- One of my favorite parts of this show
is getting to start each day covering incredible music.
It would never be possible without the amazing work
of everyone in my band.
Y'all, Jason, Jessi, Kyle, Jaco, Lester.
I've been working with this team for years
and every day they impress me more.
Seriously, I throw challenges all the time.
'Cause I don't know, mama likes change to it up some times,
and well, the key a lot. (laughs)
'Cause I'm different every day. (laughs)
So, every day.
So I asked Jason, our music director,
to take us behind the scenes to show you
how they pull off the magic.
Check it out.
I just wanted this footage to be real.
(people laugh)
- How fantastic you really are.
(people laughing) (instruments ringing)
- Hey, well this is the exciting day for us.
- What's up man?
What's up, what's up?
- We don't get to play a lot of music on the show
because we're doing a minute and a half of Kellyoke.
You know, all our little bumpers.
So this is when we get to play the most with the band.
- What's up? What's good?
Rehearsal.
- We've already arranged the song,
already worked out the key and the vocals with Jessi.
We have about a three, four hour window
to rehearse all six songs for the week.
All of our bumpers, all of our specialist things,
but this is our favorite part.
So, come on in.
(piano ringing)
- [Jaco] Jason, that is so ridiculous.
- Part of the job as a music director
is not to have all the talent,
but to find the best talent for the job.
- I'm Jaco Caraco, I play the guitar.
- I'm Kyle Whalum, I play the bass.
Lester Estelle, I play the drums,
(drums crashing)
- [Jason] Lester Estelle, our drummer.
We plucked him from the country world.
He has a hard rock band.
There's nothing he can't cover.
So he's my right hand guy in everything we do.
- I've been with Kelly eight years.
I met Jaco in 2015.
- [Jason] Jaco, he can cover it all.
Country, rock, RnB, throwback.
(guitar rings)
- Shoot! I'm one minute late.
(band laughs)
- That's how we know Jaco's in there.
(Jaco screams)
This whole vibe.
- And I met Kyle playing sessions in other gigs
off and on since 2012, but he finally came on
was it '17? - 2017
- [Jason] Kyle is an unbelievable bass player.
He can cover any style.
One of the most important members of our team
is Jessi Collins.
She's been singing with Kelly for about eight years now,
and she's a vocal director here on the show.
That beautiful voice you're hearing,
this is Jessi our vocal director,
- Hello
- What that really means is when I'm arranging
all the songs for Kelly, for the Kellyokes,
A, I rely on Jessi to help me pick out
the right key for Kelly, which is essential
to streamlining our process.
And then together we work on the vocal arrangements.
(Jessi screams)
She's an incredibly talented singer and part of our team.
- Whoo! You so good, Jessi.
I love Jessi Collins, y'all.
- [Jason] One of my favorite parts of the job
are the little things we do.
Little bits for games.
- This is Throw me a Line.
♪ Throw me a line ♪
- When we'll reveal a graphic for a segment.
You know, I grew up watching David Letterman in the eighties
and his band leader was Paul Shaffer,
the bald guy behind the B3 organ.
And now 30 years later,
I'm the bald guy behind the organ for Kelly.
He would sing these really, really corny little skits
that would always make me laugh, it'd make David laugh.
And so that's been my inspiration.
You know, some of these titles are just crazy.
- [Kelly] Waiting for whatever that is.
♪ A quiet case ♪
- Shhhh
- [Kelly] Oh, yes
- We know we've done something right
if we can get a laugh from Kelly or a guest on the couch.
- [Kelly] Very sexy, Jessi.
Nice. Nice.
- Kelly never knows when something's coming or not coming.
♪ Restaurant resurgence ♪
- Oh my God, I love you.
I look forward to these every time.
- I think they keep it that way to keep it fresh for her.
So she has no idea what we're gonna do.
♪ Drive interview ♪
- You just must have so much fun.
I bet there's wine involved.
These jingles are so amazing.
- We really try to make it, at least as funny as possible.
- Give it up for my band, y'all.
(audience cheering) (funky music plays)
Hey!
(band chattering)
(band laughing)
- The person that gets most excited is Jason.
He likes to play dress up.
Orchestra will be playing here.
I'll come back out.
And then Kyle is probably the most picky.
- Yeah, Kyle will be changing his clothes a lot.
He says this doesn't really quite feel right, you know.
- Oh, can I try something else on?
- This man rolls in with the same moccasins every day.
I got a certain style points I'm trying to hit.
- Are you saying I'm not popping?
- You popping your own way.
- Yeah.
- And I pop in my way.
(Lester laughs)
- Look at my stance, man.
- That's poppin'
- Popping in those pants.
- Between the five of us, you know,
80 to 90 years worth of music experience.
A lot of the credit I get for things
is just letting these guys do what they do.
(band music playing)
(drums crash)