Twenty-five years ago this week, five musicians from Louisville dressed in polyester red sports jackets and black slacks made their national debut performing snazzy upbeat lounge music in Studio 6A at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

Seated behind the anchor desk, then NBC "Late Night" host Conan O'Brien introduced the high school friends from Louisville's Seneca, Atherton and Brown schools to his television audience around the country.

"Our guest band tonight is the coolest band — ever — to come out of Louisville, Kentucky," O'Brien said on Jan. 6, 1994. "Let's all sit back now and enjoy the silky smooth sounds of Love Jones."

No doubt those silky notes first crooned to national audiences in the mid-90s will sound just as smooth this Thursday at 11:30 p.m. when Louisville's Love Jones returns to the very same New York City stage, this time at the request of NBC's "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon.

"He's been a fan since before his Saturday Night Live days," said Jonathon Palmer, vocalist for Love Jones, "I think he first heard us when we had moved to Los Angeles in 1992 and were playing clubs and he was in 'The Groundlings' improv troupe) out there."

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In the 1990s, Love Jones kitschy version of the 1950s and 60's lounge music became an important player in the "cocktail nation" genre. Think Dean Martin, tiki bars, martinis, and swank. Other bouncy swing and jumpin' blues bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,Combustible Edison and Squirrel Nut Zippers joined Love Jones as part of the scene.

The group's debut album, "Here's to the Losers," was released in 1993, followed by 1995's "Powerful Pain Relief" and 2010's "Forever."

Also during the 1990s, the members of Love Jones — Ben Daughtrey (vocals, percussion), Barry Thomas (bass), Chris Hawpe (vocals, guitar), Palmer (vocals) and Scott Lankford (drummer) — toured the country, opening for bands such as Afghan Whigs and The Presidents of the United States.

Although the guys eventually moved on to other careers in television, publishing, and marketing, their music lives on in the cult film classic "Swingers" starring Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. Love Jones fans were thrilled when the gang came back together in 2018 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album "Here's to the Losers."

"I am not into nostalgia and I had moved on from the band," said Daughtrey, "but some of the guys wanted to do a reunion at Headliners Music Hall for the 25th anniversary, then we ended up doing WFPK's Waterfront Wednesday and then this Jimmy Fallon thing pops up. It's like I am in some kind of crazy dream."

Palmer agreed. "Jimmy's wife saw we were performing together again on social media and asked us to do something for his birthday last September," Palmer said. "It's amazing that with all the things he's got going on in his head, he remembered our band from the 90s."

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Love Jones asked Fallon's wife for a list of 10 obscure bits of information about the comedian and then turned the list into a birthday song and presented him with a seven-inch vinyl recording.

Want to know some of those bits of Fallon trivia? Well so did we, but don't get too excited. Palmer said the song included "funny stuff" about Fallon's dog, his best friends from school and the fact that he detests mayonnaise.

This week, at Fallon's request, the Louisville band will join him on the "Tonight Show" set where they will perform "Here's to the Losers."

"We're going all out with 10 Louisville musicians performing, a horn section and Cheetah print tuxedos," said Daughtrey. "Its the big band sound I had in my mind 25 years ago — more like Earth Wind & Fire then just four dorks."

Fallon's production team is recreating the lounge-look of their original "Here's to the Losers" album cover for the 2019 Love Jones performance.

"It's really just unexpected and it's just lovely," said Palmer. "Things don't always work out when you are in a band so this is such a nice call back all these years later, especially lining up with the 25th anniversary of the album — people can appreciate what we did 25 years ago."

Also on Thursday's show, viewers can expect to see actor heavyweight Bryan Cranston and the beautiful actress/dancer Lana Condor.

"With all of these great things dropping in our laps, I feel like the world has flipped upside down," Daughtrey said. "Sometimes when you just stop trying it all comes together."

The Louisville band will continue their unexpected run of good fortune and play a concert Friday at New York City's "The Cutting Room."

Palmer says the room's cabaret vibe is the perfect setting for the reimaging of the swanky Love Jones sound and more than a few Louisville fans are making the trip to the Big Apple to catch their favorite band back in action.

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"We hadn't played together for seven years until our 25th anniversary last year and I believe we sound the best we ever have," said Palmer. "Coming back together is like putting on a really comfortable suit. Being together again to perform on [a late night show], well, that's pretty amazing."

Catch Louisville's Love Jones as they perform for their biggest fan, Jimmy Fallon Thursday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC's "Tonight Show."

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com or Twitter @kirbylouisville. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/kirbya.