Kevin Eubanks

In his three-hour interview, Kevin Eubanks describes growing up in a musical family and chronicles his path from Philadelphia to the NBC studios in Burbank, CA. He discusses his mother, a music teacher and talented musician, and how much she influenced his love of music. He talks of playing several instruments, outlines his time at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and recalls the first time he went on tour. He speaks of moving to New York and forming The Kevin Eubanks Quartet, and describes how he got his first record deal. Eubanks then details how he became first a band member and subsequently the bandleader on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He describes his friendship with Leno, interactions with musical guests, and comedy bits that he wrote for the program. He also comments on Leno's move to 10pm with The Jay Leno Show, and the controversy surrounding Leno's return to The Tonight Show. Eubanks also explains his decision to leave The Tonight Show, and talks about then-current projects and what lies ahead for him in his post-late-night era. Amy Harrington conducted the interview on September 23, 2011 in North Hollywood, CA.