'The Doc' puts on a show

Heeeeeeere's Doc!" the announcer bellowed as flamboyant jazz legend Doc Severinsen bounded onto the IU Auditorium stage Friday night dressed in a colorful shirt and a black sequin jacket. Immediately, the band began playing and transported the audience into a world of big band bliss.\nFor nearly two hours, Doc and his band took the audience on an emotional ride. From hot, driving numbers like "Sing, Sing, Sing" to soulful tear-jerking numbers like the beautiful "Battle Hymn of the Republic," Severinsen showed just how diverse and beautiful jazz music really is. \nSeverinsen played the trumpet with an incredible amount of skill. His fingers flew, improvising licks with incredible dexterity and speed. His sound was wonderful -- he can effectively switch from a bright, screaming tone to a gorgeous, rich, mellow tone. \nIncredibly talented musicians served as compliments to Doc's style during the performance. The most notable being legendary tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts. On the band's performance of Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside," Watts brought down the house with an extended solo. He started with an early Coltrane sound and then changed his style when he broke into a long, smooth cadenza. Many cadenzas become static and repetitive after a short period of time, but Watts kept it interesting by utilizing space, dynamics and rifts in his time in the spotlight. The solo was impressive, and the audience reacted with applause, cheers and a few standing ovations.\nThe band members as a whole were tight with one other. The countless hours of practice they have spent together were obvious. Instead of moving as individual musicians, they moved as if they were one musician. They almost seemed to have a psychic link -- as if they could predict each others' moves while they played and improvised. \nOf course, a great concert is made by more than just great music. Doc used his incredible showmanship to interact with the audience and create a personal, exciting show. Donning a black sequined jacket for the first half of the show and a hot pink one for the second half, Severinsen interacted by telling jokes, anecdotes and facts about the music. Doc is a true performer in every sense of the word. His flamboyant sense of dress, witty delivery of stories and incredible musical talent make him one of the best musicians on the road today.\nDoc Severinsen's concert should definitely be counted as one of the best shows at the IU Auditorium this year. Jazz is one of the best forms of music out there. It's some of the sexiest and most exciting music around. Seeing it live was a rush. There was an energy in the air -- an electricity -- that could never be emulated on even the best recording. Live jazz is something that everyone should experience for themselves. The performance of Doc Severinsen and his big band was a show that emphasized the great aspects of live jazz. It was a truly wonderful show.