The Tonight from Steve Allen, Jack Paar to Jay Leno.

[Hardbopjazz]

From the very beginning of the Tonight show back in New York in 1954, there have been a number of jazz artists who have appeared on the program.

Here are some that I know of.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers featuring Horace Silver and Hank Mobley.

Oscar Perterson has been on the show.

Buddy Rich has been on the show.

Pre crossover George Benson, and most likely the crossover version too.

Anyone else come to mine that you can think of?

[GA Russell]

I saw Joe Henderson on when Branford was the band leader.

[DMP]

First time I ever heard Roland Kirk was on the Tonight Show - early '60's.

[paul secor]

Not jazz artists, but:

Mississippi John Hurt appeared on the Tonight Show in 1963.

And John Bubbles appeared on the Tonight Show a number of times during the 1960's.

[7/4]

John McLaughlin playing

[DMP]

One of the best jazz performances I heard in the Johnny Carson era was Paul Shaffer (on organ) with the Tonight Show band playing Oliver Nelson's arrangement of "A Taste of Honey" - the one that appears on Lloyd G. Mayers United Artist album. Shaffer acknowledged the "great Oliver Nelson."

[Soul Stream]

Isn't there audio of Miles Davis w/Trane on The Steve Allen show...I think I've got it on CD somewhere. Wish there were video to go along with it.

[Guy Berger]

  Soul Stream said:

Isn't there audio of Miles Davis w/Trane on The Steve Allen show...I think I've got it on CD somewhere. Wish there were video to go along with it.

discographical information

Miles also played on the Tonight Show w/the Cellar Door band in October 1970 (Bill Cosby was the host):

discographical information

Edited May 3, 2007 by Guy

[Free For All]

Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Buddy DeFranco, Louis Bellson and Clark Terry have all been featured at various times (of course Clark was also a regular in the band).

  Quote

I saw Joe Henderson on when Branford was the band leader.

Yes, that was great, and there was a flicker of hope that the show would continue to feature great jazz artists. That flame was quickly extinguished unfortunately.

I often have expressed the desire to see some kind of DVD collection of the many jazz artists and other great musical performances from the earlier years of the show. There were also some very funny moments- interviews (Buddy Rich was always a good guest) and other things, like the "Stump The Band" bits and the times when Johnny would give Doc or Tommy Newsome (RIP, Tommy) a hard time.

I sure miss that show.

[Jim R]

As I recall, Joe Williams was a favorite of Johnny's, and was probably on more than any other jazz artist.

[Hot Ptah]

  GA Russell said:

I saw Joe Henderson on when Branford was the band leader.

I saw that too. I recall that Joe played an impassioned solo, but that it was awkward afterwards. Jay Leno had Joe come and sit down, but then couldn't think of a thing to say to him. I distinctly recall Joe nodding and looking uncomfortable.

[Soul Stream]

I think the problem these days is that guys like Dave Letterman, Leno, Conan...they're rock and roll kids. They piss their pants when U2 comes on. Guys like Steve Allen and Johnny Carson were jazz guys. Carson played jazz drums and Steve Allen of course was a pianist/composer. It's a shame...hell, Kevin Eubanks just plays Led Zepplin songs for crissakes on commercial breaks! God forbid they actually have a jazz performance featured that isn't Diane Krall. It's really sad. Jazz should at least have some place at the table of today's television culture.

[Hot Ptah]

Charlie Rose on PBS is the same way. He had Jan Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine on last night and it was a love fest. Rose gets visibly excited when interviewing Mick Jagger or Bruce Springsteen. I can't remember a jazz artist ever being interviewed on his show--except Wynton Marsalis.

[RDK]

I'm pretty sure Kenny G and John Tesh have been on the Tonight Show.

Okay, I'll go now...

[Shrdlu]

I also saw Roland Kirk on the show - way back in the 60s.

And I have the audio of Miles's quintet on the Steve Allen show in 1956.

[Stereojack]

In the late 70's & early 80's I saw Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, & Max Roach on the Tonight Show, all on shows hosted by Bill Cosby, who apparently made a point of getting jazz musicians booked whenever he was hosting.

[marcello]

Besides the ones mentioned there was Dizzy Gillespie & Sarah Vaughan.

I once saw Mel Torme do a exquisite version of 'Round Midnight.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

joe henderson also played on the rosie o'donnell show once- this is not a joke

[Soul Stream]

  Stereojack said:

In the late 70's & early 80's I saw Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, & Max Roach on the Tonight Show, all on shows hosted by Bill Cosby, who apparently made a point of getting jazz musicians booked whenever he was hosting.

I wonder if we all start e-mailing David Letterman to have Sonny Rollins on if he'd do it....

Edited May 4, 2007 by Soul Stream

[bertrand]

If Joe Henderson was on Rosie, it would have been very near the end of his career. Any more details?

Bertrand.

Edited May 4, 2007 by bertrand

[bertrand]

I assume the Mobley footage is AWOL?

Bertrand.

[JPF]

  Soul Stream said:

Isn't there audio of Miles Davis w/Trane on The Steve Allen show...I think I've got it on CD somewhere. Wish there were video to go along with it.

Maybe there was. I'll never forget Steve Allen telling this story (on someone else's show) some years ago: A few years after his show ended, realizing that the tapes of his shows contained an invaluable record of 1950's culture - not only all the jazz stars he featured, but people like Lenny Bruce, Jack Kerouac, etc. - he went to NBC to ask if he could buy the tapes from them. The woman he spoke to said she'd check on it; she came back in a while and said, "Oh, we threw all those out. We had to make room in the warehouse."

Think of it - without even asking Steve if he wanted them, those morons threw away one of the greatest treasure troves of music and entertainment in existence!!! I watched all those shows as a teenager and I still get furious when I remember that story.

[flat5]

(yeah, that is a sad story)

So Herbie Mann and Dave Brubeck never played the Tonight Show?

Ellington or Basie?

Benny Goodman?

Gene Krupa never played Johnny's show?

Hamp? (He and Gibbs often played on Steve Allen's later shows)

Edited May 7, 2007 by flat5

[Hardbopjazz]

  bertrand said:

I assume the Mobley footage is AWOL?

Bertrand.

Don't know about the film footage, but I do have the music.

[DukeCity]

  Soul Stream said:

  Stereojack said:

In the late 70's & early 80's I saw Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, & Max Roach on the Tonight Show, all on shows hosted by Bill Cosby, who apparently made a point of getting jazz musicians booked whenever he was hosting.

I wonder if we all start e-mailing David Letterman to have Sonny Rollins on if he'd do it....

I've read that Letterman is decidedly NOT a jazz fan, so unless Sonny is on backing up the Rolling Stones, it probably will not happen.