Jimmy Vivino
Jimmy Vivino (born January 10, 1955) is an American guitarist, keyboard player, singer, producer,[1] and music director. He is best known as the leader of Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, the house band for the TBS late night program Conan. He was also a member of The Tonight Show Band, the house band on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and its predecessor, Late Night with Conan O'Brien on NBC. Vivino has also played with many rock bands, which most recently has included being a member of Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux. He is the younger brother of actor Floyd Vivino and Basic Cable Band bandmate Jerry Vivino.
Jimmy Vivino | |
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Vivino at the Beacon, December 2013. | |
Background information | |
Birth name | James Vivino |
Also known as | Jimmy V |
Born | Paterson, New Jersey, United States | January 10, 1955
Genres | Rock and roll, jazz, R&B |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, Music director, Bandleader |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards, trumpet |
Associated acts | Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band, The Max Weinberg 7, The Fab Faux, Frankie and the G Strings, The Vivino Brothers, The J-Band, The Black Italians, The Jimmy Vivino Band, Jimmy Vivino and the Rekooperators, Prisoners of 2nd Avenue, The Levon Helm Band |
Website | jimmyvivino.com |
Biography
Born in Paterson, New Jersey on January 10, 1955,[2] Vivino grew up in Glen Rock, New Jersey. He attended Glen Rock High School[3] where he played Tevye in a production of Fiddler on the Roof. He had an interest in music from a young age. He began working in New York clubs in the early 1980s[4] and in 1984 was musical director of the play Leader of the Pack.[5][6] Later he led "Jimmy Vivino and the Black Italians" and worked with Al Kooper.[7] Kooper considered Vivino to be one of his "discoveries" and had him as musical director for fifteen years.
Vivino serves as the music director on the TBS late-night program Conan. Vivino has been a consistent element in O'Brien's late night career, starting with the first episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien in September 1993. In June 2008, Vivino moved from New York to Los Angeles and worked as music director/guitarist/arranger on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour, and currently leads Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band on Conan.
When not appearing weeknights on TBS, Vivino divides his time between recording sessions and live gigs throughout the country. In addition to his solo work, Vivino plays with the successful Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux.[8] Vivino has also recorded and played live with such legends as Johnnie Johnson, Hubert Sumlin, Levon Helm, and Al Kooper. Earlier in his career, Jimmy got his start producing, playing, and arranging for such artists as Phoebe Snow, Laura Nyro, John Sebastian, and Donald Fagen.
Partial discography
- Novemberin'- Shuggie Otis (Guitar) (2008)
- Live at Lucilles – Michael Packer Blues Band (Guitar) (2007)
- Live at Sweet Rhythm – Michael Packer Blues Band (Guitar) (2007)
- Mule-A-Go-Go – New Year's Eve 2005–2006 (special guest) (2006)
- Alone Together (2005)
- Steaks & Chops: Live at Great Jones, Volume 1 (Guitar) (2005)
- Blues in the Blood - Big Bill Morganfield (Guitar, Mandolin, Organ, Piano, Producer) (2003)
- Best of M.C. Records 1996–2002 (Guitar) (2003)
- Remedy (Vocals) (2002)
- Different Shade of Red: The Woodstock Sessions – Louisiana Red (Organ, Guitar, Mandolin, Director, Producer, Horn Arrangement) (2002)
- Crazy Kind of Life – Bill Perry (Organ, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Producer) (2002)
- Respond, Volume II (Guitar) (2002)
- Live at Manny's Car Wash - Rhett Tyler (Guitar) (2001)
- Rare & Well Done: The Greatest and the Most Obscure Recordings – Al Kooper (2001)
- No Small Wonder – Liz Quelar (Electric Guitar) (2001)
- Fire It Up – Bill Perry (2001) (Vivino co-produced and guested on instruments)
- Do What, Now? (1997) [9]
- Chitlins Parmigiana - The Vivino Brothers (Guitar/Composer) (1992)
- Laura: Live at the Bottom Line – Laura Nyro (Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals/Co-producer) (1989)
Filmography
Crew
- Messengers (2004) (music producer)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special (2003) (TV) (co-musical director) (music arranger) (musician: house band)
- The First Wives Club (1996) (orchestrator)
- Stuart Saves His Family (1995) (additional orchestrator)
- Boys on the Side (1995) (production music producer)
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) (assistant music supervisor)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) (TV series) (assistant musical director)
- Sister Act (1992) (music coordinator) (orchestrator: score)
- Legendary Ladies of Rock & Roll (1988) (TV) (musical director)
Composer
- 50 Years of NBC Late Night (2001)
Himself
- Conan
- The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special (2003)
- Comic Relief VIII (1998)
- Déjà View: The Cinemax Session With James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett
- Legendary Ladies of Rock and Roll
- The Uncle Floyd Show ("Uncle" Floyd Vivino is Jimmy's older brother)
- Team COCO
See also
References
- Jazz Times, pg 105
- Bogdanov, Vladimir, ed. All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues, p. 572. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2003. ISBN 9780879307363. Accessed August 11, 2019. "Jimmy Vivino b. Jan. 10, 1955, Paterson, NJ"
- Jimmy Vivino: Biography Archived 2007-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed February 28, 2011.
- Billboard Jul 3, 1999, pg 7
- The Palm Beach Post - Feb 24, 1984
- The sound of Broadway music: a book of orchestrators and orchestrations by Steven Suskin, pg 595
- The New York Times: Sounds Around Town: On New Year's Eve by JON PARELES Published: December 31, 1993
- Larry Getlen (December 29, 2013). "The Fab Faux is the ultimate tribute band". New York Post. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
- Do What, Now? at AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
External links
- jimmyvivino.com
- The Max Weinberg 7 - bio on NBC.com
- Jimmy Vivino at IMDb
- discography at jimmyvivino.com
- {http://www.vivinomusic.com/#}
- Radio interview
- Jimmy Vivino Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2014)