Search - Doc Severinsen :: Brass Roots

70s sound, about as well done as there is

Ike17055 | PA, United States | 11/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brass Roots is quintessential Doc Severinsen. Big brass, splashy, showy, and always keyed to perfect execution. The title song is a terrific show piece and like most of the other numbers features lots of 70s instrumentation and rhythms, so it's a bit of a dated sound, but hey, it's DOC -- and at his finest. Okefenokkee is the typical type of silly-esque, tongue-in-cheek undertaking that Doc always seems to have up his sleeve, and exhibits his vocals pipes for the first time (he sings on a few other numbers as well.) The swamp vocalizations share the throwback sound to the era, but are cleverly done. Psalm 150 sounds VERY 70s. Another chart marries Bach's "Come Sweet Death" with the Theme from "Love Story" and is an intriguing composition that closes with a terrific exhibition of trumpet technique from the good Doctor. Worth the price of the album alone. Jazz classic "Move Over" gets a rambunctious treatment, but probably the best jam on the disk is the way-too-short "Good Medicine." "Brass Roots" is another one of the 70s albums from Doc that should have see disk a long, long time ago. The DOC sound has evolved (and continues to, since he is still playing regularly at age 82 -- just saw him a few weeks ago) so some disks will please the listener more than others depending on stylistic taste, but there is no denying the unparealled technique and command of the instrument that Doc demonstrates is a real lesson in musicianship, and a real eye opener to trumpet enthusiasts who've been raised on sloppy technique jazz players."