Late night talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien bid a fond farewell to his longtime house band on Thursday in the final hour-long show before it shifts to a half-hour format.
“There is one change on the horizon that makes me quite sad,” O’Brien of the band’s exit from the show. “In January, when our show transitions to the new half-hour format, our band will not be with us. Since we began this journey 25 years ago, my band has been a daily source of joy in my life.”
The Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band has performed on the TBS show since it launched in 2010, with guitarist and arranger Jimmy Vivino serving as music director for the group.
However, the band was originally formed and led by drummer Max Weinberg in 1993 and played under the name The Max Weinberg 7 when they were Conan’s house band during his tenure at NBC’s Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
The group also did a brief stint between shows when they were known as The Legally Prohibited Band, while they were on tour with O’Brien after his exit from NBC.
The group’s current lineup includes: Jimmy Vivino (guitarist, keyboards, singer, arranger), Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg (trombone), Jerry Vivino (sax, woodwinds and vocals), Mark Pender (trumpet, vocals), Scott Healy (keyboardist, composer), Mike Merritt (bass, stand-up bass), and James Wormworth (drums).
O’Brien announced earlier this year that his show was transitioning to a half-hour time slot instead of an hour-long program and was eliminating its regular music offerings to refocus on digital content and comedy including stand up routines by both established and up-and-coming comedians.
The new iteration of Conan will still air on its Monday-Thursday schedule when it debuts in its new format in January.
