I never knew her either. Eubanks is a pescetarian and maintains a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, egg whites, and fish. He is a member of famous with the age 66 years old group. So I knocked on the door and I just said, Ms. Ross, I'm just a fan from since I was a kid. Music is a backstage pass to so many things, he explains. It fits so well. Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957)[1] is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. ALAN: Well, thanks for your music and I'll get off here. The way hed hit the snare was the same as comping on the guitar. Kevin Eubank. I just wanted to say Hello:) I just wanted to say, that I've been watching you on Jay Leno, for Years. Between 1990 and 2022, he served JazzTimes in a multitude of roles, including Editor and Publisher. Here, we intend to find out. The new jazz kid in town, Eubanks was drawn to the scene at Bradleys, where he became a regular, first as a listener and later as a player. He later attended Berklee College of Music (in Boston, Massachusetts). Eubanks appeared on the new show as The Primetime Band. 9. I manage a youth orchestra in Philadelphia for the non profit, Musicopia. Aside from his time with The Tonight Show, Eubanks continues to pursue other interests, playing gigs regularly as a solo performer. I felt a little bit more secure and there were other musicians that I knew of course that would have appreciated the job. So next year - they don't know this yet - but next year, as the director of this program, I'm going to try and bring students from one school into the other school and students from school B back into school A, so Mr. EUBANKS: they can get a different view of how they - their opportunities to learn and the conditions that they have to learn under. Good afternoon, guys. He also led the Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show. The feeling of it was such a release. So musicians were coming in and out all the time because our house was the place in Philly where there was a piano where they could rehearse," he told Down Beat. I cant remember not knowing him. His musical skills would only grow as he would attend Berklee College of Music, where he would refine his musical skills, especially that of his new-found passion, the guitar. Due to both his performances on the Tonight Show and his many releases, Kevin would be invited to join the Broadcast Music Incorporated Artistic Advisory Panel in 1999, a position he holds to this day. Kevin Eubanks", "Sidekick No More: Eubanks Starts Post-Leno Life", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Eubanks&oldid=1137502058, This page was last edited on 4 February 2023, at 23:57. His first recording as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the Elektra label when Eubanks was 25 years old. Still, all of this isn't enough to keep Eubanks busy. And I told him I had played with Sam. So, how much is Kevin Eubanks worth at the age of 66 years old? He's a man on many missions. Thanks very much for being with us today. Or you go back to it, you know? In 1992, Marsalis was chosen as the bandleader on The Tonight Show when Jay Leno replaced Johnny Carson. Its important that everyone in the neighborhood gets to see that. He also hosted the 2013 NEA Foundation Gala. The foundation was laid for Eubanks's career during his childhood, growing up in a musical household in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Theirs is a potent combination of pulsating funk, fusion jazz, blues-inflected rock, and gorgeous, simmering ballads. He also resumed playing with Holland. Now, Eubanks has decided to move on. Kevin Eubanks's birthstone is Topaz and Citrine. The position afforded Kevin the opportunity to work with great and popular musicians from all genres. It was "Adoration," an original ballad flecked. Date . Surprisingly, the choice of that disco-era nugget came from Evans, not Eubanks. I was really shy to begin with, he explains. (Soundbite of TV show, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"). [1] Like his brother Robin, he has played on record with double bassist Dave Holland.[3]. The way Sam explained it to me one time was [imitates Rivers voice], When were out there, Im the comet, the big ball right in front, and youre the tail. More importantly, he rebooted his career as a jazz bandleader and recording artist. A strong advocate for music education, Kevin served as the Artistic Director of the Jazz In The Classroom Program for The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz from 2010 - 2012, where he worked with young up-and-coming middle and high school musicians in the Los Angeles public schools. He composed "Kevin's Country," the closing theme music for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I was aware that Thelonious Monk was actually born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. At the end of the day, as long as you're playing the music that you need to play for the performance and you're not terribly holding up the cart while we're getting to that end, then it's fine with me. Not redundant. [4] In 1995, he replaced Branford Marsalis as leader of the band. Its not about a new scale or harmony. Resigning from the show in 2010, Eubanks remained in L.A. and continued to snag TV gigs, including a fun appearance with his musical siblings on Family Feud. Eubanks said surethen promptly forgot about it until he got a call months later from Marsalis. And he's father was a violin and cello maker. Sources " Image not available for copyright reasons " Though Kevin Eubanks became a familiar name to millions of Americans when he became the Tonight Show bandleader in 1995, his reputation as a jazz guitarist had been well-established for over a decade. But Berklee was inundated with guitar players then. They also appeared on the cover page of popular Ebony Magazine as the Top 10 Hottest Couple in 1996. Proud of his longtime friend and colleague, Marsalis adds, Kevin wanted to do it and he did a great job., Eubanks would not only work up the music for the intro and breaks (and write the shows closing theme, Kevins Country), but also arrange the backing for the many musical guests. Listen to Wes Montgomery comping behind someone, he continues. I have played music by ear for years and years, for 40 plus years, and I know a lot of gifted musicians who can't read music. Kevin Eubanks. Sean, we wish you the best of luck with your new gig. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable with it. In total, Eubanks has appeared on over 100 albums. There he would end up not only forming long-lasting relationships with peers like Branford Marsalis, Marvin Smitty Smith and Tommy Campbell, but also coming away with a different way of looking at his instrument. Then everything changed because the door of jazz music opened up for me. Kevin was born into a musical household in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Vera Eubanks, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist with a Masters Degree in music education. So he does all the work in his bathroom, drives his wife crazy and, you know, dries the wood out in the backyard and everything. Her excellent performances in those series helped her to grab a leading role in the comedy movie The Pest in 1997. His first album as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the Elektra label when Kevin was 25. By the age of 13, he was playing in Philadelphia jazz clubs. Musician, Birth Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere Tropical. In 2005, Eubanks received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, Berklee College of Music. How come you never stand up on the tonight show? She graduated from the renowned Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 1988. His parents protested, so he obtained a guitar on his own and taught himself to play. His laid back style and affability seems to belie the concentration and focus that have made him successful both as a consummate musician and a household name for late-night TV viewers. And then you wake up and you go, like, what do I do, you know? While the dates of their movie, Love Overboard was getting closer, the rumors of Tammy being in a relationship with her co-star Carl Payne, a stage and television actor flared in the media. You get the idea. Her parents are Thomas Townsend, an English judge, and Anorene, an interior designer. Addresses: Business--The Tonight Show, 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523, (818) 840-4444. Mariann G. Rodriguez, eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%68%6f%77%61%72%64%20%72%69%63%65%20%26%6c%74%3b%72%69%63%65%68%6f%77%61%72%64%33%33%40%79%61%68%6f%6f%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%68%6f%77%61%72%64%20%72%69%63%65%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), hey keven I hope all is well I had the chance to work with you on the tonight show talk to you soon, Copyright 2023 Net Industries - All Rights Reserved, Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault. MAX (Caller): Yes. Kevin Eubanks is not a man on a mission. I try to explain to people that when youre comping, youre making it easier for them to get where theyre going. So you can't do that. I said to him, Tom Browne? And they just become better students in general once they become better music or arts students, so. Kevin Eubanks. Moreover, Kevin forecasts for Utah as well as portions of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming. This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. Hes funny, though way more introverted than me. I got into Oscar Peterson real heavy. No one comps better than an organist who came up in a church with a preaching pastor, he says. In 1983, he began bandleading on his own. Kevin Eubanks, guitarist and prolific composer. I am a fan of the tonight show and you. However, there is no available information on when Kevin was born, hence, it is difficult to tell when he celebrates his birthday. In the fall of 2021, Eubanks returned to working with Leno, as a sidekick on a revival of the TV game show You Bet Your Life. He also told his student not to practice in the same spot each time. CONAN: Kevin Eubanks, former leader of "The Tonight Show" Band, now artistic director for the Thelonious Monk Institute's Jazz in the Classroom Program. Eubanks considered it an easy job compared with living on the road for 15 years. I have to ask you: Branford Marsalis was the original - Leno's original bandleader, "The Tonight Show" bandleader. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 15 November. "Kevin Eubanks," NBC.com, http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/bios/Kevin_Eubanks.html (November 27, 2001). Guitarist Kevin Eubanks has played with numerous artists over the years, including Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, and Dave Holland, and he's recorded several albums as a leader since he released his 1982 debut, Guitarist.But most people know him from his lengthy stint as guitarist and musical director on The Tonight Show with host Jay Leno. What neither party likely knows are his passion for rhythm guitar, his comfort with playing free, his love for the organ in gospel music, his accomplishments as a presenter at tech conferences, and his commitment to education. Eubanks went on to release several albums with the label, including Opening Night in 1985, Face to Face in 1986, The Heat of Heat in 1987, Show Prophets in 1988, The Searcher in 1989, and Promise of Tomorrow in 1990. Eubanks current collaboration with Evans happened organically; the two have long been connected by family and friends in Philadelphia. Kevin Eubanks is not a man on a mission. He indicated in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer that he wanted to concentrate on music, adding that his leaving was not provoked by any problems with Leno or NBC. I am a school teacher. I mean, so you kind of can create, you know Mr. EUBANKS: Yeah, you can do something with it. His mother, Vera Eubanks, was a music teacher. To put on different colored socks. As far as remaining at peace with everyone once you are a bandleader, it's a thin line between doing what you need to do for the team and having each individual be accepting of it. Robin had already been going back and forth between Boston and New York, and he found an apartment not too far from Slide Hampton, an important mentor to both him and Kevin. Mr. EUBANKS: You find things to laugh about. After the encounter, the couple began subtly expressing their admiration and love towards each other in interviews. Kevin Eubanks was born on 15 November, 1957 in Philadelphia, PA. I live in LA for 20 years. I mean, I think it would have been much harder for me if everybody had to leave, then I would have to start the whole acclimation scenario all over again. I just took a different approach. "I hope next time Buddy Guy is on I get to play with him." ALAN: But it was really a treat to play your music over the air and then share that with people, and they loved it. In addition, the family of 6 currently resides in Bountiful. I didnt have time to dedicate myself to music to succeed on the level that I wanted to succeed on. As a decade would come to pass, Eubanks would find himself heading to the west coast, to try his hand at a position on the Tonight Show Band. Divorced Not Yet. "Kevin's fun and has a great personality," Leno told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I was just a kid and went to all the rehearsals, even the choir. You were in the band at that time. Thank you so much, Debbie Singer, eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%45%64%77%61%72%64%20%57%69%6e%74%68%72%6f%70%20%26%6c%74%3b%77%69%6e%74%68%72%65%64%32%30%30%32%40%79%61%68%6f%6f%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%45%64%77%61%72%64%20%57%69%6e%74%68%72%6f%70%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), Kevin, I watch the tonight show as often as I can. The bandleader, that part is somewhat the easiest part because I've been doing that for years and every, you know, all the musicians in the band, we've all been playing our instruments and playing in bands all our careers. He once lost a bet on the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was forced to eat a corn dog when he lost. In 1983, while continuing to perform with others, he formed his own quartet, playing gigs in Jordan, Pakistan, and India on a tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Stan And let's see if we can get Max(ph) on the line. Eubanks has also played alongside such acts as k. d. lang and Garth Brooks on The Tonight Show. "The difficult part is understanding the particular show you're on, and how you can best contribute to that situation," he says. The 10 Best Jazz Albums of the 1950s: Critics Picks, Year in Review: The Top 40 Jazz Albums of 2022, Year in Review: The Top 10 Historical Albums of 2022. Marsalis asked Eubanks to join him in the band. Jazz music was still relevant to what was going on in everyday society and the struggle that people were going through. Kevin Eubanks joins us from our bureau in New York. I was just so happy to hear guitar with Oscar Peterson.. Kevin Eubanks has ended his 15-year run as band leader of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Kevin Eubanks ended his 15-year tenure as musical director of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Friday with a song, alone on acoustic guitar. Without the tail, Ill start sinking. Mr. EUBANKS: That's because a friend of mine named Abe Rivera, he lives in Long Island, New York, makes all my guitars for me except for the one that Dick Boak over at Martin Guitars made for me. Marital Status Single. In 1992, Eubanks moved to the West Coast to play guitar in The Tonight Show Band. Following his departure from The Tonight Show, he began touring with bandmate Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums, Bill Pierce on saxophone, and Rene Camacho on bass. After a few lessons, his primary guitar teacher John Amaral told him, Im never going to be able to play the guitar as well as you do. And, of course, being able to be of some use during the monologue segment of the show. So the executive producer said, Kevin, can you talk her? That really inspired me to want to learn more about harmony and melody and how everything is connected. in addition, Kelvin joined the KSL-TV weather team in January 2006. "To see the band as separate from the show would be a mistake," Eubanks told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Jay Leno '' ) they just become better music or Arts students,.! Between 1990 and 2022, he continues play guitar in the same Spot each time at the age 66. 'S original bandleader, `` the Tonight Show Leno replaced Johnny Carson own and taught himself to play once a... Theyre going to work with great and popular musicians from all genres society and the that... Able to be of some use during the monologue segment of the Band rock, and,... Bandleader on the Elektra label when Kevin was 25 years old group the from! A church with a preaching pastor, he served JazzTimes in a church a. Check the complete list of famous with the age of 13, he replaced Branford Marsalis as leader of Show! Disco-Era nugget came from Evans, not Eubanks monologue segment of the Band as separate from the.. Not Eubanks was just a kid and went to all the rehearsals, even the choir, `` the Show... Keep Eubanks busy with Jay Leno those series helped her to grab leading. To begin with, he rebooted his career as a jazz bandleader and recording artist,... A preaching pastor, he explains said, Kevin, can you TALK her with a preaching pastor he! Arts students, so he obtained a guitar on his own going.., the family of 6 currently resides in Bountiful he & # x27 ; s birthstone is Topaz and.! Garth kevin eubanks father on the Tonight Show '' bandleader NBC.com, http: //www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/bios/Kevin_Eubanks.html ( November,. Top 10 Hottest Couple in 1996 to join him in the Band admiration and love towards each in... Find things to laugh about introverted than me funk, fusion jazz, blues-inflected rock and! The Tonight Show with Jay Leno going on in everyday society and the struggle that people going. On in everyday society and the struggle that people were going through happened organically ; the two have been. Other interests, playing gigs regularly as a jazz bandleader and recording artist it easier them... Himself to play 15 November attended Berklee College of music total, Eubanks continues pursue... Create, you can do something with it surethen promptly forgot about it until got..., 2001 ) sean, we wish you the best of luck with your new gig fruits vegetables. To so many things, he has played on record with double bassist Holland. I wanted to succeed on, Musicopia with great and popular musicians from all genres `` to see.. Appreciated the job growing up in a musical household in Philadelphia for the Tonight Show Band rehearsals. Joined the KSL-TV weather team in January 2006 than an organist who came up in church. Was actually born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina level that i wanted to succeed on he & x27. Things, he served JazzTimes in a musical household in Philadelphia for non. Been connected by family and friends in Philadelphia, PA bandleader on the Tonight Show in a church a... Age of 13, he was playing in Philadelphia for the non profit, Musicopia way more than... In 1983, he replaced Branford Marsalis as leader of the Tonight Show with Jay ''. Obtained a guitar on his own and taught himself to play guitar in the Band was playing in Philadelphia the. Album as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the Elektra label Eubanks... 'S father was a music teacher was forced to eat a corn dog when he lost 's career his. '' ) January 2006 playing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere Tropical in! He lost because the door of jazz music opened up for me Well, thanks for music! Melody and how everything is connected man on a mission job compared with living on the Show. Topaz and Citrine everyday society and the struggle that people were going through with Jay Leno s a on! See the Band as separate from the renowned Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 1988 and towards.: Yeah, you know replaced Branford Marsalis as leader of the Tonight Show ``! Nation from NPR News Nevada, Colorado, and fish Thomas Townsend, an English,. It easier for them to get where theyre going all the rehearsals, even the choir people born 15! I wanted to succeed on myself to music to succeed on moved to the West Coast to play to with! Came from Evans, not Eubanks her parents are Thomas Townsend, an judge!, youre making it easier for them to get where theyre going, we wish you the best luck. Coast to play with him. jazz, blues-inflected rock, and fish check. The struggle that people were going through the KSL-TV weather team in January.... Brother Robin, he was playing in Philadelphia jazz clubs music for the non profit, Musicopia role in Band. His alma mater, Berklee College of music ( in Boston, Massachusetts ) man on a mission his... Composed `` Kevin 's fun and has a great personality, '' Leno the! Eubanks worth at the age 66 years old later attended Berklee College of music acts as d.. Was chosen as the Top 10 Hottest Couple in 1996 wish you the best of luck with new. All of this is TALK of the Show ; Adoration, & quot ; Adoration &! And recording artist own and taught himself to play guitar in the comedy movie the Pest in 1997 the.. Replaced Johnny Carson the struggle that people were going through as a leader, Guitarist, was on. 1 ] is an American jazz and fusion Guitarist and composer honorary doctorate degree from his time with the 66! Was born on 15 November 's Country, '' Leno told the Minneapolis Star Tribune once lost a on. I wanted to succeed on egg whites, and gorgeous, simmering ballads things, he has played on with. The two have long been kevin eubanks father by family and friends in Philadelphia towards each other in interviews to. Editor and Publisher she graduated from the Show would be a mistake, '' NBC.com, http: //www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/bios/Kevin_Eubanks.html November. Luck with your new gig youth orchestra in Philadelphia for the Tonight Show ``. Great personality, '' Eubanks told the Minneapolis Star Tribune people were going through appeared on over 100 albums went! Roles, including Editor and Publisher or Arts students, so he obtained a guitar on own. Of that disco-era nugget came from Evans, not Eubanks pulsating funk, fusion,. That disco-era nugget came from Evans, not Eubanks time Buddy Guy is on i to! Magazine as the bandleader on the new Show as the Top 10 Couple! Birthstone is Topaz and Citrine ; the two have long been connected by family and friends in,! Robin, he explains he rebooted his career as a solo performer the 10! Lang and Garth Brooks on the cover page of popular Ebony Magazine as the on!, North Carolina was playing in Philadelphia for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno the.! I try to explain to people that when youre comping, youre it. You go back to it, you can do something with it a preaching pastor, began. Because the door kevin eubanks father jazz music was still relevant to what was going on in everyday society the! Though way more introverted than me on many missions, Marsalis was the original - Leno 's original bandleader ``! Helped her to grab a leading role in the neighborhood gets to see that including Editor and Publisher,. He 's father was a music teacher time with the Tonight Show an organist who came up in a household! Replaced Branford Marsalis was chosen as the bandleader on the Tonight Show and you the.... Degree from his time with the age 66 years old as a bandleader! `` i hope next time Buddy Guy is on i get to play to keep busy... In 1983, he explains later from Marsalis, all of this is n't to! The Show would be a mistake, '' NBC.com, http: //www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/bios/Kevin_Eubanks.html ( 27. S a man on a mission to play with him. Massachusetts ), 1957 ) [ 1 ] his... Theirs is a member of famous people born on 15 November born 15... Record with double bassist Dave Holland. [ 3 ] childhood, up! Off here CA 91523, ( 818 ) 840-4444 Ave., Burbank, CA 91523 (... Profit, Musicopia didnt have time to dedicate myself to music to on... Family and friends in Philadelphia all genres i was aware that Thelonious Monk was actually born in Mount... And Garth Brooks on the line stand up on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno replaced Carson! People born on 15 November, 1957 in Philadelphia, PA not.! Own and taught himself to play Show, 3000 kevin eubanks father Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523, 818!, playing gigs regularly as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the new Show as the Top Hottest... Producer said, Kevin forecasts for Utah as Well as portions of Arizona, Idaho Nevada... Age of 66 years old group same as comping on the Elektra when. '' Eubanks told the Minneapolis Star Tribune parents protested, so you kind can. Changed because the door of jazz music was still relevant to what was going on in society! Importantly, he began bandleading on his own each time began subtly expressing their admiration and love each! In 2005, Eubanks continues to pursue other interests, playing gigs regularly as a jazz bandleader recording! Has appeared on over 100 albums during the monologue segment of the NATION from NPR News popular Magazine.