It is always nice to see friends being successful, especially doing what they love. A friend of mine from high school, Kirk Douglas "Captain Kirk" plays guitar for The Roots. Now, this amazing band has a new gig: house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The following article was in yesterday's Newsday (Long Island's newsrag), but ironically did not point out the Long Island connection to the band. I guess Glen Gamboa did not do his research!
The Roots hope to flower on Jimmy Fallon's show
March 1, 2009
'Late Night' finds its musical Roots
As the house band for "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," which debuts on NBC tomorrow night, The Roots are getting used to a lot of changes.
The biggest difference between being hip-hop's premiere band and the newest entry in the late-night sweepstakes? "Rehearsing," says Roots' drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. "We've never prepped so much for any project for anything we've ever done - including our actual show. At the end of the day, this will probably make us an even better machine once we return to the stage."
"More efficient," says Roots' vocalist and rapper Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, adding that the group is ready to be part of the show, even getting involved in its skits and working on what could be recurring routines. The Roots will also regularly back many of the show's musical guests, starting with Ludacris this week, as well as provide all the music between segments and commercial breaks.
But some things won't change. The band is making the 90-minute commute from Philadelphia to Rockefeller Center every day on its tour bus. And it's already started recording the next Roots album, as well as booked concerts for six weeks when the show will be on break.
"This isn't the end of a sentence," Thompson says. "It's just another step. ... This will show that there is absolutely no challenge or obstacle we can't master. It's just part of the ongoing, linear voyage of The Roots."
-Glenn Gamboa
www.newsday.com
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