Music — Georgia On My Mind Doc Severinsen Sheet

Here is the critical reality check for searchers: There is almost no "official" published sheet music that says "Arranged by Doc Severinsen" for sale at retail stores like Sweetwater or SheetMusicPlus.

Why? Because Doc’s Tonight Show arrangements were written for his specific orchestra and were kept as private property (often by the musicians themselves). However, you have three reliable paths to obtain the essence of that arrangement. georgia on my mind doc severinsen sheet music

Before we talk about the notes, we have to talk about the player. Doc Severinsen was the bandleader for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for three decades. To the casual viewer, he was the eccentric guy in the Technicolor blazers with the mile-wide smile. To trumpet players, he was a god. Here is the critical reality check for searchers:

Doc had a tone that was simultaneously piercing and sweet—a sound so confident it could cut through a 20-piece orchestra without breaking a sweat. When he decided to record Georgia on My Mind on his 1970 album The Big Band’s Back in Town, he didn’t want a sleepy Dixieland dirge. He wanted a feature. However, you have three reliable paths to obtain

Unlike a simple vocal lead sheet, the Doc Severinsen arrangement (typically published for B-flat trumpet with piano or big band accompaniment) includes:

Once you have your hands on the lead sheet or the transcription, the battle is only half over. To truly execute the Doc Severinsen style, you need three things:

Since the chart is not commercially mainstream, you must look at sites where musicians sell their transcriptions.