But Where's Tommy Newsome??

Today, I have for you a nice NICE set of big band tunes from none other than Doc Severinsen, leader of the NBC Orchestra, otherwise known as the house band for "The Tonight Show" when hosted by the late Johnny Carson. Recorded for Grand Award/Command in the mid 1960s ("Sunny" and "Up Up and Away" would date this at around 1966 or maybe 1967), this was done right after Doc took control of the Tonight Show band, and many of the players there are here, such as Snooky Young, Sy Berger, Tom Newsom (on WOODWINDS! see, I thought Tommy was another trumpet player... silly me...), and Ed Shaughnessy. Joining DOc are some killer players like Bucky Pizzarelli, Tony Mottola, and Clark Terry, just to name a few. The arrangements by Dick Hyman and Marion Evans are choice (when AREN'T they?), the pressing is typical nice Command (even though this is an ABC effort)... this is just a neat neat record for the summer.

This is another example of just how infouential people like Dick Hyman and Enoch Light were to the music industry... unsung heroes to the mainstream... heck, most people only think of "The Minotaur" when they hear Dick Hyman's name, well, in the musical sense anyway.

Enjoy Doc, as he shows off the Tonight Show band in its' early days. It swung. Always did. Up to the end.

Heyyyy-yoooo!