Personally, I think young musicians need to learn to play more than one style. Jazz can only enhance the classical side, and classical can only enhance the jazz. I started out playing classical, because you have to have that as a foundation.

E. Early life
Severinsen was born in Arlington Oregon the son of Minnie Mae (1897–1998) and Carl Severinsen (1898–1972) a dentist. In February 2012 the group was called on short notice to replace an ailing Marvin Hamlisch at a concert with the Nashville Symphony.

He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7 1927) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter.