Jimmy Vivino | |
|---|---|
 Vivino at the Beacon, December 2013. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Vivino |
| Also known as | Jimmy V |
| Born | January 10, 1955 Paterson, New Jersey, United States |
| Origin | Burbank, California |
| Genres | Rock and roll, jazz, R&B |
| Occupations | Musician, producer, Music director, Bandleader |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards, trumpet |
| Website | jimmyvivino.com |
Jimmy Vivino (born January 10, 1955) is an American guitarist, keyboard player, singer, producer,[1] and music director. He is best known as having been 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, including 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.
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 served as the music director on the TBS late-night program Conan. Vivino was 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 until 2018, lead Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band on Conan.
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, Vivino got his start producing, playing, and arranging for such artists as Phoebe Snow, Laura Nyro, John Sebastian, and Donald Fagen.
