The Tonight Show Band

The Tonight Show Band is the house band which plays on the American television variety show The Tonight Show. From 1962 to the 1990s, during the years the show was known as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the band was a 17-piece big band, and was an important outlet for jazz on American television. During the Carson era, the band was always billed as "The NBC Orchestra" (not to be confused with the NBC Symphony Orchestra) and sometimes "Doc Severinsen and the NBC Orchestra". The current Tonight Show Band is Philadelphia-native hip hop band The Roots under the tenancy of Jimmy Fallon.

The band was founded in 1954, coincidental to the disbanding of the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Its first long-term director was Skitch Henderson (1954–57). During the Tonight! America After Dark period in 1957, a string of short-lived bandleaders (Lou Stein, Mort Lindsey and Johnny Guarnieri) led either a trio or quartet of musicians as the show's house band. José Melis, a friend of Jack Paar, took over as bandleader when Paar became the host in late 1957.

Henderson returned in 1962 when Johnny Carson took over from Paar. Carson increased the band's budget. Henderson hired musicians from touring big bands which were going out of business and commission charts from top jazz arrangers. The band included Clark Terry, Bobby Rosengarden, Doc Severinsen, Urbie Green, Ed Shaughnessy, and Ernie Royal.

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