I next "ran into" The Roots this past Feb. - this time in my capacity as the
arranger (
and also shaker player!) for the
billion-Youtube-viewed artist
Kygo, for our performance of his hit song
"Stole the Show" on
The Tonight Show (which I scored using "real" instruments - including the great
Tereasa Payne on actual pan flute vs. the more
electronic dance music textures of the original). Needless to say,
The Roots (watching me from across the stage from their regular
Tonight Show house band "perch") were surprised to see me there also playing shaker and I definitely got a few smiles from across the room :-).
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(l-r): Parson James, myself, Jimmy Fallon, Tereasa Payne, Kygo, Dennis Delgaudio, Mike Sorrentino (and Jim Robertson - not pictured)
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Finally (and perhaps most dramatically), I had the pleasure of rehearsing with
The Roots for an arrangement they planned in tribute for
David Bowie for the two concerts scheduled to take place in Bowie's honor at
Carnegie Hall and
Radio City Music Hall. The plan was for me to do my take on Bowie pianist
Mike Garson's notorious free-jazz-infused piano solo from Bowie's tune "
Aladdin Sane", and for us to then segue to The Root's take on "
Fame" - featuring guest vocalist
Kimbra, plus
Wendy Melvoin (whom I remember - more poignantly now than ever in light of the sad news of
Prince'
s recent passing - as a member of the duo "
Wendy and Lisa"). Unfortunately, the performance wasn't meant to be, when
Questlove made headlines after (I think quite reasonably)
pulling out:
Perhaps we'll have a chance to do the piece again down the line, but it was still an honor to see and work with them again (though I'm still itchin' to have a crack at that solo :-)!)