Kevin Eubanks and the ''Tonight Show'' Band was the house band of ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

''. It previously served as the house band of ''

The Jay Leno Show ''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...

'' and was the house band of the first incarnation of ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 1995 to 2009 and then for the first few months of the second incarnation of ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' in 2010. The band was active between 1992 and 2010, first as Branford Marsalis and the Tonight Show Band until 1995, when

Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...

took over ''The Tonight Show'' Band for the departing Marsalis. Eubanks had been a member of Marsalis's band since Leno's debut in 1992. Eubanks and the band moved, along with host Jay Leno, to ''The Jay Leno Show'' when it moved to prime time in 2009, performing under the title Kevin Eubanks and the Primetime Band. However, in February 2010, Eubanks announced that both he and the band would be leaving the show shortly after ''

'' returned in March,

final appearance was on May 28, 2010.

Rickey Minor Rickey Minor is an American bass player, music director, composer and music producer. He was the musical director and bandleader on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 2010 to 2014, taking over after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor worked as mus ...

replaced Eubanks beginning June 7, 2010, bringing with him his own band of musicians and forming Rickey Minor and ''The Tonight Show'' Band.

Members

*Leader: Branford Marsalis (1992-1995),

(1995-2010) *Guitar:

(1992-2010) *Saxophone: Branford Marsalis (1992-1995),

Ralph Moore Ralph Moore (born 24 December 1956) is an English jazz saxophonist. Early life Moore was born in Brixton, London, England. His mother was the dancer Josie Woods, and his father was in the US military. He spent his childhood in Brixton, and afte ...

*Trumpet:

Kye Palmer Kye Palmer is a trumpet player who is a Los Angeles studio musician, most notable as a former member of The Tonight Show Band from 2006 to 2009. On April 10, 2006, Palmer replaced Lee Thornburg in The Tonight Show Band and was there for the last ...

, Lee Thornburg, Chuck Findley, Sal Marquez *Trombone:

Matt Finders Matt Finders (born February 12, 1960) is an American trombonist based in Southern California. A former member of The Tonight Show Band, he has played with various big bands and in major musical productions on Broadway. Though Finders has worked i ...

*Keyboard: Gerry Etkins,

Kenny Kirkland Kenneth David Kirkland (September 28, 1955 – November 12, 1998) was an American pianist and keyboardist. Biography Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Kirkland was six when he first sat down at a piano keyboard. After years ...

(1992-1998) *Bass: Derrick "Dock" Murdock, Robert Hurst, Stanley Sargent *Drums:

Marvin "Smitty" Smith Marvin "Smitty" Smith (born June 24, 1961) is an American jazz drummer and composer. Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. "Smitty" was exposed to music at a young age, receiving formal musica ...

Jeff "Tain" Watts Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is a jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and others. Biography Watts got the nickname "Tain" from Kenny ...

*Percussion/Vocals:

Vicki Randle Vicki Randle (born December 11, 1954)Hillgirlz, the les ...

(1992-2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eubanks, Kevin The Tonight Show Band members American jazz ensembles from California Radio and television house bands Musical groups established in 1995