Band Director a Long Way From Thunder Bay

So, just how did a Jewish kid like Paul Shaffer from decidedly un-hip Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, become one of the hippest cats in America?

As the lovable nebbish who is David Letterman’s band director on “Late Night” tells it, it was the drifting of radio airwaves across the border from the United States to Canada.

“There was nothing much going on for a kid at that time, except for a lot of cold, bad weather. When I discovered that I could tune into American radio stations after dark, this was the hippest thing to me. It sort of saved my life.”

Specifically, Shaffer, who has headed Letterman’s four-piece band for the eight years that “Late Night” has been on the air, said the music from stations in Chicago and Little Rock, Ark., were instrumental in his musical appreciation. After playing keyboards with local nightclub bands in Thunder Bay, Shaffer landed a job playing piano in the Broadway musical, “The Magic Show.”

Howard Shore, then musical director of “Saturday Night Live,” hired Shaffer to play in the show’s band. He also saw some acting time on “SNL,” doing an impersonation of music impresario Don Kirchner and acting as accompanist in Bill Murray’s lounge singer numbers.

Shaffer served as music director for “The Blues Brothers” band for their national tour and two albums. He has also recorded with artists as diverse as Diana Ross, Yoko Ono and Bonnie Tyler, as well as serving as co-writer of the Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men.” But it is clear that Shaffer’s largest share of fame has been derived as Letterman’s second banana, a role he clearly relishes. “I’m pretty realistic. It’s not a musical show. It’s not my show, where I could show off my band. We’ve all had a pretty gratifying experience.”

Indeed. Shaffer’s first solo album, “Coast to Coast,” a sort of tour of American popular musical styles, has done well, and the “Late Night” theme, which Shaffer included on the album reluctantly, has been nominated for a Grammy award.

David Letterman is profiled in today’s Calendar, F1.