Paul Severson (1928-2007) was a well-schooled musician with symphony, studio, and traveling band experience. He began studying piano at the age of 5, in his home in Fargo, N.D. At the age of 13, he switched to the trombone and never looked back.

In 1944, after graduating from high school, he toured with local bands in Minnesota and North Dakota. He attended the music school at Northwestern University, where he combined his interest in the classics with the development of an experimental jazz sextet. In 1951 he got a master’s degree and entered the world of big band sounds.

He spent two years with Ralph Marterie's band, followed by a stint with Hal McIntyre and a Stan Kenton concert tour in the fall of 1953. During the 1953-54 season he was first trombonist with the Chicago Civic symphony orchestra. For over two years he was a staff musician for CBS in Chicago.

Paul was always an active, freethinking musician. His Sketch for Brass was performed by the Chicago Symphony Brass Ensemble. His Suite for Three Trombones and Tuba was featured at three midwestern music symposiums.

He was a member of the orchestra that recorded Bill Russo's jazz-influenced ballet 'The World of Alcina' in May 1956 for Atlantic. The following month, he was assigned to record the first in a series of Midwestern jazz albums for Chicago's Academy label. The session clearly captured the creativity of the group Paul put together with Kenny Soderbloom on tenor, Mel Schmidt on bass, and drummer Bob Tilles. Over these
gently flowing tunes, Severson proved to be a warm, fluent trombonist, his writing was loose and conducive to swinging, and most of his compositions are engaging.

Soderbloom also had big band experience and, like Severson, was on the staff of CBS in Chicago. He was the best soloist of the date, swinging hard, with a very good tone, conception and emotional fullness. Bob Tilles, drummer for Chicago CBS, and bassist Schmidt kept a good rhythm and were well integrated. Strongly in favor of this album is the relaxation and what Bill Russo called the “effortless grace” of the playing.

Regarding his favorite musicians in contemporary jazz, as well as his favorite classics, he said “I dig Stan Getz, and Bill Harris remains a basically swinging musician. The Basie band and Woody's group continue to fascinate me. In terms of classical music, Wagner's daring orchestration and free use of brass were influential, pertinent innovations. Ravel had an infinite amount of talent to offer.And I've always felt that Stravinsky was far ahead of his time as a brilliant innovator, orchestrator, and composer.”

Paul's various activities within the field of jazz had a definite purpose, as is evident from his statement: “I’m fighting to help put jazz on a plane with other musical forms. Written and improvised jazz is a vital part of all of music development.”

—Jordi Pujol (From the inside liner notes of FSRCD 1069)