Tonight Showband # 1 [Live]

Doc Severinsen, Tonight Show Band | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 30, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: AMHERST RECORDS
• ASIN: B00000DHK0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,761 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From 1986, swingin' sounds from biggest big band in the land. You'll hear Johnny's Theme (The Tonight Show Theme) of course, plus 12 more including Begin the Beguine; King Porter Stomp; Skyliner; I'm Getting Sentimental Over You , and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How could I have slept on this?, January 15, 2004

By 

JetTone12 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tonight Showband # 1 (Audio CD)

I will admit having recently received this album as a Christmas gift, it was something I'd never fully checked out before. I had other Doc Tonight Show albums, but never this one. Boy is this one to NOT skip over. Any fan of Doc's playing or the Tonight Show will absolutely love this album. I personally like this one better than the Tonight Show Band Volume 2, although that one is great also. Doc is in prime form and really steals the show on this effort. Snooky Young and Conte Condoli also shine along with Doc on the bright, upbeat rendition of the swing classic "King Porter Stomp". John Audino plays solid lead trumpet. I love Bill Holman's arrangement of Cole Porter's "Begin The Beguine", a high voltage, beautiful piece of big band music. This is classic Doc Severinsen. His heroic trumpet soloing is vintage here. Doc plays beautifully on the ballad "How Long Has This Been Going On?" which is just great. "One O'Clock Jump" is an energetic version of the Basie tune which has an anthemic feel. Doc takes a good solo here also. "Tippin' In" is a swing classic recorded most notably by Erskine Hawkins before, and this is a great vehicle for Tommy Newsome's alto saxophone. "Shawnee" is a speedy swinger, not my personal favorite but it's a nice tune. "Johnny's Theme" is you guessed it folks, the classic Tonight Show theme, and Doc plays a great solo on it as well. "Skyliner" is a smooth bouncy tune that is a bit different from the rest of the songs but it's a nice arrangement. Check out the saxophone section throughout, and the trumpets responding. "Flyin' Home" is my personal favorite, a classic made famous by Lionel Hampton. Snooky Young takes a nice solo but it's Doc who steals the show with a heart stopping solo and then he proceeds to nail the famed high note solo originally played by the great Ernie Royal. This is an absolute must hear. "Bye Bye Blues" is a funky little blues tune with Doc using a cup mute for his solo. It swings and is a strong track. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" is a classic standard that Doc and the gang play beautifully, although it's not in ballad form it is uptempo, but very well done. "Sax Alley" is another saxophone feature, this time for the tenors, and everyone goes crazy. This song is kind of like a cousin to "Salt Peanuts". Then finally is "Don't Be That Way", a song with some tight trumpet work to end the album, and a nice short solo from Doc.

Any fan of the Tonight Show will love this album, along with Doc Severinsen fans. Great trumpet playing, great big band.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vital Listening, February 3, 2002

By 

Brian L Cade (Fairbanks, AK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tonight Showband # 1 (Audio CD)

This album is a must for all big-band fans and performers. The opening track, "Begin the Beguine" is the single best example of big-band writing I have ever heard. Bill Holman is a genius!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kickin' Big Band Jazz!, April 10, 2000

By 

Poniplaizy (Mount Joy, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tonight Showband # 1 (Audio CD)

I mainly bought the CD because it contains a version of the *Tonight* show theme--but I fell in love with it because the whole thing is great. All the tracks are highly listenable, smooth, polished, and tight. But on "King Porter Stomp," Doc and the guys really hit their stride and outclass even themselves. Their version has it all: cool jazz, hot licks, swingy rhythms, nifty riffs, Dixieland and Beebop tossed in here and there, and even some pretty neat musical punning. "King Porter Stomp" is my all-time favorite jazz/swing piece, so I know what I'm saying here...the CD is worth its price for this track alone. And, like I said, the rest ain't half bad either! If you like jazz with a cool swing that grabs your attention too, this one's for you.