kevin eubanks
Vera’s brother, Ray Bryant, is a journeyman jazz pianist who has recorded and toured with jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Sarah Vaughn not to mention a few hit records of his own. [1]
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. [...]… the family lived in a somewhat rough area of Philadelphia, and Eubanks grew into a self-professed loner, especially after he began playing the guitar around the age of ten. [2]
Eubanks is also known for being a passionate Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia 76ers fan, which is often seen when he wears hats with their logos, and on occasion Philadelphia Flyers ‘ and Philadelphia Phillies logos, during shows. [3]
Kevin Eubanks, currently the Music Director of The Tonight Show Band, is a gifted musician and prolific composer whose own band, the Kevin Eubanks Quartet, has been evolving for close to twenty years. [...] Kevin studied violin and trumpet before making his commitment to the guitar, which was solidified with his entrance to the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston. [1]
After studying at Berklee, he was with Art Blakey ’s big band (1980-1981); had stints with Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton, and Sam Rivers; and then in 1983 started leading his own groups. [2]
Sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc or SONY BMG Music Entertainment Downloads LLC. [4]
He moved to Los Angeles when he initially took the Tonight Show job, but on the occasional show hiatus Eubanks travels back to New York City to play improv-jazz gigs with musician friends at clubs like Visiones in Greenwich Village. [2]
The young musician attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and then moved to New York to begin his professional career. [3]
His ability to move effortlessly in and out of musical genres gave him the flexibility necessary to lead the Tonight Show band through their diverse riffs, while his naturally reserved demeanor made him the perfect target for host Jay Leno ’s on- camera banter. [2]
There he played with noted jazzmen such as Art Blakey (1980-81), Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton and Sam Rivers. [3]
In addition to working in other bands, Kevin became the leader of his own quartet and traveled to Jordan, Pakistan, and India on a tour sponsored by the US State Department not to mention the European/ Japanese jazz circuit which so many jazz artists frequent. [1]
Switching to Blue Note in the 1990s, Eubanks has been emphasizing acoustic guitar in more recent years. [4]
He played with some of the stalwarts of jazz, like, Slide Hampton, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter, Sam Rivers, and Roy Haynes. [1]
Sources:
[1] Kevin Eubanks on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music …
[2] Kevin Eubanks: Biography from Answers.com
[3] Kevin Eubanks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[4] Amazon.com: Kevin Eubanks: Albums, Songs, Bios, Photos