Another amazing musician coming to Singapore with LARRY CARLTON & STEVE LUKATHER is JEFF BABKO who is also the Musical Arranger, Composer & Keyboardist for THE JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW! Jeff performs on every show as part Kimmels house band Cleto & The Cletones and has done so ever since the show started in 2003! Check out this interview with Jeff Babko on the set of The Jimmy Kimmel Show and read his impressive musical bio below. If your a musician or ever aspire to be one dont miss this special night of Jazz & Rock Fusion with LARRY CARLTON & STEVE LUKATHER along with Jeff Babko on keyboards, Travis Carlton on Bass and Totos Keith Carlock on Drums Live in Singapore on Jan 21st at UCC Hall. Get your tickets at Sistic today! JEFF BABKO’s varied musical interests have influenced his diverse endeavors over the course of his musical career. From fulfilling his duties as keyboardist, composer, and arranger on ABC-TV’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” since 2003, to his innovative original groups and supporting work for many recording and touring artists, as well as extensive work in television and film, Jeff has become one of Los Angeles’ busiest keyboardists. A native of Southern California, Jeff studied privately at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts while still in junior high school. Collecting all styles of used vinyl, Jeff developed a strong interest in pop/rock FM radio, as well as jazz, R&B and fusion music. After high school, Jeff trekked across the country to attend the University of Miami School of Music, and quickly became a busy freelance pianist in South Florida. He returned to Los Angeles just after graduating, along with his rock band “Treehouse”, who had just recorded their first CD. Shortly after arriving back in L.A., he formed “The Jeff Babko Group”, an original jazz quartet. At age 23, Babko formed a record label and self-released the group’s CD, “Misfits Of Silence”, to positive reviews, international distribution and jazz radio chart success. During this same period, Babko was asked to join the touring band of superstar Julio Iglesias, which led to three world tours, many television appearances, and the long-form video project, “Tango”. A series of recordings and tours would follow shortly thereafter, with drummer Simon Phillips (“Another Lifetime” and the live CD “Out Of The Blue”). This union led to a “straight ahead” jazz group with Phillips, with the CD “Vantage Point” and the hi-def DVD/CD “Resolutions” as well as their own co-led European tour. Phillips introduced Babko to Steve Lukather and David Paich from the L.A. supergroup Toto, who would invite him to be the first ever substitute for founder Paich in the keyboard chair in the group. Babko performed in 2000 on the “Livefields” world tour, and in a live Bulgarian television broadcast with the band. Guitar legend Lukather has remained close with Babko, and enlisted him to arrange and play on his demented Christmas offering, “Santamental”, which featured performances from Slash, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Edgar Winter. Later Babko played on Lukather’s “Ever Changing Times”, and contributed the song “Too Many Zeros” to that record. Tours and recording would follow, with Men at Work’s Colin Hay (CD’s “Company of Strangers”, “Man at Work”, “Gathering Mercury”), guitarist Robben Ford (CD “Truth”) and alt-country renegade Shelby Lynne (“She Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool”). Locally, Babko joined film composer/trumpeter Mark Isham’s band, and continues to play locally with Isham. Additionally, Babko was invited to record and tour with one of his heroes, session guitar legend Larry Carlton. Babko’s contributions are on the “FireWire” CD, as well as “The Jazz King”, which took an all star band with Babko to play for the royal family of Thailand. One of Carlton’s CD’s with Babko, “Greatest Hits Rerecorded, Vol. 1” was Grammy nominated, and another, “Take Your Pick” with L.C. and Tak Matsumoto was a Grammy winner. A collaboration with Carlton and Robben Ford resulted in “Live in Tokyo”. Babko’s work in television began in 1999 on the syndicated “MARTIN SHORT SHOW”, as a member of Peter Michael Escovedo’s house band. This program led to Babko’s being Martin Short’s musical director ever since. This show was followed by the syndicated “Wayne Brady Show”. Babko left that program for the brand new “Jimmy Kimmel Live” program and has been there ever since, where he and Cleto & The Cletones have backed up artists like Hall & Oates (twice), The Killers, Leann Rimes, George Benson (twice), The O’Jays, Ted Nugent, Jeffrey Osborne, the late legend Isaac Hayes, George Thorogoood, Yes’ Jon Anderson, Peter Frampton, Martha Reeves, Al Jarreau, the late Lou Rawls (twice), Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs and more. Babko also co-composed the YouTube sensation “I’m F**king Ben Affleck” for the show, and composes much of the music heard in comedy bits, commercial break music and guest walk-ons. A recent example of Jeff’s Kimmel contribution is his production/music composition on “Benchwarmers” featuring Usher. Film work in Los Angeles has also kept Babko busy. You’ve heard his work in the classic comedy The 40 Year Old Virgin, as well as Garden State, Super Bad, Up In The Air, Date Night, Made, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek and more. Another highlight for Babko’s career has been an ongoing relationship with James Taylor. He was first asked to cover for Larry Goldings on the “October Road” tour in 2003, and has continued to support Taylor on various tours since. He can be heard on Taylor’s “Covers” CD, on the single “It’s Growing”. He was featured on 2011’s James & Ben Taylor tour as well, and also performed at the WHITE HOUSE, at the Rose Garden for the Obamas at a German state dinner in 2011. Sheryl Crow and co-producer Doyle Bramhall III invited Babko to be a part of her very special record, “100 Miles To Memphis” in 2010, as well as the supporting tour. Sheryl Crow & The ThIeves filmed the resulting live DVD/Blu-Ray from the Pantages Theater, “Live at The Pantages” in late 2010, which was released in June 2011. Babko also arranged strings for Sheryl for her Tonight Show appearance in 2010. Recent recording projects include all keyboards on the #1 Mana CD “Drama Y Luz”, as well as trombone performance on Joe Cocker’s “Hard Knocks” CD. Babko continues to release solo album projects, including Broject (featuring Toss Panos) and Mondo Trio with Jeff Coffin and Vinnie Colaiuta, which Down Beat called one of the year’s best recordings. He also co-leads a progressive improvisatory band called “Shogun Warrior’ which, in 2010, released their first CD “Shogun Warrior Plays for Lovers”. He operates his own studio, TudorTones, where he records all keyboards and piano for records and television, film projects, as well as arranging and recording live strings and horns.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 01:29:16 +0000
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