Singer/songwriter Marc Broussard is best known for his Louisiana-born brand of heartfelt music, best described as a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots.
In his career, he has released eight studio albums, one live album, three EPs, and has charted twice on Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks. Broussard is the son of acclaimed Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist and former member of The Boogie Kings, Ted Broussard, who has played on some of his songs.
Two immediately identifiable voices combine for an evening of classic hits as five-time Grammy winner Michael McDonald teams with Boz Scaggs in a showcase of songs that span the past 40 years. Friends and touring partners for years, McDonald and Scaggs share a palpable affinity for each other as they play their hits and share stories of their songs and life on the road.
Michael McDonald
As soon as you hear his voice, you know the song and exactly who’s singing. Michael McDonald has a voice that is both distinctive and soulful, immediately recognizable and beautifully commanded. His smooth style, along with his songwriting and keyboard skills, make McDonald a musical presence that has stood the test of time for more than four decades. From Doobie Brothers’ classics like “What A Fool Believes” to solo hits like “I Keep Forgettin’,” the five-time Grammy Award winning McDonald is a smooth and consummate crowd pleaser.
“(McDonald’s) instantly identifiable, soulful vocals have made him a pop culture icon…”
— Rolling Stone
Boz Scaggs
Born in Canton, Ohio, singer-songwriter William Royce Scaggs picked up his nickname Boz while living in Texas as a child. He has worked with childhood friend Steve Miller on The Steve Miller Band’s first two albums, “Children of the Future” and “Sailor,” but shortly thereafter Boz signed a record deal as a solo artist, and his second album, “Boz Scaggs,” was released in 1969. In the 70s and 80s, his hits “It’s Over,” “Lowdown,” “What Can I Say” and “Lido Shuffle,” quickly became classics. With a voice unlike any other, Boz Scaggs is a timeless classic.
Since the 1960s, Jackson Browne has combined artistry and advocacy. One of the most literate songwriters in popular music, Browne uses music to convey message that are deeply personal and political in nature. Browne’s many accolades include inductions to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
Accompanying Jackson on the road this summer are longtime band mates Val McCallum (guitar), Mauricio Lewak (Drums), Jeff Young (keyboards), Bob Glaub (bass), Alethea Mills (Vocals) and the acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz (guitar, lap steel, pedal steel).
“This is my ideal band, with some of my favorite players, whose combined gifts provide the musical foundation and emotional underpinnings of my new songs,” says Jackson. “The interplay between Val McCallum and Greg Leisz—the effortlessness of their chemistry is a gift really, that just dropped into my lap. I feel fortunate to have them out on the road for this tour.”
A mainstay in the arena of televised musical direction, Paul Shaffer has influenced the sound of a generation. From his early days orchestrating the band on Saturday Night Live to his more than 30 years as musical director for David Letterman, Shaffer has had a hand in the sounds and songs that peppered the landscape of late night television. Still behind the keyboard, he now spearheads The World’s Most Dangerous Band, the group of musicians who formed from the CBS Orchestra and from some of his many other professional endeavors. Solid and powerful, this group of accomplished musicians brings a gravitas to their shows that cannot be denied.
Paul Shaffer
From Saturday Night Live to The Late Show with David Letterman, Canadian-American singer, actor, voice actor, author, comedian and multi-instrumentalist Paul Shaffer remains as keyboardist and heart-beat of The World’s Most Dangerous Band, the select group of accomplished musicians and friends who once made up the CBS Orchestra from the David Letterman days. Shaffer, a Grammy Award winner, served as David Letterman’s musical director, bandleader and sidekick on the entire run of both Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) and Late Show with David Letterman (1993–2015), as well as serving as musical director in the early days of Saturday Night Live (1975). He occasionally teamed up with the Not Ready for Prime-Time Players off the show as well, working on Gilda Radner’s highly successful Broadway show and acting as the musical director for John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd during the recording and performing as The Blues Brothers.
While the membership of The World’s Most Dangerous Band has been fairly fluid over the years, its current configuration boasts Shaffer on keyboards, Anton Fig on drums, Felicia Collins on guitar, Sid McGinnis on guitar, Tom “Bones” Malone on trombone, trumpet, sax and piccolo, Will Lee on bass guitar, Aaron Heick on saxophone and Frank Greene on trumpet.
Valerie Simpson
Valerie Simpson is half of the songwriting/performing/producing entity formerly known as Ashford and Simpson. Their award-winning collaborations began four decades ago and she, along with her late husband Nick Ashford, have penned classic hits such as, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and many others.
