LOS ANGELES – Paul Shaffer formed what soon became dubbed The World’s Most Dangerous Band back in 1982 and, for over three decades, they ruled the late night musical landscape. After a 24-year gap since their first album, “The World’s Most Dangerous Party” produced by Todd Rundgren, the eponymous PAUL SHAFFER & THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS BAND features appearances by an all-star pan-demographic lineup including guest vocalists Dion, Jenny Lewis, Bill Murray, Darius Rucker, Shaggy, and Valerie Simpson. Shaffer and bandmates Will Lee and Felicia Collins round out the lead vocal duties.
The new album, PAUL SHAFFER & THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS BAND, will be released by Sire Records on March 17 on CD. The collection will also be released digitally. The group will tour behind the album with a string of shows that begins on April 1 in New York.
Shaffer played keyboards in the “Saturday Night Live” house band during the show’s paradigm-shifting first five seasons (becoming a featured on-camera player as well, e.g. his iconic impression of rock impresario Don Kirshner) before forming what Letterman soon named The World’s Most Dangerous Band in 1982 when he became musical director and sidekick on “Late Night With David Letterman.” After more than a decade on NBC, Shaffer and the band departed for CBS for a new show (“Late Show With David Letterman.” Although the band changed their name to “The CBS Orchestra”, the core lineup remained the same, adding Felicia Collins on guitar as well as a horn section.
All in all, Shaffer and the group spent over three decades living up to the band’s original name as they played to millions of television viewers five nights a week. Now, for the first time in 25 years, Shaffer and the band have re-claimed the moniker of The World’s Most Dangerous Band, recorded their first album together in 24 years, and will be embarking on a North American tour in support of the new release.
SOURCE: Music Express
