Educational Media Reviews Online

A profile of the artistry of trumpet playing virtuoso and former Tonight Show band leader, Doc Severinsen. We follow his youthful start as an award-winning player and dentist’s son in depression era Oregon, through to his long-standing partnership with iconic television talk show host Johnny Carson, and across a nearly ceaseless touring schedule. Representing the cool edge of surreal splendor of fashion and fabulous music, testimonials about Severinsen by other musicians point to respect for Doc’s musicianship [my own music loving college roommate, when not introducing me to the Deutsche Grammophon classical music label or satirical tunes of Frank Zappa, was programmed whenever watching that late night television show to shout out with affection, “Doc Severinsen, Bad!” a sign of immediate admiration and message to me to look beyond the wild fashion choices of this celebrity and into respect of his musical craft]. We meet a band leader who set the standard for a marriage of music and late-night TV talk show programming that would be copied throughout American television for many years to follow. The film brings us a great deal of Severinsen’s domestic story, and especially a view of his committed work ethic. We observe the talents of a horn player who in his nineties shows no sign of slowing [subsequent to this film’s release, summertime gigs appear on his website’s touring calendar, despite the interruptions of a global pandemic]. This show must go on attitude of Severinsen is also despite a medical scare with pneumonia we see captured in this film, leading to a Fall 2018 hospitalization.

There are notable omissions in this documentary, such as a deeper analysis of Severinsen’s place in the context of other great trumpeters, or the less than comfortable explorations of his failed marriages. A love letter to a famous trumpet player with a notable mass media profile, the film is thin on musicianship specific to the trumpet, though aims to speak to a wider audience beyond musicians. Severinsen is seen as a caring teacher. But the viewer observes this more than directly learning from it. This is not a claim one should turn the documentary into a training video, but analysis of the potential appeal to other musicians or music students might have been expanded slightly, even if done through existing testimonials. At times, the film seems to lack what Severinsen himself clearly has available to tell us all about the trumpet, or to tell us about how he so seamlessly assisted in helming the Tonight Show as key sidekick and sometimes co-host for one of the most famous American television programs ever produced, even when not holding that instrument.

Some who use the film in their teaching will at times see it as a work aimed perhaps too much at fans or tending toward an excess of praise for its central character. Nevertheless, as a document of a major figure in the history of American television and intersections between that medium and music, its value is clear. Visually, the documentary adeptly weaves together recent footage with older archival film, video, and still images. Of course, students of the trumpet may find this documentary attractive, but its strongest academic appeal likely applies to those exploring American television history and its key performers. Recommended with reservations.

Awards:
Gibson Music Films/Music City Competition - Nashville Film Festival, Nominee; Official Selection at: Cleveland International Film Festival; Full Frame Documentary Film Festival; Guanajuato International Film Festival; Mill Valley Film Festival; Bend Film Festival; Virginia Film Festival; Tallgrass Film Festival; Milwaukee Film Festival; Portland Film Festival; Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival

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