A late night with David Letterman
By Paula Woodhull/ pwoodhull@cnc.com Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Some might say
Daniel Banks, the 11-year-old drummer from Pembroke, will have a hard act to
follow when he performs on the Late Show with David Letterman Wednesday night.
After having been bumped from the show several
times, Daniel will finally get his chance in the limelight for the Jan. 12
show which airs on CBS at 11:30 p.m. Daniel is scheduled to follow none other
than tough talking, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.
"No, he's not nervous, he's very excited.
He's been waiting for this for a year," said his mom Christine, who has
been on the phone with Letterman's producers several times a day for the past
week. "It's absolutely definite," that Daniel will be on the show
Wednesday night, she said. "We're so proud of him."
On the Late Show's website for the week, Daniel
has top billing, right alongside Samuel Jackson and his idol, jazz great B.B.
King, both scheduled for Monday night's show.
Christine Banks said her son is "more than
ready" to step into the spotlight and go live for Wednesday night's gig.
Letterman is putting them up at a Manhattan hotel for two nights.
Daniel is accustomed to a bit of the show biz
and entertainment life, as his mother and father, Douglas, own the Fred
Astaire Dance Studio in Hanover.
For the past few years, Daniel had been
performing at greater Boston jazz and blues clubs, impressing huge talents in
the business who have seen him on the drums, such as B.B. King and his
daughter, Shirley. Daniel recorded a CD with Shirley King to promote music in
inner city schools.
Letterman's producers have chatted over the
phone with the sixth grader who attends Hobomock Elementary School, preparing
him for what to expect.
Christine Banks said Daniel is booked to play
the drums with Paul Shaeffer and the orchestra, and a solo. Altogether, Daniel
may get four to five minutes on national TV - "as far as airtime, that's
quite a lot," she said.
And what about Letterman's in your face
interview style, never mind Rudy Guiliani? "As far as whether he's ready
for David's witticism, I'm not so sure," joked Christine Banks. "He
thinks David's cool. He can't wait to meet the drummer, Anton Figg," who
plays with the Paul Shaeffer Orchestra.
Daniel and his parents will stay on in the Big
Apple for a few days to see some Broadway shows and visit blues and jazz
clubs, one of their favorite things to do.
Daniel first began talking to the producers of
the Letterman show almost a year ago. A friend and neighbor had sent in a demo
tape of Daniel playing the drums and the producers were impressed with his
young talent. "They liked him," said Daniel's mom.
Daniel has recently formed an under-18 band with
a group of other musicians, called the Moon Dance Blues Band. The band has
been performing locally.
