Paul Severson

Paul Severson (August 18, 1928 – May 20, 2007 ^[1]) was an American music arranger and composer who wrote some of the most recognizable commercial music of our time. While he may be best known for the Doublemint gum jingle and compositions for Marlboro, Ford, McDonald's, Kellogg's, KFC & Chicken of the Sea, his jazz work in "The Cry of Jazz" is preserved in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry and his Hal Leonard arrangements of Dixieland titles are played by people worldwide.^[2][3][4] During his long career he received 15 Clio Awards.^[4] Severson has been called "one of the most famous arrangers/composers you've never heard of".^[2]

Severson, a 1946 graduate of Fargo Central High School, settled in Chicago after obtaining a master's degree in music from Northwestern University. He performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and composed for a number of top advertising agencies.^[4]

Wherever he went Severson was involved in writing music. As a performer, he played trombone or keyboards with various bands and orchestras in the 1950s and 1960s, including the CBS Chicago Staff Orchestra, the Stan Kenton Orchestra and the Chicago Civic Symphony. Severson also performed with jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Stan Getz^[4] as well as created film scores for director Madeline Tourtelot (The Poet's Return & Two Cats- One Chick 1962).^[5]

Through the 1980s and 1990s Paul Severson was head of the Minnesota State University of Moorhead's music industry program .^[4]

Back in Fargo in later years Paul Severson helped found several local jazz groups, arranged compositions for the Red River Dance and Performing Co. and served as music director for Trollwood Performing Arts School. All along, he mentored, encouraged and enlightened.^[2]

Severson composed music for a number of national commercials in the early 1990s.^[2]

Bill Robinson, who headed the Mesa State Theater department from 1960 to 1988, also had an opportunity to work with Severson. Severson composed the music for the musical Princess, which Robinson produced. "He was quite a jazz man," Robinson said. "He was a very sweet man, truly a gentleman.".^[2]

Severson was a moderator and lay minister of two Unitarian Universalist fellowships in Grand Junction and in Fargo, North Dakota. His spiritual search led him to study eastern religions, Native American spirituality, science, philosophy and mysticism. After four years of study, he became a Church of Religious Science practitioner.^[2]

Paul Severson died on May 20, 2007, after a long struggle with prostate cancer.^[1]

As Sideman (trombone):

With Ralph Marterie

• 1949 Sweet and Lovely- With Strings
• 1951 Dance Band in Town
• 1952 Dancing on the Downbeat
• 1953 Pennsylvania Turnpike
• 1954 Alone Together Music for Smoochin
• 1955 Salute to the Aragon Ballroom
• 1955 Hits That Made Him Famous
• 1959 Marvelous Marterie

With Stan Kenton

• 1953 By Request Vol. 5
• 1953. The Creep/Tenderly

With The Four Freshmen

• 1953 Tenderly/I'll Be Seeing You

With Hal Kartun

• 1955 WBBM Live Showmanship

With Bill Russo

• 1956 The World of Alcina

With David Carroll

• 1960 Solo Encores
• 1960 Latin Percussion

With Tony Marterie

• 1961 Jungle Drums/April & The Winds

With Tony Martell

• 1963 Folk Tunes Swingin Band Style

• The Dixieland Jazz Recordings
• The Jazz disc recordings