Jimmy Vivino

Jimmy Vivino (born January 10, 1955 in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American guitarist, keyboard player, singer, producer and music director. He is 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, and has served as bandleader for both shows when regular bandleader Max Weinberg goes on tour with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Vivino has also played with many rock bands, including being a member of Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux.

He is the younger brother of longtime New Jersey TV host Floyd Vivino, AKA Uncle Floyd, and Max Weinberg 7 bandmate Jerry Vivino.

Jimmy Vivino spent his early years in Point Pleasant, New Jersey with his parents Jerry and Emily and brothers Jerry Jr. and Floyd. At the age of five years old Jimmy took up the trumpet, which his father also played. Jimmy liked playing the trumpet and was very talented at it. By the age of 10, his family moved to Glen Rock, New Jersey. At age 13 he was forming bands and playing high school dances. At 15 he began to play the guitar. In 1970 Jimmy became fascinated with Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. This was time that Jimmy began to play keyboards.

In the mid to late 1970s, Jimmy was putting together his own bands and doing studio work. Around 1980 Jimmy expressed interest in moving to NYC. By then, Jimmy was in demand as a studio musician. In 1984 he directed an Off-Broadway show called "Leader of the Pack", where he met Paul Shaffer. Three months later the show got picked up by Broadway producers and lasted several months on Broadway.

In the late 1980's, Jimmy started playing with Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Dion and other artists. He and Paul Shaffer would play a few times a week at local NYC clubs. In 1992, Jimmy also began performing with Al Kooper and appears on several of Kooper's albums from that period, including Rekooperation and Soul Of A Man. Through Kooper, Vivino met John Sebastian, who recruited Jimmy to lead the house band for Sebastian's TV show, "DejaVu". Jimmy worked on Hollywood movies such as "Sister Act" (as musical director), "Sister Act 2", "The First Wives Club", "Heart & Soul", "Night In The City" and "George of the Jungle".

In 1993 Conan O'Brien asked Max Weinberg to audition for his new show Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Max went home and called Jimmy, and they quickly put the band together and got the job.

In 2009, O'Brien moved to the Tonight Show and relocated to Southern California, bringing Weinberg's band, including Jimmy, with him. Jimmy appears regularly at Los Angeles blues and jazz venues like Cozy's Bar & Grill and The Baked Potato, in addition to frequent (weekend) trips back to New York.

On the 24th June 2009, Jimmy played guitar with the band Wilco on their song 'You Never Know' on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Jimmy Vivino Bands

* Frankie and the G Strings

* The Vivino Brothers

* The J-Band

* The Black Italians

* the Jimmy Vivino Band

* Jimmy Vivino and the Rekooperators

* The Fab Faux

* Prisoners of 2nd Avenue

* The Levon Helm Band

Jimmy Vivino maintains a website at http://www.jimmyvivino.com/