

KODL KODL (1440 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve The Dalles, Oregon, United States. The station, which began broadcasting in October 1940, is currently owned by Larson-Wynn, Inc. The station was assigned the KODL call sign by the Federal ...

''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 commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

, where he accompanied

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

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 E ...

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

, 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 became well known for her renditions of "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain". She began ...

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

Tonight Starring Steve Allen ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Steve Allen, it aired from September 27, 1954 to January 25, 1957, and was replaced by ...

'', 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 refers to the house band on the American television variety show ''The Tonight Show'', which has created an important showcase for jazz on American television. The Tonight Show Band has changed in form and composition since ...

Skitch Henderson Lyle Russel "Skitch" Henderson (January 27, 1918 – November 1, 2005) was an American 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 sho ...

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

'', and five years later, after

Milton Delugg Milton Delugg (December 2, 1918 – April 6, 2015) was an American musician, composer and arranger. Early years Milton Delugg was born in Los Angeles, California. He said, "There aren't any Deluggs. It's not a real name." He believed the family' ...

, Severinsen was leading the band. Under Severinsen's direction, The Tonight Show Band, styled the NBC Orchestra, became perhaps the best 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 and ...

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, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

, 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 popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

-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 American Bro ...

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 Thomas Penn Newsom (February 25, 1929 – April 28, 2007) was a saxophone player in the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', for which he later became assistant director. Newsom was frequently the band's substitute dir ...

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 permanently). While Leno guest hosted for Carson, Severinsen typically introduced Leno and led the band while interacting with Leno in a similar manner to his interactions with Carson and McMahon. Doc continued as bandleader until Carson's retirement in May 1992. Doc, along with Tommy Newsom and Ed Shaughnessy, appeared on the January 31, 2005 episode of ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'' performing "

Here's That Rainy Day "Here's That Rainy Day" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke that was published in 1953. It was introduced by Dolores Gray in the Broadway musical '' Carnival in Flanders''. Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatr ...

" in honor of Johnny Carson, who died on January 23 of that same year. 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 Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

. 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 six seasons from January 22, 1968, to July 23, 1973, on the NBC television network. The show, hosted by comed ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'', ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'' 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. Created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein, the show ran for six seasons and List of The Larry Sanders Show episodes, ...

'', 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. 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 R&B 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's album '' ...

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 ...

, and

Ed Shaughnessy Edwin Thomas 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 Shaughnessy ...

. 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 Can ...

John Hersey High School John Hersey High School (also referred to as Hersey or JHHS) is a four-year public high school located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago in the United States. It enrolls students from Arlington Heights as well as parts ...

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 by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of For ...

" 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 ...

, the public address system at

Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium was an outdoor American football, football stadium in the Southern United States on the campus of Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. It stood from 1926 to 1980 and was officially the Third Tulane Stadium, followin ...

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 US 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. Caesars ...

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" () 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 music, after which French- ...

", at the

1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 60th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 1 ...

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

. 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 songwriter, singer, performer, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist and writing for Elvis Presley during his early career, pro ...

, 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 position 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, th ...

in 1983. He then 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 Falletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it ...

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 Floren ...

, 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 Th ...

. 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 Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

Personal life

On June 23, 1949, Severinsen married Jane Simpson Frazer. They had four children before divorcing. On August 7, 1964, Severinsen married Evonne Nyman. They had one child and were divorced in 1976. In 1980, he married Emily Marshall, who was a television writer and producer and is an on-camera subject in a 2020 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 U ...

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 Cordov ...

. In 1992, after The Tonight Show, Severinsen moved to Mexico with his wife, and formed a new band, The San Miguel Five. They divorced in 2006. Marshall died in 2023. By 2013, Severinsen had been living in Tennessee for a few years, moving there to be closer to Cathy Leach, principal trumpeter with the

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee. The KSO was selected among a competitive pool of orchestras in 2020 to perform at the Kennedy Center as part of the ''SHIFT'' Festival of American Orchestras. ...

and professor of trumpet at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

. Leach was Severinsen's "companion." In 2022, Leach was cited as his wife. Severinsen and Leach perform together. Severinsen has been quoted as saying that he has been married four times. 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 # ...

Discography

* ''A String of Trumpets'' (

Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at its ...

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

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

, 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 owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

, 1971) (Pop No. 185) * ''Sixteen Great Performances'' (

ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

, 1971) * ''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 flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

* ''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 ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

, 1973) * ''Night Journey'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

, 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) * ''And Xebron'' (

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

, 1985) * ''Episodes'' (Pro-Arte, 1986) * ''Ja-Da'' ( MCA, 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 and Robert Woods. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the label has had a long assoc ...

, 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'' (RCA/

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

, 1992) * ''Lullabies and Goodnight'' (Critique, 1992) * ''Two Sides of Doc Severinsen'' (The Right Stuff, 1993) * ''Swingin' the Blues'' (Azica, 1999) * ''From the Archives'' (Essential Media Group, 2012) * ''Torch Songs for Trumpet (Command, 2025)

Doc Severinsen and the San Miguel Five

* ''El Ritmo De La Vida'' (Tejate, 2009) with Gil Gutierrez and Pedro Cartas * ''En Mi Corazon'' (Tejate, 2010) with Gil Gutierrez and Pedro Cartas * ''Oblivion'' (

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

, 14 November 2013); (

CD Baby CD Baby, Inc. is a Portland, Oregon based online distributor of independent music. The company was described as an "anti-label" by its parent company's Chief Operating Officer Tracy Maddux. It was established in 1998 and offered distribution fo ...

, 2014); with Gil Gutierrez, Charlie Bisharat, Jimmy Branly, Kevin Thomas, Luis Conte , Otmaro Ruiz and Rene Camacho

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 Sh ...

* 1959 ''Witchcraft'' * 1961 ''Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song'' With

The Ray Charles Singers Ray Charles (born Charles Raymond Offenberg; September 13, 1918April 6, 2015) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, vocal arranger and conductor who was best known as organizer and leader of the Ray Charles Singers, who accompanied Pe ...

* 1959 ''Sunrise Serenade'' (Decca) With

Urbie Green Urban Clifford "Urbie" Green (August 8, 1926 – December 31, 2018) was an American jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. He played on over 250 recordings and released more than twenty albums a ...

* 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!'' With

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

* 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 – May 31, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also k ...

* 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, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

* 1957 ''Dinah Washington Sings'',

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

* 1957 '' Stormy Weather'',

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

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

* 1958 ''United Nations'',

Toshiko Akiyoshi is an 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. In 1984, sh ...

* 1959 ''

Late Date with Ruth Brown ''Late Date with Ruth Brown'' is an album by vocalist Ruth Brown featuring tracks recorded in 1959 and released on the Atlantic label.Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a popular music, pop music ...

* 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) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman ...

* 1961 '' Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments'',

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombone, valve trombonist, Jazz piano, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public ...

* 1961 ''

The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" ''The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"'' is a 1962 album by arranger Gary McFarland of songs from the Frank Loesser musical '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''. The album was McFarland's debut a ...

'',

Gary McFarland Gary Ronald McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 2, 1971) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, vibraphonist, and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve Records, Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. ''DownBeat, Dow ...

* 1961 ''Into the Hot'',

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

* 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 improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

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

All the Sad Young Men ''All the Sad Young Men'' is a collection of short fiction by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. The stories originally appeared independently in popular literary journals and were first collected in February 1926 by Charles Scribner's Sons.: ...

'',

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 appe ...

* 1962 ''

Big Bags ''Big Bags'' is an album by vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring big band performances arranged by Tadd Dameron and Ernie Wilkins recorded in 1962 and released on the Riverside label.

'' (Riverside, 1962),

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with ...

* 1962 ''

Big Band Bossa Nova Big Band Bossa Nova may refer to: * Big Band Bossa Nova (Quincy Jones album), 1962 * Big Band Bossa Nova (Stan Getz album), 1962 * Big Band Bossa Nova (Enoch Light album), 1962 {{dab ...

'',

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; 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 wis ...

* 1962 ''Big Noise from Winnetka'',

Bob Haggart Robert Sherwood Haggart (March 13, 1914 – December 2, 1998) was an American dixieland jazz double bass player, composer, and arranger. Although he is associated with dixieland, he was one of the finest rhythm bassists of the Swing Era. Music ...

* 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 "clas ...

* 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 Ra ...

* 1962 ''Spanish Guitar'',

Tony Mottola Anthony C. "Tony" 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 ...

* 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 a ...

* 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 a ...

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

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

* 1987 ''Jazz'',

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

* 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, and led the Cincinnati ...

* 1989 ''Swinging West'',

Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935 – March 7, 2024) was an American singer, comedian, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop duo Steve and Eydie with his wife Eydie Gormé, and for his performance as Maury Slin ...

* 1994 ''Eartha-quake'',

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

* 1994 ''Loose Walk'',

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) 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 era, recording over ...

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

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor Saxophone, saxophonist. He performed in the United States and Europe and made many recordings with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hodges, a ...

* 1999 ''Some Cats Know'', Connie Evingson

References

External links

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

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

. * {{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 faculty Bebop trumpeters American 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 American trumpeters 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians