The Max Weinberg 7

Infobox musical artist 2
Name=


Img_capt=The Max Weinberg 7 during an episode of "Late Night".
Background=group_or_band
Origin=New York, New York, USA
Instruments=
Genre=House band
Years_active=1993–present
Label=Hip-O Records
URL= [http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/about/bio_max_weinberg_seven.shtml Official site]
Current_members=Max Weinberg
Jimmy Vivino
Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg
Jerry Vivino
Mark Pender
Scott Healy
Mike Merritt

The Max Weinberg 7 is the house band for the television program "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". The band is led by drummer Max Weinberg and also features Jimmy Vivino on guitar, Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg on trombone, Scott Healy playing keyboard, Mike Merritt on bass guitar, Mark Pender playing trumpet and acoustic guitar, and Jimmy's younger brother Jerry Vivino playing a variety of woodwind instruments. The band also occasionally features James Wormworth filling in on drums when Weinberg is touring with Bruce Springsteen and Clark Gabel when LaBamba is away.

History

Weinberg was the drummer for Bruce Springsteen as a member of the E Street Band until its dissolution in 1989. Weinberg returned to school, but soon desired to resume drumming. He auditioned to be the principal drummer for the Broadway show "Tommy", but was selected only as the second alternate substitute percussionist. That night, Weinberg had a chance sidewalk meeting outside Carnegie Deli with newly selected "Late Night" host Conan O'Brien, where Weinberg spoke about his ideas for music on the show. O'Brien agreed to give Weinberg an audition as bandleader for his forthcoming show. Weinberg quickly put together The Max Weinberg 7, recruiting musicians he had worked with during his career, and got the job.

Rosenberg and Pender had played with The Miami Horns, and had a long joint history with Weinberg from touring or recording together with Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Little Steven, Gary U.S. Bonds, and Darlene Love. In the early 1990s Weinberg and Pender were also in a band together called Killer Joe, which also featured Jimmy and Jerry Vivino. The Vivino brothers were experienced New York session musicians and had been members of various Broadway pit bands. They recruited the final two members of the band, Healy and Merritt, who had played together in various bands such as Jimmy Vivino & The Black Italians and The Vivino Brothers Band. Fill-in James Wormworth was also a member of those bands.

interludes for the regular skit "In the Year 2000". A noted incident of ridicule occurred in 2007 when the camera, which had unexpectedly cut to the band for a reaction shot, caught LaBamba consulting his sheet music with a somewhat puzzled look on his face. This caused Conan to draw attention to Rosenberg's goof, and to claim that LaBamba could not read music. While others, Scott Healy, Jerry and Jimmy Vivino brothers, and Mike Merritt are rarely used in sketches, Mike Merritt takes part in sketches where Conan talks about race, to which Mike's voice-over is used.

The show often features a performance by a musical guest (a band or a solo artist) at the end, and some or even all members of The Max Weinberg 7 perform as backup musicians for the guests when needed. Particularly the horn section adds extra flavor to many performances.

Weinberg has, in the past, taken long leaves of absence to tour with the E Street Band. During his absences, he has typically been replaced by James Wormworth, and the band is led by Jimmy Vivino ("Jimmy Vivino and The Max Weinberg 7").

The band plays a very wide and eclectic selection of music on the show. One of the bands that the group plays the most songs of is The Clash, playing songs such as "Police on my Back", "The Magnificent Seven", "Rock the Casbah", "Spanish Bombs" and "Train in Vain".

The band will often play a song to match a holiday or event ("My Funny Valentine" on Valentine's Day), or sometimes play a song that is the irrelevant to the event and causing O'Brien to question their choice of song ("Paint It Black" during Christmas).

Discography

Albums
*"The Max Weinberg 7" (2000 - Hip-O Records)

Members

*Max Weinberg - drums
*Jimmy Vivino - electric guitar
*Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg - trombone
*Jerry Vivino - saxophones, flute, clarinet
*Mark Pender - trumpet, acoustic guitar
*Scott Healy - keyboards
*Mike Merritt - bass guitar

External links

* [http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/about/bio_max_weinberg_seven.shtml The Max Weinberg 7 biographies] at NBC