“FACETS.” Doc Severinsen. Amherst 93319. After two...

“FACETS.” Doc Severinsen. Amherst 93319. After two well-received sets with his big band, Severinsen now invades pop territory, using a basic octet (Ernie Watts on saxes, Lee Ritenour on guitars), surrounded here and there by strings and French horns. Why he chose to remake ‘Take the A Train,” which the band played so well on his previous album, is anybody’s guess. Severinsen’s work is generally tasteful, and the treatments of “Night Train” and “Maiden Voyage” show a trace of originality. Arranger Jeff Tyzik contributed three of his own works to round out a commercially viable set. 3 stars.