In 1995, Marsalis left The Tonight Show, having become unhappy in the role: he disliked that he was supposed to always show enthusiasm, even for jokes he thought were unfunny. He was succeeded as bandleader by guitarist Kevin Eubanks. In a well-publicized interview soon after leaving, Marsalis said, "The job of musical director I found out later was just to kiss the ass of the host, and I ain't no ass kisser." He also complained that when he did not laugh or smile, some viewers' perception was, "Oh, he’s surly. He hates his boss." When the interviewer asked if Marsalis did hate Leno, Marsalis responded, "Oh, I despised him." He later stated that he did not hate Leno, and that this was a sarcastic response to what he considered "a ridiculous question".