In transitioning over to “The Tonight Show” next February, Jimmy Fallon won’t be leaving his current house band The Roots in the dust.
“We”re not going to ‘The Tonight Show’; ‘The Tonight Show’ is coming to us,” said bandleader Questlove in a recent interview with Fuse.tv. “Basically, it”s going to be the same show. That”s a year from now; anything can happen. Right now, we”re just very concerned and just concentrating on still doing our thing at ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.’ We”re honored to receive the baton and pass down tradition.”
Since news of Fallon’s “Tonight Show” takeover broke, speculation had been circulating about the fate of the group, which has served as Fallon’s house band since his “Late Night” premiere back in 2009. But as Questlove noted, The Roots’ contributions to the series have far exceeded those of your average late-night house band, making them an integral part of the show’s appeal.
“I”d like to think we redefined the band”s role in a late-night TV format,” he said. “Not just a person to play you on and play you off, but doing a lot.”
As Questo points out, of course, a lot can change in a year – so until official word comes down from NBC, let’s just say things are looking good.
You can check out Fuse’s full interview with Questlove in the video below.