Richmond Times-Dispatch

March 11, 2002 - "Evening with Doc Full of Energy"

Is he a showman or a musician? Well, why not both? In the case of Doc Severinsen, longtime bandleader and sidekick to Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show," it's a case of personality dominating the music.  Luckily, the personality is generous. And, also luckily, Severinsen's chosen the pops arena, where his effervescence and fondness for pink clothing work as well as they did on the medium he seems made for: Television.   An extremely energetic performer, Doc the conductor works a little harder than necessary. His baton (which a couple of times skidded away from him) didn't so much lead as whip the orchestra through the program introduced as "Gershwin, Ellington, Vienna and More." Not that the Richmond Symphony Pops performers were lackluster. Woodwinds and brass (especially trombone) were especially noteworthy in the popular dance and show tunes, and the strings rarely sounded as ragged as the pace of the evening might have warranted. If mixing Johann Strauss waltzes and polkas, a tune from Puccini's  "Turandot," an "Ode to Doc" (based on Beethoven's "Ode to Joy") with American masters Gershwin, Ellington, Louis Prima and Nat Cole in about two hours of music sounds like heavenly pastiche, well, you're Doc's perfect audience.  After an opening medley from Strauss' "Die Fledermaus," the medleys and other bits of tunes kept coming. There were full-bodied exceptions, such as Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" and Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." There were truly funny moments, such as the tuning of the "cork popper" instrument featured in the "Champagne Polka." After intermission, Doc donned more pink, traded sequins for leather and launched into a Gershwin medley. He also let his traveling musicians shine -  Jennifer Jane Leitham sounding smart and sassy on left-handed bass; Biff  Hannon's piano trying hard to be heard; and Kevin Winard on drums, which  absolutely smoked the stage in "Sing, Sing, Sing."   Doc on cornet, trumpet or fluegelhorn was articulate and sharp. He aimed  mostly for high, loud and brilliant, and rarely missed. He's not an introspective player, and he may lack, or fail to let show, something I'll dare call soul - although it could be heard in his solo in Gershwin's ballad "The Man I Love." As a result, despite all the energy and talent, an evening with Doc Severinsen can leave you feeling a bit like that half-drunk, open  bottle of champagne in the morning.