Paul Shaffer andthe World's Most Dangerous Band | |
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| Also known as | Paul Shaffer andtheCBS Orchestra (1993–2015) |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1982 (1982)–2015, 2017 (2017)–present |
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| Past members | |
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led byPaul Shaffer. It wasDavid Letterman'shouse band for 33 years.
The band formed in 1982 to serve as house band forNBC'sLate Night with David Letterman. When Letterman moved toCBS and began hosting theLate Show with David Letterman in 1993, the band added ahorn section and second guitarist, renaming itself (due to anintellectual property dispute with NBC) theCBS Orchestra, a name that lasted until Letterman left theLate Show in 2015. After a two-year hiatus, in 2017, the band was revived by Shaffer using its original name and released an album titledPaul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band, followed by a tour.[1][2]
The band was initially unnamed, although in early 1982 it was occasionally jokingly referred to as "The World’s Most Dangerous Band" when closing the show, sometimes alternating it with "Paul Shaffer and the Orchestra," "Paul and the Organization," "Paul Shaffer and the Folks," "Paul Shaffer and the Melody Makers," or a combination: "Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Orchestra." These were all unofficial names, and were dropped by mid-1982; from 1982 to 1987, the group was simply referred to as "Paul Shaffer and the Band" (except for a very brief period in spring 1983 when the band was referred to for several episodes, again unofficially, as "Paul Shaffer and the Party Boys of Rock and Roll").
The 1985 video "You Kill Me" (aired on theDavid Letterman Holiday Film Festival special) is credited on-screen to "Paul Shaffer and the Band".
In the summer of 1987, the band began to be announced as "Paul Shaffer and the NBC Orchestra," both in on-air conversation and in the show's opening announcements. In on-air conversations between Letterman and Shaffer, Shaffer, when asked which band name he preferred, made it clear that his preference was for "The World’s Most Dangerous Band", feeling that the "NBC Orchestra" name rightly belonged to The Tonight Show band ofDoc Severinsen. Accordingly, with the broadcast of September 25, 1987, the band was officially announced as "Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band," and was always announced with that billing for the rest ofLate Night's run (through mid-1993).
The group was forced to rename itself when Letterman left NBC, and NBC claimed that the name "The World's Most Dangerous Band" was itsintellectual property. Around this time, the group released an album credited to "Paul Shaffer and the Party Boys of Rock 'n' Roll". The name "Paul Shaffer and The CBS Orchestra" dated from the start of the show on CBS in 1993. The band was not featured on CBS programming outside of theLate Show. According to theLate Show with David Letterman credits, the name "CBS Orchestra" is the property of CBS; CBS had not had an orchestra sinceThe Ed Sullivan Show (whose house band absorbed most of theAlfredo Antonini-led CBS Orchestra that had served as theCBS Radio Network's primary band during its existence) ended its run in 1971.
When the band reassembled after the end ofLate Show in 2016, it was able to reclaim its former name, "The World's Most Dangerous Band", as NBC had not used the name for several years and thus had abandoned any trademark claim over it.
Besides being the house band for theLate Show, the group has also been the house band for theRock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies since 1986 and continued in this role for the 2015, award ceremony, which was held April 18, 2015, but aired onHBO several days after the finale of theLate Show with David Letterman.[3] In 1999, the group was the back-up band for theConcert of the Century at theWhite House. In 2001, they also served as the backup band forThe Concert for New York City, where they performed withDavid Bowie,Mick Jagger andKeith Richards,Eric Clapton andBuddy Guy,Macy Gray andJames Taylor.
The orchestra disbanded after theLate Show ended on May 20, 2015.[4] Jazz musicianJon Batiste was announced by new hostStephen Colbert as the newLate Show's bandleader on June 4, 2015,[5] with his band,Stay Human, becoming the show's new house band.[6]
The World's Most Dangerous Band reassembled in 2016 in order to record a self-titled album, released on March 17, 2017, followed by a tour.[1]
The group performed as the house band for theGrammy Awards Premiere Ceremony in 2018.[7]
The group performed as the guest house band forThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on February 3, 2023, subbing forThe Roots, who traveled to Los Angeles for that weekend's Grammys.[8] This occurred two days after the 41st anniversary ofLate Night with David Letterman and marked the band's first full appearance on NBC sinceLate Night ended in 1993. Shaffer reappeared onThe Tonight Show on December 18, 2024, as a member ofLittle Steven and the Disciples of Soul, reviving Shaffer's tradition of backingDarlene Love on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."[9] They returned to theTonight Show for a week in February 2025 when The Roots took a week off to rehearse forSaturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special.[10]
The original membership of "The World's Most Dangerous Band" was assembled in early 1982 and consisted of Paul Shaffer (keyboards);Will Lee (bass);Hiram Bullock (guitar) andSteve Jordan (drums). Lee, Bullock and Jordan were all previously members of The 24th Street Band, a jazz/rock fusion ensemble that released three albums in the late 1970s. The fourth member of the 24th Street Band was keyboard player Clifford Carter. Shaffer was a regular attendee at their shows and had worked with Lee as a session musician. When it came time to create a band forLate Night, Shaffer simply recruited the three non-keyboard-playing members of the 24th Street Band, in essence hiring a ready-made supporting band for himself.
Bullock dropped out of the band around the end of 1983. Shaffer had met guitaristSid McGinnis in 1978; McGinnis became a permanent member of the group, replacing Bullock, in 1984. Jordan was the second to exit, in 1986, and was replaced byAnton Fig, who had been the backup drummer forKiss in the late 1970s. Shaffer and Fig had first played together at aJoan Armatrading recording session in March 1980. From the mid-1980s through 1993, saxophone playerDavid Sanborn was a frequent guest player, usually sitting in with the band on Thursday or Friday nights. Sanborn was originally intended to be a permanent band member.
During theinterregnum between the end ofLate Night on NBC and the beginning ofLate Show on CBS, being unable to use the name "The World's Most Dangerous Band" due to an intellectual property claim by NBC, the band released an album,The World's Most Dangerous Party, under the name "Paul Shaffer and the Party Boys of Rock 'n Roll".
When Letterman moved to CBS to host theLate Show in 1993, the band came along, renaming itself, with CBS's blessing, "Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra", and was greatly expanded.Felicia Collins was added as a second guitarist and eventually a vocalist (over the course of the show, she occasionally shared top billing with Shaffer, as "Paul Shaffer, Felicia Collins and the CBS Orchestra"); she had first performed with Lee in 1985 when they backed theThompson Twins atLive Aid inPhiladelphia. Two years later, she and Shaffer had first performed together at a benefit concert for homeless children, hosted byPaul Simon.[11] A contractstipulation with previous producerJohnny Carson prohibited the World's Most Dangerous Band from having a horn section, so as not to emulate theNBC Orchestra seen onThe Tonight Show. With Carson's retirement and the change of network, the stipulation was no longer in effect, and Shaffer was now free to add horns. Initially he did not do so, instead using a lead synthesizer operated byBernie Worrell; Worrell departed after two months, and a horn section was added. The band added trombonistTom Malone and saxophonist Bruce Kapler. Trumpeter Alan Chez was added in February 1997. Shaffer and trombonist Malone had first worked together in 1975, as original members of theSaturday Night Live Band; they had also helped organize the originalBlues Brothers in 1978.[11] Kapler and Chez occasionally sat in with the World's Most Dangerous Band starting in 1988.
Following Bruce Kapler's departure from the CBS Orchestra, saxophonistAaron Heick eventually became Kapler's permanent replacement. Heick was the most frequent substitute during the roughly seven-month transition period between permanent saxophonists. He can be heard alongside Will Lee on the 2008Terry Silverlight albumDiamond in the Riff. In addition, a frequent substitute for Anton Fig,Shawn Pelton (ofSaturday Night Live fame), had been the drummer on Heick's own 2009 debut album,Daylight and Darkness. Al Chez would leave the band in 2012 and be replaced by trumpeter Frank Greene, who likeTom Malone, is analumnus of the famedOne O'Clock Lab Band at theNorth Texas State University.
When Paul Shaffer was unavailable,Warren Zevon was usually the substitute bandleader prior to his death in 2003. On October 13, 2005,Booker T. Jones filled in for Shaffer, andAnton Fig wasbandleader.Jeff Kazee also filled in for Paul on occasion after Zevon's death. Michael Bearden infrequently substituted for Shaffer as a keyboardist, with drummer Fig taking on the role of bandleader. However, this was before Bearden was named the bandleader onGeorge Lopez's ill-fatedTBStalk show,Lopez Tonight. For the April 6, 2001, show, the band expanded to 50 players to become the CBS Giant Orchestra with 16 violins, 8 violas, 4 cellos, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, 4 saxophones, 2 harps, 1 keyboard and 1 percussionist.[12]
Phil Collins played drums with Steve Jordan in the band when he was a guest on the Letterman show on March 26, 1985.Eddie Van Halen also performed guitar for the band on a 1985 episode taped inLos Angeles.[13] DrummerShawn Pelton of theSaturday Night Live Band sits in on the drums whenAnton Fig is absent.
On the June 15, 2010, episode, bassistLarry Graham ofSly and The Family Stone andGraham Central Station was a guest of the band, playing bass and providing vocals. Graham also sat in on October 8, 2012. New York area bassistNeil Jason often fills in forWill Lee, most recently on August 21, 2012.
SaxophonistLou Marini made several guest appearances on the show during the '80s and '90s.[14]
David Sanborn on saxophone was an occasional guest member of the band during its NBC days. In February 2012, after longtime saxophonist Bruce Kapler departed the orchestra, a string of guest saxophonists (including Tom Timko of Will Lee'sBeatles tribute bandThe Fab Faux) substituted for him until one of the substitutes (Aaron Heick) was named the permanent replacement. During the week of August 13, 2012, trumpeterGreg Adams fromTower of Power sat in with the band.
The band has released three albums:[11]
Among the most famous songs of the band are also the covers of the classic songs "Louie Louie" and "Wang Dang Doodle" and the original theme song forLate Night with David Letterman.
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