Doc is back with sounds of Mexico; Retired, but not really, Severinsen thrives in new show

09.20.08
Doc Severinsen & El Ritmo de la Vida
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It's a lucky man who loves his work so dearly that he goes off searching for more of it in his retirement.

Doc Severinsen apparently has that luck. The legendary trumpeter-bandleader retired as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's principal pops conductor in 2006 and moved to the mountains of Mexico. He returned to Milwaukee this weekend with his new show, "El Ritmo de la Vida" ("The Rhythm of Life"), featuring the musicians he's been working with south of the border.

Severinsen and his new colleagues - guitarist Gil Gutiérrez, violinist Pedro Cartas, percussionist Miguel Favero and bassist Gilberto Gonzales - make a marvelous quintet. They serve up an infectious, improvisational style of playing that fuses jazz, flamenco, mariachi and a number of Spanish styles.

The end product is a marvelously lively, sophisticated sound. Whether they're playing up-tempo tunes or soulful ballads, the quintet take their turns at thoroughly engrossing solos that make it possible to forget anyone else is on the stage. The evening's playlist featured tunes by the likes of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, Chick Corea, Astor Piazzolla and Ennio Morricone, among others.

The real secret of this ensemble lies in the abilities of Gutiérrez and Cartas, virtuosos who have worked and toured together for years. Aside from their sheer technical ability, the two absolutely breathe this urbane, richly flavored style of music. With the addition of Severinsen, Favero and Gonzales, their music gains a wide palette of sounds, textures and musical ideas.

Severinsen sounds as strong as ever. Playing the "El Ritmo de la Vida" show, he's conducting less and playing more than he did in his principal pops conductor role. He looks and sounds as though he's having a great time, despite some excessive reverb in the sound mix Friday night.

The players of the MSO added lush sounds and colors to many of the quintet's numbers, but the evening's spotlight was firmly fixed on the headliners. The quintet's playful, breezy presence, complete ease with the music and obvious rapport kept everything, even with a couple of missed cues along the way, flowing smoothly.