(Lou Stein, Mort Lindsey and Johnny Guarnieri) led either a trio or quartet of musicians as the show's house band. José Melis, a friend of Jack Paar, took over as bandleader when Paar became the host later in 1957. Melis made The Tonight Show Band part of the show's comic ensemble, utilizing his improvisational comedy skills: in the "Telephone Game," he would write songs on the spot about four-digit telephone numbers given to him by audience members, while "Stump the Band" would have him improvise songs with titles given by audience members (these would usually be names of real, but obscure, novelty songs that Melis did not recognize). "Stump the Band" would remain a staple of Tonight and other late-night shows (including the Late Show) long after Melis's departure. Henderson returned in 1962 with a 16-piece band—which on occasion would be expanded with additional personnel such as string players (for backing such singers as Eydie Gorme) and extra percussionists—as Johnny Carson took over from Paar. Carson increased the band's budget, and many of the players were veterans of the prime-time Steve Allen Show band, such as Severinsen. Other notable members of the trumpet section included Clark Terry, Bernie Glow, Yank Lawson, and Jimmy Maxwell, along with saxophonists Hymie Shertzer, Walt Levinsky, and Al Klink. Saxophonist-arranger Tommy Newsom joined the band in the second year. Legendary swing era bassist Bob Haggart often anchored the rhythm section and Gene Bertoncini alternated on guitar with Bucky Pizzarelli. The drum chair tended to alternate between Bobby Rosengarden and Ed Shaughnessy, who along with Newsom, trumpeter Snooky Young, pianist Ross Tompkins and baritone sax player Don Ashworth moved to California with the program in 1972. After Rosengarden left the band to become the conductor on ABC's Dick Cavett Show, Grady Tate became a frequent presence in the drum chair. In 1966, Henderson (and Severinsen) left the show as the conductor from the original NBC late-night show from 1951, Broadway Open House, Milton Delugg came in for one year. In 1967 Severinsen returned, this time as conductor, and with basically the same personnel nonetheless inaugurated a somewhat more aggressive sound (using, for example, an electric bass, and a brassier version of the "Here's Johnny" theme). In Burbank, for Carson's last two decades as host, the Severinsen-led band included the core that had moved from New York along with such noted jazz players as saxophonists Ernie Watts,