Younger brother of trombonist Robin Eubanks, guitarist Kevin Eubanks was born in Philadelphia on November 15, 1957. While in elementary school, Kevin learned violin, trumpet and piano at the Settlement School in his hometown. After high school he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In 1979 Kevin was hired by Jazz Messengers bandleader Art Blakley to play in his 11-piece “big band” for a European tour. The ensemble was unique in that it caried as members two sets of brothers: Branford and Wynton Marsalis and Robin and Kevin Eubanks. During the 1980s Kevin played with Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton and Sam Rivers. He released his first album as a leader in 1983. He has recorded fifteen more in the intervening forty years and appeared on more the 100 albums in total.

In 1995 Eubanks replaced Branford Marsalis as the bandleader on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and continued working with the comedian until 2010. During that time he kept an active performing and recording schedule working with artists such as Jean-Luc Ponty, Dianne Reeves, Dave Holland and Terri Lyn Carrington. Eubanks also has taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts, Rutgers University and at the Charlie Parker School in Italy, and has received an honorary doctorate from Berklee.

Here is a link to Kevin Eubanks playing at The Baked Potato in Los Angeles in 2007:

"LIVE AT THE BAKED POTATO"