Yesterday, Becky and I saw Doc Severinsen at Orchestra Hall. He was performing with classical guitarist Gil Guitierrez, violinist Pedro Cartas, percussionist Luis Conte and bass player Kevin Thomas. They were all backed up by the Minnesota Orchestra.
When I was a kid, I used to see Doc Severinsen on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Man, he could tear up that trumpet. I mean really, it seems like he could make it do anything.
He's 80 now. He walked out on stage dressed as crazy as ever. He was wearing a multi-colored tropical shirt and fluorescent-green pants with striped black and fluorescent-green socks. His slender frame seemed as lithe as ever.
I'm not kidding, when he started to play, tears came to my eyes. His music seemed as effortless as ever. As he performed, I kept thinking, I'm seeing the complete tool kit of performance skills he has gathered over a lifetime. You never know if something he did was something he learned last week or 5 decades ago. It all came together to give a show that was as perfect as presentations can get.
My favorite trick was a bit he does with violinist Pedro Cartas. Doc is holding out a brilliant note on the trumpet. Suddenly, he lowers the trumpet from his mouth, but the note continues perfectly uninterrupted. Pedro had taken it over on the violin and you never knew when one stopped and the other began. The crowd roared with approval.
Doc commanded the room, directed the orchestra and kept us entertained the entire program. Often, while other members were playing, he would jump up and stomp right at the perfect spot. I thought, "Good lord, if my knees will let me stomp like that when I'm 80, I'll be a lucky man." One thing's for sure, I was a lucky man for getting to hear Doc play. In my treasure of memories, it will certainly be a jewel.
The video below is not here in Minnesota. I think it's in Mexico, but it was made in 2008.
Below is a photo of Becky and me before the concert.
I don't know what this is (below), but they were on the tables outside of Orchestra Hall. Becky said, "Oh, take photo of that. Jenn would love it."
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