The piece was completed in New York on June 12, 1994, and was given its world premiere by Doc Severinsen and the San Diego Symphony under the direction of JoAnn Falletta in Escondido, California, on September 24, 1994.
Zwilich titled the concerto thus, in part, "to pay tribute to the distinctive and virile style of American brass playing exemplified by Doc Severinsen."
In the score program note, the composer elaborated, "Unlike his or her European counterparts, the American brass player typically has had a broad background encompassing orchestral, band and jazz idioms.
He continued, "The work possessed a tremendous amount of drama, with high-pitched sounds from the trumpet and pounding rhythms from the percussion section.
"[3] Anne Midgette of The New York Times was slightly more critical, however, remarking, "The trumpet concerto was an able piece that moved through its entire course sounding at every moment as if something were just about to happen, with a sense of building climaxes or impending adagios.