For 18 years, as bandleader on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Kevin Eubanks had one of the highest profile guitar gigs around. Every night, millions of people tuned in to see Eubanks, armed with his
arsenal of custom Abe Rivera guitars, direct one of the most revered musical institutions on late-night TV. In May 2010, Eubanks left the show to
focus on recording and touring—two parts of his career he’d neglected due
FEATURE > KeVin eubAnKs
to his demanding schedule. While still serving as Jay Leno’s musical (and
sometime comedic) counterpart, he recorded Zen Food, his debut release on
Mack Avenue Records.
For this project, Eubanks brought in saxophonist Bill Pierce and
drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith, both longtime collaborators. In
order to give the rhythm section some new blood, Smith recommended
CHANGING CHANNELS
After playing for millions of people every night as bandleader on The Tonight Show ith Jay Leno, Kevin Eubanks steps out of the spotlight and talks to PG about Zen Food—the most diverse album of his career—and why he hates being pigeonholed by the “jazz” label. BY JASON SHADRICK
Kevin Eubanks with one
of his Abe Rivera-built
guitars. “He is very selective in his wood,” Eubanks
says of Rivera. “And he
likes to build a nice, fat
neck, which is what I like.”
Photo by Raj Naik
www.premierguitar.com
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