Kye Palmer (Trumpet). Trumpet artist Kye Palmer is a native of Southern California and a graduate of Cal Poly, Pomona. Perhaps best known as a member of the house band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 2006 to 2009, he has also recorded with many jazz and pop artists. Grammy-winning recordings include John Beasley’s arrangement of “Donna Lee” from Monkestra Plays Beasley and Brian Setzer’s “Caravan” from The Brian Setzer Orchestra album Vavoom. Palmer also appears on Grammy- nominated recordings from Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Kurt Elling, and Bill Cunliffe. Movie soundtrack recordings include J. Edgar (featured soloist), The Secret Life of Pets, and Crazy, Rich Asians. In addition to recording, he loves the energy of live performance and can be seen in Southern California venues with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Bill Cunliffe’s Imaginacion, and many other artists. Being involved in music education continues to be a priority for Palmer, who is currently a lecturer at both Cal State University, Fullerton and Cal State University, Long Beach where he teaches applied trumpet and jazz ensemble.