Character Actor
Mike Merritt
It was 13 years ago that Mike Merritt, the Philadelphia-born son of jazz bassist Jymie Merritt, got a call from guitarist Jimmy Vivino to join a band being put together by Bruce Springsteen’s stickman. The Max Weinberg Seven successfully auditioned for NBC’s new show, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and has been firmly in place ever since. (Tracy Wormworth has filled in on the handful of shows Mike has missed.) Mike invited us to episode No. 2,245 (with guests Adam Sandler, wrestler John Cena, and the Subways) to give us a feel for his four nights a week as a boob-tube bassist.
What is your bass concept on the show?
I look at it almost like being a character actor. During the course of a show, I can quote half a dozen bassists, from Paul McCartney and James Jamerson to Ron Carter and Dee Dee Ramone. I get to assume different grooves and attitudes—it’s a blast. The biggest challenge is trying to recreate all those bass sounds with one instrument, because there’s no time to switch. I just lock it down with Max, listen to the band, and go from there.
What is unique about playing in a TV band?
Unlike a live concert or a recording, where the music can flow and develop, we have to focus a lot of energy into a short amount of time. Going in or out of a commercial, or playing a walk-on, we need to deliver quickly and tightly—it’s instant on, instant off. Also, the music is not the main component of the show; it’s important, but we’re more like the connective tissue. Like any good musical situation, though, it’s different every night.
What has been biggest change over the years?
In general, it’s the way the show has been embraced, retaining the hip, young audience while gaining a mainstream one as well. Musically, it’s the direction of the band. The original concept was a smaller version of Doc Severinsen’s NBC Orchestra on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, with guys who can play jazz like in Doc’s band, but come out of the rock and R&B generation, so they can play blues, soul, rockabilly, British Invasion, and other genres. In the beginning we were known mostly for jump swing, which was popular at the time, and it’s still part of our rotation. But as styles and tastes have changed, and the passing of time has made more music “classic,” we’ve become more rock-oriented; we’re playing Led Zeppelin, the Clash, and the Ramones.
Overview
“The board gets pre- and post-EQ signals from the DB 680, and the engineers blend both. I use only my right in-ear monitor, which has the three horns and a bit of bass.”
Merritt System
2:00 pm (Monday–Friday) Mike arrives at Late Night’s 6th-floor NBC studios in Rockefeller Center. He and his bandmates head to the “Practice Room,” which is cramped and crammed with gear. There, they are joined by Max Weinberg, fresh out of a production meeting, who will provide a list of the day’s cues, bumpers, any skit material, and all of the tunes to be played during the show’s five commercial breaks. Assistant musical director Jimmy Vivino writes the bulk of the rhythm and horn charts. They are compiled in a dozen massive binders, which hold an estimated 2,000-song repertoire. Mike reckons a 50/50 split between reading written bass lines and faking them from lead sheets.
3:00 pm Occasionally the Max Weinberg Seven backs up an artist. As such, the likes of James Brown, Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, and Isaac Hayes have joined the band in the Practice Room for rehearsals. If pre-recorded music is needed, the MW7 may hit the stage or control booth to lay down tracks. The musicians then retreat to the dressing room, affectionately dubbed “The Catbox,” where they change into standard band dress: suits and ties.
4:45 pm The audience is led into the studio and the pre-show soon begins, with comedian/ writer Brian McCann warming up the crowd.
5:10 pm McCann introduces the MW7; they walk across to the bandstand and launch into a rousing version of “The Horse” by Cliff Nobles. Everyone gets a brief solo.
5:15 pm McCann introduces Conan O’Brien, who chats with the studio audience for a few minutes. The MW7 plays him on and off with Elvis Presley’s version of “C.C. Rider.”
5:20 pm The MW7 plays a Sinatra-esque version of “Come Fly With Me.” This is followed by a jump blues entitled “Baby,” featuring Mark Penders’s lead vocal and a long trumpet note, held using circular breathing. The pre-show tunes are always the same.
5:30 pm The cue to go on air is given and Weinberg counts off the opening theme, which boasts Mike’s walking bass line in G.
6:30 pm The show concludes, with the closing theme. The audience files out and the band heads back to the Catbox to change clothes. By 7:00, Merritt is headed for the train to his suburban New Jersey home.
