Guitarist/songwriter Al Kooper, who has played with Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Who and the Rolling Stones, said in an interview with Citypages that drummer Max Weinberg is no longer with Conan O'Brien's band.

Rumors have swirled that Weinberg was being courted to join "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" after bandleader Kevin Eubanks announced his departure earlier this year.

Several of Kooper's bandmates are with Conan's touring band, and when Citypages asked if his bandmates went off with Conan and Max, he said Max was no longer with that band.

"They let him go. This is a big transition, and they're all signing new contracts and everything so they replaced him, as far as I know," he said

http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2010/04/al_kooper_talks.php?page=2

i thought it was Max's decision to move on, but hopefully not to join Leno - that just seems like it would be a betrayal

there are a million other jobs he could get besides working for Leno

...several members of what had been "The Max Weinberg 7" are performing with Conan on his current tour- but Max decided not to join them this time. And I believe it was his own choice. After all, he'd been with "Team Conan" for almost 17 years, and I think he decided it was time to pursue other projects and opportunities on his own (another Springsteen tour, perhaps?). He would never "quit" O'Brien- no, that doesn't sound like either of them to part on "bitter terms". And don't look for him fronting Leno's "TONIGHT SHOW" band, either.

:tv: