Doc Severinsen & the Tonight Show Orchestra
with Mel Torme

Holiday Star Theater (now the Star Plaza Theater)
Merrillville, IN

1992.07.24

Aud > master cassette > 2st gen cassette > Adobe Audition
> .wav > TLH level 8 SBs aligned

Disc 1 (Doc and the Orchestra) :

01 Intro and Johnny's Theme (first minute is garbled)
02 Bugle Call Rag
03 King Porter Stomp
04 I Can't Get Started
05 St. Louis Blues
06 Jumpin at the Woodside
07 What is the Thing Called Love
08 Georgia on My Mind
09 Flyin' Home
10 Ed Shaughnessy Feature
11 One O'Clock Jump

Disc 2 (Mel Torme and the Orchestra):

01 Just One of Those Things/Green Dolphin Street
02 You Make Me Feel So Young
03 Since I Fell For You
04 Dilemma (rap gag)
05 Love Will Keep Us Together
06 Stardust
07 Basie Tribute
08 It Don't Mean a Thing
09 More Than You Know
10 Benny Goodman Tribute:
Stompin at the Savoy
Don't Be That Way
And the Angels Sing (Doc returns)
Jersey Bounce
Avalon
Sing, Sing, Sing
11 Day In, Day Out


A friend of mine taped this show and sent me a copy as I'd moved out of state the week before.
I'd only listened to it once or twice, but when I decided to transfer it recently, I noticed it
only had the year, 1992, written on it. I emailed him to ask him if he had the rest of the date
written on the master, and he didn't even remember taping the show, much less sending me a copy.
Luckily, I was able to Google up a fragment of a newspaper article that dated the show at
July 24, 1992. This was two months after Carson retired. Doc mentions it's a Friday night,
which is correct for that date, and so I think we can go with it.

The personnel is iffier. Doc introduces some of the players, and mentions that it's everyone
from the Carson show, but I know this is not quite true. Ernie Watts and Pete Christlieb were
the tenor players for many years all the way to the end of the Carson era, but Bob Sheppard is
featured in this show. I don't know if he replaced Ernie or Pete, or if either of them were
there. There are a few tenor solo licks that could be Pete, but who knows. Mel introduces the
rhythm section, and he used a different pianist and drummer. However, bassist John Leitham
worked for both Torme and Doc's band at times, and so he could have played both sets. I
don't think Joel Dibartolo was touring with the band at this point, but again who knows.
Trumpet great Conte Candoli was a longtime member of the Tonight Show band, and was most
likely on this show (I saw the band several times and he always appeared with them), but he is
never introduced. But I hear some trumpet solo licks that sound very much like him, and I'm 90%
sure he was in the section. At any rate, the band included 4 trumpets plus Doc, 3 bones, 5 saxes,
plus drums/bass/piano. I don't remember if they toured with guitar, but I don't hear any on this
recording. Regardless of the exact personnel details, the band is first rate, a you'll
hear. Doc mentions the title of the drum feature, but I can't make it out. Maybe somebody
will recognize it. Sound is a B+, a bit echoey but clean.



Confirmed personnel:

Doc Severinsen, trumpet
Mel Torme, vocals (set 2 only)

Trumpets: Chuck Findley, Snooky Young, Conte Candoli (Likely), 4th trumpet unknown
Bones: Bruce Paulson, other two unknown
Saxes: John Bambridge, Bob Sheppard, other three saxes unknown
Drums: Ed Shaughnessy (Set 1), Donny Osborne (Set 2)
Bass: John Leitham (both sets?)
Piano: Ross Tompkins (Set 1), John Colianni (Set 2)