Kevin Eubanks, longtime band leader for Jay Leno, will be leaving The Tonight Show. Eubanks apparently is looking for a change in his life and a chance to pursue other opportunities. There’s no confirmation of a replacement (‘Extra’ speculates it may be Darius Rucker) but it seems that Eubanks will be there for the premiere of Jay Leno’s return to The Tonight Show.
Kevin Eubanks was born in Philadelphia in 1957 to a very musical family. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston before moving to New York to start his career. In New York he had the privilege of performing with jazz artists Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton, and even recording with Dave Holland. In 1983 Eubanks formed his own quartet and performed all over the world on a tour sponsored by the United States State Department.
Eubanks released his first album, Guitarist, under the Elektra label when he was 25 years old. He released seven albums with GRP, four with Blue Note, and six with his own record company label Insoul Music. All in all, Eubanks has appeared on over 100 albums. In 1992, Eubanks moved to California to take the guitar spot on The Tonight Show‘s band. After only two years with the band, he became the band leader in 1995.
With such an extensive resume, it’s no wonder Eubanks would like to move on from the dying NBC network. Way to go Kevin! I can’t wait for your next record!
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