The Saturday Night Live Band is the house band of Saturday Night Live.
Role on Saturday Night Live[]
The band consists of mostly jazz, R&B, and some rock musicians and features a strong horn section. They normally play the opening theme music (after the cold opening), musical pieces in between commercial breaks, and the closing theme music "Closing Theme (Waltz in A)," written by founding member Howard Shore. Often, the band will provide the music to a sketch when necessary.
They're so important to the show, that they were credited every SNL Opening montage from 1986 until 2003.
Band Leaders and Music Directors[]
Musician and future Academy Award winning film composer Howard Shore was the original musical director and bandleader from 1975 until 1980. Singer and songwriter Kenny Vance (who appeared previously as a musical guest on the May 21, 1977 episode) became the musical director for the show's sixth season (1980–81). Original band member and trombonist Tom Malone took over leadership duties under executive producer Dick Ebersol's tenure from 1981 to 1985; the band became a sextet in 1983, and would remain that way until Malone and most of the band left. Hall & Oates guitarist G.E. Smith came on board as the new musical director once original producer Lorne Michaels returned and stayed in that position until 1995 when lead saxophonist Lenny Pickett was promoted as bandleader. Katreese Barnes also served as the music director for a time, around the year 2000.[3][4] Keyboardist Leon Pendarvis (who has been a member of the band since 1980) is also 2nd musical director alongside Pickett. Pickett is the show's longest serving musical director.
Members[]
- Lenny Pickett: Tenor saxophone, co-musical director (1985-present)
- Leroy Pendarvis: Keyboards, co-musical director (1980-present)
- Eli Brueggemann: Co-musical director (2011-present)
- Alex Foster: Alto saxophone (1985-1990; 1995-present)
- Steve Turre: Trombone (1985-present)
- Christine Ohlman: Vocalist (1991-present)
- Shawn Pelton: Drummer (1992-present)
- Valerie Naranjo: Percussionist (1995-present)
- James Genus: Bass Guitar (2000-present)
- Ron Blake: Baritone Saxophone/flute (2005-present)
- Tuffus Zimbabwe: Keyboards (2010-present)
- Maddie Rice: Electric guitar (2020-present)
- Summer Camargo: Trumpet (2022-present)
Musical directors[]
- Howard Shore (1975-1980)
- Kenny Vance (1980-81)
- Tom Malone (1981-1985)
- G. E. Smith (1985-1995)
- Lenny Pickett (1995-present)
Notable former members[]
- Howard Shore: Original musical director (1975-1980)
- Howard Johnson: Bass saxophone/tuba (1975-80; died in 2021)
- Paul Shaffer: Keyboards (1975-80); Later in David Letterman's CBS Orchestra
- Cheryl Hardwick: Musical director (1975-1980; 1985-2000)
- Lou Marini: Tenor saxophone (1975-1983)
- Alan Rubin: trumpet (1975-1983)
- Tom Malone: Trombone/trumpet (1975-1985); Musical director in the early 1980s (1981-85); later in David Letterman's CBS Orchestra
- Lew del Gatto: baritone saxophone (1975-1979; 1985-2005)
- Buddy Williams: drums (1978-1985)
- Georg Wadenius: electric guitar (1979-1985)
- Kenny Vance: Musical director, season 6 (1980-81)
- G.E. Smith: Musical director (1985-1995)
- Katreese Barnes: Assistant musical director (2000-2010)
- Steve Jordan: Drummer, member (1977-78). Appeared with The Blues Brothers, though not in the film. In Paul Shaffer's band for David Letterman's Late Night tenure. Longtime collaborator with Keith Richards after meeting him when he appeared on SNL.[1] Current drummer for The Rolling Stones
- Jared Scharff: Electric guitar (2007-2020)
- Earl Gardner: Trumpet (1985-2022)