Doc Severinsen and an "All Star" trumpet quartet from the 50's Tonight Show

[@roncaruso931]

When late night was worth staying up for!! Steve Allen was genius. Doc a great trumpet player.

[@Pugovitsa46]

Steve Allen was one of the greatest comedy ad-libbers there ever was. And simply a great guy. Really miss him.

[@DominusOminous]

GREAT clip! Thanks. Love Bobby Hackett's tone. Instantly recognizable. Just an awesome performance in every respect.

[@mikeprevost8650]

He's also playing cornet, so his tone stands out among the trumpets. But he'd still sound like Bobby Hackett on trumpet.

[@BarracksSi]

What a sound Bobby Hackett's got. And Shaver's high note popping out in the chorus, too. Great bit.

[@rubengreenberg2253]

There weren't many trumpeters Miles Davis expressed appreciation of. Bobby Hackett was one of them.

[@geraldnichols2722]

@@rubengreenberg2253 How is it possible any trumpeter could not appreciate Bobby?

[@rubengreenberg2253]

@@geraldnichols2722 Gerald: How is it possible anybody in his right mind could not appreciate Bobby?

[@miltonchiarelli4569]

doc and shavers and hackett what a treat

[@AustinCasey]

Doc & Shavers we’re swinging but Bobby’s playing is so musical and mature. It’s like hearing youngsters beside the wise elder.

[@cpcattin]

Good point. Bobby had a great sound. His treatment of his solo opportunities was always a complement to the song. String of Pearls comes to mind. Like so many of our earlier band greats we lost Bobby early at 61 years to a heart attack.

[@Marcos-o3d]

I never did get to play with Doc, but I met himm a few times back stage and he was always humble, kind, and a class act.

[@jackwar8779]

I always loved Steve and his show, a man of many talents & hats!

[@Jazzbeu55]

Steve Allen may not have been good enough to star as the 1st trumpet in this group, but he did okay on the 4th part. He really was a remarkably versatile entertainer.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

he had skills but he was also putting on an act so as to not overshadow the trio as the bit was him joining them as a reluctant fourth

[@christophercanzoneri2962]

He was covering the lead part in the first chorus. They chose an easy key, not at all high, and no left-handed fingerings.

[@the1realanalogman]

Great times they were! Steve's show was simply marvelous. And he was actually a very accomplished musician (trumpet not being his maestro) and song writer. He wrote over 1000 songs, some of which are jazz standards. This was a great bit with 3 superb trumpet masters and another cat who was chocked full of talent and knew how to make us feel good!

[@geraldnichols2722]

Steve wrote "Impossible." A wonderful song and not the "Impossible" that Perry Como made a hit.

[@JZ63]

Terrific! Great jazz from all concerned...even Steve does a nice job. Thanks for posting!

[@digidrum2003]

I'm on a Doc trumpet playin binge today.......it's great !!!

[@MikeRochaMusicAcademy]

I own the trumpet that Doc is playing in this video. The one at the end where Doc is in a white suit. Nice playing horn!

[@paxrail]

Gedouttatown!!! Now THAT is cool!!

[@mhenrikse]

A New York Bach?

[@MikeRochaMusicAcademy]

Mark H that’s correct!

[@mhenrikse]

Love it - 3 great players

[@MarkJones-xz4gc]

Never saw this before and was shocked. Steve Allen? Who knew????? Anyone have more clips like this? It was GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@geraldnichols2722]

I once owned an album of Steve playing piano with an all-star jazz combo including Urbie Green on trombone.

[@trainliker100]

Steve Allen estimated he wrote over 8.500 songs. And he won a Grammy in 1964 for Best Original Jazz Composition. He was very multi talented. Wrote 50 books, too.

[@michaelnivens6267]

wow - look how young Doc is

[@DieHard10901]

Great stuff, when TV used to be great. You guys making me feel my age... Thanks

[@frrandallackley1602]

STEVE ALLEN, WHAT A GREAT LATE NIGHT SHOW. WATCHED IT WHEN I WAS A LAD. LOL JOHNNY WAS THE MAN BUT STEVE WAS HIS SUPERIOR IN WIT AND CLASS. BOTH HEROES FOR ME.

[@richardcastle1267]

Very cool... 😎🎺

[@u47tube]

Thanks, brought a smile to my face.

[@johncastleman14]

Yeah!!! Steve Allen!

[@drmarx999]

Bobby Hackett . . . one of the greatest of all time!

[@tuxguys]

I feel like I'm looking through a timescope... at a show from the '80's that is looking back to a show from the '50's... Wow. Steve Allen was a genius. Notice how elegant and understated Hackett is after Doc and Shavers' fire-eating solos. (Addendum, three years later:) As many hundreds of times as I've played this tune on gigs... probably nine out of every ten gigs... I genuinely had no idea that Charlie Shavers wrote it, until re-watching this. (And yes, the little smart-ass at the end trying to get some camera-time is Bill Maher.)

[@tuxguys]

***** I always thought it was Ben Webster or Lester Young that said that, but it still represents a point with which I concur. As to this tune: Hey, I don't know everything... ...yet.

[@jackwar8779]

Bobby Hackett had one of the sweetest and warm cornets I ever heard!

[@geraldnichols2722]

@@jackwar8779 If God played cornet/trumpet, it would sound just like Bobby Hackett!

[@williamrappaport9203]

All were great, even Steve Allen considering his amateur status, but Bobby Hackett is my favorite. Pure music, pure swing.

[@JuanFecit]

Gracias por compartirlo.

[@zonker33]

Steve Allen actually had a hit song on trumpet in the early 1960's called gravey waltz...

[@hanspetersalentin]

:) i,m realy smiling.....

[@NBeaven1]

AHHH Nostalgia!

[@claireabella1]

Nancie Beaven oh how I wish I could feel nostalgic for music/culture from his era! Sadly I can only watch this for the first time in 2015, yet still love it! Don't get me wrong I'm an old soul, and what I would give to live back then...

[@0r00ney]

You're right, it's a cornet, and it sounds great. Plus his solo is the most musical of the bunch of them. He's not trying to show off, just playing great ideas. The most underrated player ever, I think.

[@greg5850]

When you play an improv solo that is so iconic that it becomes a vital part of the arrangement that is still played 80 years later you are in rare territory.( String Of Pearls)

[@TrumpetTNT]

Jazzbeu55 Steve Allen IS actually playing the 1st part on the head, believe it or not. A trumpet player can tell easily from watching his valve positions. It's actually the simplest of the parts because the melody stays the same over the chord changes, whereas the inner harmony parts are changing every 2 bars.

[@jmcljazz6733]

And all so talented

[@EdWatts]

Mr. Hackett played a cornet, not a trumpet; that is why his tone was more mellow than that of trumpet players. I really liked his solo in Glenn Miller's "String of Pearls" -- great cornet sound.

[@ApartmentKing66]

So did Miller himself. So much so that Miller wrote Hackett's improv into the arrangement.

[@ericgrosch8073]

Hackett's tone was more mellow than that of the trumpeters because he was playing in a lower range than they, not because a cornet is significantly more mellow than a trumpet. He joked that the higher range of his horns, whether cornets or trumpets (he played both) was completely unused.

[@cpcattin]

Bobby had a great sound. His treatment of his solo opportunities was always a complement to the song. String of Pearls comes to mind. Like so many of our earlier band greats we lost Bobby early at 61 years to a heart attack. When I think of Steve Allen, Danny Kay comes to mind.

[@ryanellis4474]

Doc and Steve!

[@danflisser5171]

When Doc was still in med school ....

[@mlaprarie]

Is that Bill Maher standing next to the piano at the end? Great video by the way; it's always nice to see Doc showing off his improvising chops.

[@ApartmentKing66]

Yup.

[@bargaincountertenor]

@MCroach1 My brother owns a Severinsen model Getzen trumpet produced in the mid-seventies. It was an expensive horn at that time, but nowhere near $5000. More like $500. It blows really easily.

[@rhondas.9478]

Bravo!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@alongtrainofabuses]

I'm saving this clip, but I will go in and blank out Bill Maher. It's sad to see a man who's made a fortune by spewing hate (since he couldn't make it as a comedian) on stage with Doc. I've met Doc and he was VERY nice and humble in regards to his playing. He knew he was awesome, but it was because he WORKED his butt off to become great, and as far as I know, he's still doing that at age 80!

[@Braglemaster123]

Excellent idea 💡 🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍

[@Gary4320]

That is a real toe tapper.

[@ricaard]

And he still brings "Johnny Unidis (?)" out every once in a while...

[@stevelestermusic]

Allen's early 'tonight' show has never been equalled.

[@ApartmentKing66]

And won't be!

[@xfhghe]

Agreed. Allen had the best shows, followed by Jack Paar, then Johnny Carson, and it kind of fell off since then.

[@jtrimmel]

First time I saw this video. Funny to see Steve Allen playing the lead part of the melody. Actually easier for him to master while playing by memory. I played this quartet arrangement as a youngster. Leed's trumpet 'Get Together' with a small vinyl record to play along with. Bobby held his own, eh?

[@greg5850]

Bobby owned the tune, so much music from him!

[@HoraceHeidt]

Bobby Hackett played with Horace Heidt & his Musical Knights. My good friend Gus Bivona played in Steve's band and can be seen at the end of this clip.

[@ApartmentKing66]

I'm sure you already knew that Hackett was also the soloist on Glenn Miller's version of "A String Of Pearls." I've heard that Hackett improvised that riff, but Miller liked it so much, he actually wrote it into the arrangement.

[@MikeRochaMusicAcademy]

@trumpetvids I'm not positive that it is the very horn that DOc is playing here. They only made 100 prototypes of the horn he's playing here and most of them never sold. I have #0097. Him and Dave Monette were trying to get I think either Getzen or Benge to pick up the model using Monette's leadpipe and bell design with a Getzen valve cluster. They orginially wanted to sell the horn for $5000 but in 1983 I don't think anyone was paying that much for trumpets! Boy, how times have changed, eh?

[@dunskie]

@tuxguys Hacket was nice and warm.

[@markvegas7152]

the doctor looks like a young little Sparrow Buzzard here with that crew cut but there is no question he mellowed like fine wine as he got older got more handsome and even a better player I think

[@musicom67]

Lowell: THIS kid instantly noticed Skitch. Didn't know he was 'bi' (Bi-Coastal, that is)... thought he was just based out of New Yawk City with his group...

[@ApartmentKing66]

The show was in NYC when this was filmed.

[@frendoman4327]

hah, Steve's really blowin...

[@trumpetvids]

@MCroach1 You mean that same model or the actual horn that Doc is seen blowing?

[@zack4bz]

I was tricked at the beginning! hahaha

[@sovereigncold-steel7796]

ayyyyy!! sweet daddy o

[@assignmentearth2899]

@MCroach1 Is that a New York Bach? Looks like my Dad's old horn.

[@srconrad]

Wow, I had no idea Doc was playing in the 50’s Tonight Show band.

[@abevillanueva1974]

He was on the Tonight Show band under Steve

[@sblack48]

Steve has that horrible embouchure with the horn pointed down into the music stand. But he sure had balls to stand up and play with those guys!

[@bostonrailfan2427]

it’s part of the act, there’s no way that they didn’t get practice in before the bit and tell him that it wasn’t something that he shouldn’t do

[@TrillliumBrass]

Is that a Bel Canto? Dick Akright made it... Elliott Oppenheim Trilllium Brass Trio

[@jttrumpet55]

Thanks for posting this classic old 50's video, with the special treat update from what looks like from the 80's or late 70's. Is that Bill Marr in the update video?

[@ApartmentKing66]

Yes, that's Bill Maher.

[@pianopappy]

If you'd like to hear Doc in a "trumpet challenge" with Clark Terry on the Tonight Show in 1963, visit here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZusoIFvrbl1Zqc

[@jjakiefte2165]

Is that the Steve Allen who played Benny Goodman?

[@EdWatts]

Horst Fischer was also very much underrated.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

I’m of the belief that Allen was putting on an act for the bit without taking away from it. he joins in “reluctantly” yet is still good enough to keep pace and sound great with mistakes made being intentional. it only seemed like he was a newcomer to the trumpet, but he had to have practiced with them before the show to get the timing down and ensure that he was making the right mistakes without ruining the sound

[@greg5850]

He knew trumpet fundamentals but just didn’t have the chops developed. I believe the mistakes are real but part of the fun.

[@brianbaumgarn5795]

I am in a time machine, right now............................please leave me alone.

[@grantkoeller8911]

Undecided

[@LowellV100]

This is actually a clip from Steve's last variety show done at KTLA in Hollywood. Noticed that none of you kids recognized Skitch Henderson, either.

[@jackwar8779]

Skitch was Jack Parr's music director for a while and before that, I believ it was Jose' Meli's. 2 names out of the past, and it was fun to see all these great talents together! Thanks for the posting!

[@ApartmentKing66]

Not so fast, old-timer...I recognized Skitch.

[@evdallas123]

not complete without u know who

[@milwscruffy]

A very young Bill Maher in the color portion of it also.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

That sounds like an opus tune, no?

[@EdWatts]

Note: The "real" trumpet players were all not, uhh, "tall".

[@TimmyTechTV]

Just a Bel Canto isn't it?

[@Melody_Mike.4460]

Would’ve been cool if Harry James were to be in there

[@EdWatts]

Getzen Eterna 900.

[@jillsalkin7389]

Is there anything Steve Allen couldn't do?!

[@CarlosChumbes-h1z]

Bobby

[@geraldnichols2722]

Steve Allen had a good sense of humour if he played with those giants LOL/

[@billbryant1288]

Is it just a distortion of the old tape, or was Doc using a different embouchure on the earlier recording? I looks as if he's placed his mouthpiece much higher.

[@prestonbane4176]

daaaamn, to not be a trumpet player and just dick around a couple bars with these trumpet monsters. I been playing for 4 years and would still be nervous in that situation.

[@spudspinnigan9677]

was that Bill Maher?

[@fernmann7]

indeed

[@hastyberford]

Why????? I had no idea he did anything much before his terrible political show.

[@christophercanzoneri2962]

So disappointing that Joe "Iron Lip" Pasternak had to call off. I was always a fan.

[@richtapper5094]

That's just great. And Bill Maher, too...

[@ericdaniel323]

That's the point. It's a joke. That fact that he can play something that roughly resembles music is what makes it funny.

[@fosbury68]

Bill Maher looks about 12 years old.

[@prestonbane4176]

wth? Was Doc standing in a ditch? Steve Allen was tall but he wasn't 7'. Doc is 5'10" but he looks 5 foot even here.

[@evdallas123]

Allen sounded like a 7th grader

[@trumpetvids]

It was clearly for him to show off a bit but interesting that he attempted to expand his musical exploration. And we get to hear some excellent stuff by the real players. :)

[@brucekuehn4031]

I must agree. He actually was a darn good piano player and song composer though.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

i question his lack of ability there, to me this was an attempt at showing his musical abilities yet not overshadowing the trio with him having to make rookie mistakes to make it look like he wasn’t as musically inclined as he really was

[@2dasimmons]

Doc, you're a great trumpeter, BUT polish/clean your TRUMPET.

[@trumpetvids]

The way Doc played his horn can look however he wants. :) It looks like that horn has a raw brass bell section. These days a lot of horns don't have any plating or lacquer on them and the grungy patina they get is a "thing". The first time I met Doc he was playing an old Mt. Vernon Strad with solders all over the place, many spots with the silver plate worn through. It looked kind of rough but it was his pet horn and he sounded amazing on it.

[@maestrojimbo]

@alongtrainofabuses Spoken like a true card-carrying member of the Party of "No"! Maher is a brilliant comedian - you just HATE his politics.

[@ApartmentKing66]

Yeah, well, Maher does plenty of "hating" himself. And "brilliant?" As entitled to it as you are, that's just what it is...an opinion.

[@maestrojimbo]

Your comment about Maher is also just that - an opinion. You must be a Rump devotee?

[@trumpetvids]

Yup, a young Bill Maher.

[@robertrobin10]

steve allen doesnt belong up there,he really isnt that good.

[@cmartmozzy]

That's what makes it hilarious

[@ApartmentKing66]

That was the point of the bit.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

it’s an act, the trio were the showcase but his reason for being there had to be kept up even if he was actually a good player…