Malaguena
Doc Severinsen His Trumpet & Orchestra
Arrangements by Lew Davies and Doc Severinsen
Art Director: Charles E. Murphy
Command Records STEREO RS 883 SD
1965
Command Records STEREO RS 883 SD
1965
From the inside (gatefold) cover: Not since Enoch Light and Command Records introduced the memorable Persuasive Percussion series of discs has a recording mixed musical brilliance and adventurous engineering skill to produce as exciting and meaningful results as these performances by the remarkable Doc Severinsen.
Before Persuasive Percussion made its ap- pearance, there had been records which showed off the then new phenomenon of two-channel stereophonic recording. But Persuasive Percussion was different because it made musical use of this technological innovation. For the first time, on that famous record, the range and flexibility offered by stereophonic recording was presented in valid and exciting musical terms, not simply as a passing novelty.
The same kind of musical integrity has gone into the creation of this amazing record by Doc Severinsen. "Over-dubbing," by means of which a single musician can play two or even more parts in the performance of a tune, has been done quite often, particularly since the introduction of tape recording has made over- dubbing relatively easy to carry out. It was even being done in the days before tape when the over-dubs had to be laboriously and care- fully etched into discs and one mistake could ruin a day's work.
Like the earliest stereo-demonstration rec- ords, over-dubbing has usually been used for its novelty effect-not to ir.crease the musical value of a performance. There was one multiple-dubbing disc, well known to veteran record collectors, on which Sidney Bechet performed as a one-man band, playing clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums by means of quintuple over- dubbing (and this was in the days before tape recording!).
The trumpet duets that Doc Severinsen plays in this album are without precedent. Not only are they riayed for musical values rather than novelty effects but they are the work of one of the try great contemporary virtuosi.
Doc Severinsen's amazing technique is allied with a gorgeously lustrous tone, an ability to get around on his horn that enables him to play with apparent ease while covering an incredible range and a feeling for melodic beauty that is just as strong as his superbly dramatic instincts. He is, in all respects, the compleat trumpeter.
And because he is the incomparable trumpeter that he is, the only trumpeter who could maintain an equal balance with him in duets is Doc himself. That is why Doc Severinsen is heard on both channels on this stereophonic recording.
But deciding to have Doc Severinsen record with himself was only the first step in a highly complex, painstaking but, in the end, extremely stimulating experience. After Doc had developed the arrangements with orchestrator Lew Davies, the dubbing process had to be worked out so that the appearances of the two trumpets came about smoothly and naturally.
"Getting the cohesiveness that this recording required," Doc said afterwards, "was a lot of fun because I had to listen so closely to make the two parts come together properly."
It is one thing to do this sort of dubbing when the only requirement is to get the instru ments together on the final tape. But when each trumpet is playing a virtuoso role, when the lead switches from one trumpet to another, when they play in harmony as well as solo and in accompaniment-all this requires ingenuity that only a performer such as Doc Severinsen can provide.
The main purpose of the recording was, of course, to create exciting music. Doc Severin- sen by himself is a fairly substantial bit of ex- citement. Two Doc Severinsens are even more exciting. But Doc's primary objective in making these recordings was to take advantage of both the musical joys of good tunes and the appeal and urgency of the captivating new rhythms that dominate contemporary popular music.
"That new beat is here to stay," Doc declared. "I don't really know how it is for ordinary listeners but I know that for musicians it's fun. You find yourself in there beating your foot and tapping right along."
To get the background he wanted for good beating and tapping, Doc brought together a group carefully designed to add several exciting musical personalities to the rhythms behind the two trumpets. There is a three-man guitar section, made up of Tony Mottola, Al Casamenti and Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman is on organ, Bob Haggart on bass, Osie Johnson plays drums and Bob Rosengarden covers the percussion.
It Ain't Necessarily So
Hey, Pretty Pussycat!
I Will Wait For You
Bluesette
Memories Of You
Malaguena
What's New
What's Up, Doc?
Theme From Black Orpheus
The Phantom Trumpet
For Mama
If I Had A Hammer
You Are My Sunshine
Before Persuasive Percussion made its ap- pearance, there had been records which showed off the then new phenomenon of two-channel stereophonic recording. But Persuasive Percussion was different because it made musical use of this technological innovation. For the first time, on that famous record, the range and flexibility offered by stereophonic recording was presented in valid and exciting musical terms, not simply as a passing novelty.
The same kind of musical integrity has gone into the creation of this amazing record by Doc Severinsen. "Over-dubbing," by means of which a single musician can play two or even more parts in the performance of a tune, has been done quite often, particularly since the introduction of tape recording has made over- dubbing relatively easy to carry out. It was even being done in the days before tape when the over-dubs had to be laboriously and care- fully etched into discs and one mistake could ruin a day's work.
Like the earliest stereo-demonstration rec- ords, over-dubbing has usually been used for its novelty effect-not to ir.crease the musical value of a performance. There was one multiple-dubbing disc, well known to veteran record collectors, on which Sidney Bechet performed as a one-man band, playing clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums by means of quintuple over- dubbing (and this was in the days before tape recording!).
The trumpet duets that Doc Severinsen plays in this album are without precedent. Not only are they riayed for musical values rather than novelty effects but they are the work of one of the try great contemporary virtuosi.
Doc Severinsen's amazing technique is allied with a gorgeously lustrous tone, an ability to get around on his horn that enables him to play with apparent ease while covering an incredible range and a feeling for melodic beauty that is just as strong as his superbly dramatic instincts. He is, in all respects, the compleat trumpeter.
And because he is the incomparable trumpeter that he is, the only trumpeter who could maintain an equal balance with him in duets is Doc himself. That is why Doc Severinsen is heard on both channels on this stereophonic recording.
But deciding to have Doc Severinsen record with himself was only the first step in a highly complex, painstaking but, in the end, extremely stimulating experience. After Doc had developed the arrangements with orchestrator Lew Davies, the dubbing process had to be worked out so that the appearances of the two trumpets came about smoothly and naturally.
"Getting the cohesiveness that this recording required," Doc said afterwards, "was a lot of fun because I had to listen so closely to make the two parts come together properly."
It is one thing to do this sort of dubbing when the only requirement is to get the instru ments together on the final tape. But when each trumpet is playing a virtuoso role, when the lead switches from one trumpet to another, when they play in harmony as well as solo and in accompaniment-all this requires ingenuity that only a performer such as Doc Severinsen can provide.
The main purpose of the recording was, of course, to create exciting music. Doc Severin- sen by himself is a fairly substantial bit of ex- citement. Two Doc Severinsens are even more exciting. But Doc's primary objective in making these recordings was to take advantage of both the musical joys of good tunes and the appeal and urgency of the captivating new rhythms that dominate contemporary popular music.
"That new beat is here to stay," Doc declared. "I don't really know how it is for ordinary listeners but I know that for musicians it's fun. You find yourself in there beating your foot and tapping right along."
To get the background he wanted for good beating and tapping, Doc brought together a group carefully designed to add several exciting musical personalities to the rhythms behind the two trumpets. There is a three-man guitar section, made up of Tony Mottola, Al Casamenti and Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman is on organ, Bob Haggart on bass, Osie Johnson plays drums and Bob Rosengarden covers the percussion.
It Ain't Necessarily So
Hey, Pretty Pussycat!
I Will Wait For You
Bluesette
Memories Of You
Malaguena
What's New
What's Up, Doc?
Theme From Black Orpheus
The Phantom Trumpet
For Mama
If I Had A Hammer
You Are My Sunshine
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