The Tonight Show Band

Hello! How about a blast from the past tonight? Back in the day, "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson was the top-rated late-might TV talk show. Johnny was a very funny host...and he had the most killer band on TV performing live every night.

The big band was led by lead trumpeter Doc Severinson, and was staffed by many top Los Angeles and Hollywood studio musicians. You could say it was kind of a precursor to Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band nowadays. The band would accompany Johnny's guests if they were singers, or would play a 10-15 second intro for each guest as they came onstage. Once in awhile, though, the show would feature the band, and some of the hardest-swinging charts you'd ever hear.

So have a look at this clip, featuring trumpeter Snooky Young singing and soloing on "T'ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)." This is a great example of a "commercial" arrangement played superbly well by a pro-level band. Listen to how clean every section sounds and how well the band plays together, especially during the shout chorus. Does your band pay that much attention to the details?

There's plenty of The Tonight Show Band on YouTube. See for yourself!