Best Late Night Guitar Player/Musician

[JosephB]

Well...we all know GE Smith was on SNL, not technically late night, but still... he's pretty awesome...

Conan's guitar guy, Jimmy Vivino i think...is really awesome too. As is Max Weinberg...

Jimmy also has AWESOME guitars...he plays a really nice Les Paul Black Beauty, a strat, a tele, a firebird and an epiphone coronet reissue as well as some DiPinto guitars recently (conan commented on it said it looked like marzipan). Ive got to admit its part of the reason i watch the show. also, he plays thru one of those Marshall Handwired 2016x heads with the 2x12 cab...has pretty monsterous tone!!

I'm not a religious viewer of any other late night shows. In yalls opinion, though, whos the best late night bandleader or guitar player?

[Louthunder]

I'v got to say that Jimmy Vivino is also my favorite late night musician, by a landslide!

[superhand]

Paul Schaffer is badass.

[BillyG]

Kevin Eubanks makes me reach for the mute button. Ewwww.

[dalandan]

if it's best musicians ON late night shows, conan's whole band is bad-ass so is letterman's.

when it comes to those players outside the late night shows just playing their own music, kevin eubanks is a MONSTER.

[morroben]

Felicia Collins!

[RiverDog]

No doubt Jimmy Vivino. I saw The Fab Faux live twice and he just blew me away. The guy is pure class and talent.

[HOBBSTER01]

ESTEBAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Greentele]

I heard Kevin Eubanks is really an accomplished jazz player. The Leno Show is him just going through the motions.........
That custom built Rivera guitar he uses is,.......well.......odd looking.

[Billy B.]

Originally Posted by BillyG

Kevin Eubanks makes me reach for the mute button. Ewwww.

+1......With all due respect to Mr.Eubanks (He does seem like a really nice Guy) He and I have uh......very different opinions about tone ? is that nice enough? that super duper mesa WITH hot plate saturation tone just sounds like nails on a chalk board to Me,and Yeah I know everything sounds more $#^@like on T.V. but? .....what a gig though huh? Vivino pulls out some nice tones and those guys pull out some Ian Hunter tunes from time to time so thats extra points too.

[8upSS]

Will Lee. Bass MONSTER!!!

[Rooney]

The Roots entire band is crazy. I love when they play songs for audience members

[daddyopapa]

Kevin Eubanks may not set the world on fire with the little things he does with Leno, but he is a monster player. You should get some of his jazz CDs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK_waL9fdiY

[getbent]

Levon Helm--> the true midnight rambler.

[morroben]

Originally Posted by getbent

Levon Helm--> the true midnight rambler.

I have a buddy that went to a midnight ramble at Levon Helm's last night...lucky SOB!

[jazztele]

Originally Posted by Rooney

The Roots entire band is crazy. I love when they play songs for audience members

agreed. too bad the show itself is awful.

[klasaine]

In order ...

1) 70's SNL band with Eric Gale and David Sanborn among others - essentially the band "Stuff".
2) Tonight Show when it was Tommy Newsome, Doc Severinson and Ed Shaughnessy.
3) The first 'Letterman' band.
4) Night Music (Sanborn/ Jools Holland, etc).

[Groovey Records]

without a question Liberace

[JimmyJam]

Originally Posted by klasaine

In order ...

1) 70's SNL band with Eric Gale and David Sanborn among others - essentially the band "Stuff".
2) Tonight Show when it was Tommy Newsome, Doc Severinson and Ed Shaughnessy.
3) The first 'Letterman' band.
4) Night Music (Sanborn/ Jools Holland, etc).

I never knew Eric Gales was in the SNL band.
Night Music was a great show. How about Hiram Bullock from that band?
I thought he was pretty good for being able to keep up with the giants that would appear on that show.

[getbent]

Originally Posted by klasaine

In order ...

1) 70's SNL band with Eric Gale and David Sanborn among others - essentially the band "Stuff".
2) Tonight Show when it was Tommy Newsome, Doc Severinson and Ed Shaughnessy.
3) The first 'Letterman' band.
4) Night Music (Sanborn/ Jools Holland, etc).

I stand corrected. this is the right stuff....

also to the later poster it is Eric Gale (not Gales who is a different player)

Eric Gale had righteous super 400's... his solos on Hank Crawford's "Tico Rico" are just... well, wonderful... If you ever hear Kenny Loggins' version of "You Don't Know Me" you get a peek into Mr. Gale and his amazing playing.

[JimmyJam]

Originally Posted by getbent

I stand corrected. this is the right stuff....

also to the later poster it is Eric Gale (not Gales who is a different player)

Eric Gale had righteous super 400's... his solos on Hank Crawford's "Tico Rico" are just... well, wonderful... If you ever hear Kenny Loggins' version of "You Don't Know Me" you get a peek into Mr. Gale and his amazing playing.

Ah thanks. Helps to read, huh?

[mlipping]

Originally Posted by jazztele

agreed. too bad the show itself is awful.

I disagree. Fallon is still learning. It took Conan a while to become what he is. I think Fallon is hilarious but raw. He's a writer not a comedian.

The Roots are phenomenal! They also have some great people sit in with them.

All of this is IMHO of course.

M

[getbent]

Originally Posted by JimmyJam

Ah thanks. Helps to read, huh?

I have frequently misread those two... they are so close... I wonder if they've ever gotten contracted for the wrong gigs?

[tonewoods]

[Tele295]

If you're gonna disqualify GE Smith, then I'll go with Andy Summers, who was the musical director for the Dennis Miller Show's band in 1992.

[Paulie13]

Conans whole band gets me vote. I always enjoy what they do.

[klasaine]

Originally Posted by JimmyJam

How about Hiram Bullock from that band?
I thought he was pretty good for being able to keep up with the giants that would appear on that show.

Keep up! He was one of the giants.


*Somebody asked if Eric Gale and Eric Gales ever got booked for the wrong gigs or mistaken for each other? Eric Gale died in may of 1994. Gales didn't really start doing anything until about '91 or so.

**along those lines though ... there is a (great) jazz guitarist out here named Eric Johnson. A lot of folks show up to his gigs expecting something a little diferent than the Grant Green inflected soul jazz and straight ahead swinging standards that he delivers - lol!

[Jahmbie]

Originally Posted by superhand

Paul Schaffer is badass.

+1000
SNL
The original "World's Most Dangerous Band" was awesome.

Paul Shaffer
Will Lee
Hiram Bullock, RIP
Steve Jordan

[Jakedog]

Originally Posted by mlipping

I disagree. Fallon is still learning. It took Conan a while to become what he is. I think Fallon is hilarious but raw. He's a writer not a comedian.

The Roots are phenomenal! They also have some great people sit in with them.

All of this is IMHO of course.

M

I'm right there with ya. I'm not crazy about the show, but I am watching frequently, hoping it will grow into somehting, it certainly has potenial. Hosting a full late night show every night though, is very different from sketch comedy with a full cast, and there is going to be a learning curve for sure.

The band though, is my favorite by FAR on late night TV. The Roots are it. Period.

I have to say though, Letterman's band was the "house" band for this years Rock Hall inductions, which I attended. They were extremely impressive. I've watched Lettermen for a hundred years, so I knew how good they were, but seeing them live in that situation was real treat.

As for Kevin Eubanks, I dig him.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Skitch Henderson.

[E5RSY]

At one time it would have been Letterman's band. However, for some reason they, like the show itself, were neutered when the jump to CBS was made. Nothing's been the same since Dave quit wearing wrestling shoes with his blazer and tie.

The Roots on Jimmy Fallon are a stroke of genius on someone's part. I could probably sit and just watch Questlove play drums for the hour. Captain Kirk on guitar is no slouch, himself.

Scott

[jazztele]

Originally Posted by mlipping

I disagree. Fallon is still learning. It took Conan a while to become what he is. I think Fallon is hilarious but raw. He's a writer not a comedian.

The Roots are phenomenal! They also have some great people sit in with them.

All of this is IMHO of course.

M

you're right, it took conan a while to be comfortable in front of the camera in that environment, and i was a pretty big conan fan right from the start--so i can admit he got better.

but fallon's gonna have to get damn good to be more entertaining than his band!

[colinsthename]

maybe i'm the only one, but i think jimmy fallon is hilarious as is right now. he just has that awkward funny thing about him. i like conan much better now than when he was in jimmy fallon's timeslot, he's less goofy and annoying.

as for late night bands, can't get much better than the roots. and with george benson sitting in last night, good stuff.

[wetland10]

A few of the guys from Conan's band played at my wedding. I know the trombone player. People still talk about the band from my wedding, it was really something else. Didn't hurt that Timmy Capello was on sax either. What a band.

Wayne