Faces to Watch in ’95 : We’re Counting on Them : JAZZ

Some of them you know. Some you don’t. But the following artists, entertainers and executives have one thing in common: We’re counting on each to mae a significant impact or difference in their respective fields this year. Sure, there will be thers who make a splash, but after we talked with dozens of people who work in entertainment and the arts, these were the names mentioned most often. You might say that Jim Carrey was a face to watch in ‘94, and you would be right. But, based on “Ace Ventura,” “The Mask,” and “Dumb and Dumber,” Carrey’s ’95 should bear watching. Another pair of familiar faces--Jay Leno and David Letterman--appear on our list. Why? Haven’t we looked at these guys enough? Well, truth be told, how do you know what’s going to happen to them this year? Fame can be sooooo fleeting.

Kevin Eubanks

Guitarist Kevin Eubanks, 37, joins this group of potential-impact artists less for what he is than for what he may become. Eubanks has always been an unusually provocative jazz artist, willing and even eager to stretch his musical envelope. But he did so within the relatively confined environment of the jazz world. Now, however, Eubanks is poised to receive far wider public visibility as interim music director on “The Tonight Show,” while Branford Marsalis takes--at the very least--a hiatus.

The key question, of course, is how the interaction between Eubanks and Jay Leno will unfold. If it works well, if the ratings improve, expect Eubanks to become a fixture on the show. And, given the breadth his musical skills and interests--well beyond those of any other late-night bandleader--the position could be the liftoff Eubanks has needed to emerge as a major league player. Speculation, perhaps, but Eubanks--who also has an album coming out in February--is definitely a jazz player to watch closely in 1995.