Drummer Robin DiMaggio will assume the role of musical director on Arsenio Hall’s new talk show that will debut in September.
DiMaggio, who has toured and recorded with artists such as Paul Simon, David Bowie and Diana Ross, will lead a band featuring guitarist Rob “Fonksta” Bacon, bassist Alex Al and the keyboardist-singers Sean Holt, who also plays saxophone, and Victoria Theodore.
“I’ve got an incredible band and they’ll help me, too, (with booking),” Hall told Billboard. During Hall’s talk-show run in the late 1980s and ‘90s, “I ran into Phil Collins and say, ‘Come on and sing ‘In the Air Tonight’ and he says ‘if I can use your band, I’ll do it this week.’ It is very crucial that my band is good.
“If (an artist is asking) can I use your band, he has to have seen your show and know your band is fire. I’m narcissistic if I brag about me or the show, but I know this band is great. I am so glad these guys agreed to come off the road and do this.”
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Hall knew Bacon from his playing with TLC, Johnny Gill and Chaka Khan; he called Stevie Wonder to say he wanted to hire his bandmate Theodore; and Al, Hall says, is “one of my favorite bass players.”
Like the band that played on his previous show – and included pianist Michael Wolff and the bassist John B. Williams — this one will also be called the Posse.
“The Arsenio Hall Show” will debut Sept. 9.