LAS CRUCES — Doc Severinsen electrified an enthusiastic audience of about 5,200 at the Pan American Center Saturday in his farewell performance with a symphony orchestra.
The 80-year-old wowed the crowd, from his first powerful, passionate solo spiced with jazzy, soulful riffs, when he joined the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra for “Carmen Fantasy,” a piece written especially for Severinsen by composer and musician Frank Proto.
Once known as “the world’s greatest trumpet player,” Severinsen showed that he’s still got the goods — and maybe even a little something extra: an infusion of alma (soul) inspired by the land where he now makes his home, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Also firing the audience were Severinsen’s co-stars and amigos, Mariachi Cobre. The award-winning mariachi group contributed spirited music and dramatic vocals that merited spontaneous applause.
The orchestra added substantial fuel to the fiery evening of mariachi music, Mexican and Latino numbers that included “Tango Oblivion” and “Cuando Se Quiere” with trumpet and mariachis.
Severinsen performed feats that would have challenged guys half his age during “El Niño Perdido,” a traditional mariachi routine that had him jogging up the aisles of the Pan Am into the crowd for a dialogue of trumpet calls with Mariachi Cobre.
During his stint with NBC’s “Tonight Show,” which began in 1962 and ended with Johnny Carson’s retirement in 1992, bandleader Severinsen was famous for his witty quips and flamboyant outfits, as well as his virtuoso performances. He lived up to his reputation with several flashy costume changes during the evening.
Severinsen proved that his fan base is still with him at a full-tilt fiesta gala dinner before the concert that attracted 400.
Jesse and Esperanza Sanchez came from La Union for the dinner and concert, it was the second Doc citing for Esperanza.
“I saw him at the Vegas airport,” she said.
“I’m just used to seeing him on TV, where he was great,” her husband added.
It was a reunion of sorts for David Wright, a second clarinetist in the symphony.
“I first played with Doc in a band in Burlington, Iowa, in 1962. He was visiting my dad, Maury, who was a band leader,” said Wright, who stopped by Severinsen’s hotel last week to show photos he’s saved from their first gig together.
“I’m a big fan of Mariache Cobre and a big fan of Doc and have been ever since “The Tonight Show,” said Orlando-Antonio Jiminez, of Las Cruces. “This is a hoot and a holler.”
Severinsen had the chance to connect with new generations of fans during rehearsals at New Mexico State University last week. Las Cruces Symphony director Lonnie Klein said that 1,500 complimentary tickets for Saturday’s concert were distributed to music teachers and their students at regional schools.
The Grammy Award-winning recording artist’s career started during the Big Band era and included stints with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra and the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Charlie Barnet. He has recorded more than 30 albums and has been involved in design and manufacture of his own line of trumpets.
Saturday’s concert was sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces Foundation. Proceeds will benefit the foundation’s charities, including a 5,000 grant to Mesilla Hospice. Good Samaritans added another $6,000 for an encore.
Those who missed what was billed as Severinsen’s farewell performance with a symphony orchestra may get another chance. He and Klein discussed a future appearance with Severinsen’s new group, El Ritmo de la Vida, recently formed with musicians in Mexico.
Read more about Doc and full-tilt fiesta season in this week's Las Cruces Style.
S. Derrickson Moore can be reached at dmoore@lcsun-news.com
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1 comment:
From Michael Swickard
Maybe some others former NMSU Journalism Students remember the time in 1971 when Doc Severinsen
What I remember is that after the concert a bunch of us went to VIPs BigBoy Restaurant on El Paseo located next to Wienerschnitzel. There was about ten of us in the big double circle booth in front all talking a mile a minute when someone looked out the front window and said, "Hey, that's Doc
Severinsen."
We all were astonished as he drove up by himself in a red luxury
convertible. He came bopping in and we invited him over to join us in
milkshakes, which is why he stopped. He sat down with a twinkle in his eye as we asked why he wasn't over at a special mucky muck party for him at the Best Western on South Main.
He shrugged and said he had driven there and walked up to the door. A man guarding the door told him that the place was closed that evening, it was a private party so he couldn't let him in. Obviously that man did not know Severinsen by sight. Evidentially Severinsen said, OK and drove away. He ended up a few blocks away at our restaurant while the creme de la creme of Las Cruces kept
looking at their watches saying, "I
wonder where he is?"
He sat there with us for a couple
of hours and it was some of the besthours of my college career. We were just blown away by how nice and interesting he was. One of the people took at picture of us all sitting there and I think it was in the Round Up. All I remember is that the big shots were all cranky when the story came out and I thank my lucky stars to have been there that night.Perhaps our style as a town changed enough that if he went to a party last night, they let him in.
Again, very nice blog, I will keep in touch with it.
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