Tribute to Doc

Lewis Buckley, when he was Coast Guard Band Director, wrote both The Yellow Rose of Texas Variations and Tribute to Doc for Coast Guard Band soloists to perform on tours through their home towns. Tribute to Doc (originally titled Bell-Flight, 1994) was written for Jose Cordero for a mid-’80’s western tour in his hometown, El Paso, TX. Jose was the high-flying lead player in the Band's jazz ensemble, and Buckley wrote the piece with the famous Doc Severinsen in mind, because that’s how Jose played. Bell-Flight never caught on as a title, so Buckley later renamed it after the man who inspired the music. Buckley said, “I’m thrilled to have been asked to play both solos on the same program. It’s great to play Tribute to Doc with The Concord Band again, and I’m especially pleased about Yellow Rose, which I’ve never had the opportunity to play before.” (Source: Lew Buckley)