In the uniquely gifted hands of Bruce Hornsby, the piano is the start and end point of countless, musical journeys. A musician’s musician, Bruce is an accomplished songwriter, bandleader and collaborator. His resume reads like a Who’s Who of musicians and bands. He is relaxed and focused onstage, and yes, he takes requests.
The Virginia native once had his sights set on basketball, a sport he is still passionate about, but he ruefully acknowledged that his high school era 11 points per game average probably wouldn’t pave the way to an NBA career. Fortunately for us, music was to be his calling.
Bruce’s adept touch and fantastic improvisational work can be heard on a wide range of his output – one that includes jazz, mainstream pop, bluegrass, rock, and classical. After exploding onto the scene in 1986 with the wild success of his first record with his band The Range, his trajectory has never gone anywhere but skyward. That record produced three, monster hits, including the title track “The Way It Is,” which, in turn, earned him his first Grammy. Whether as a solo artist, or with his bands The Range or The Noisemakers, his work – both musically and lyrically - is always provocative and multi-layered.
When he was brought on for 100 shows with the Grateful Dead, a whole new contingent of fans came to the Hornsby fold, and further stretched his playing into a looser, more improvisational style, suited for the Dead’s adventurous explorations. He’s enjoyed collaborating with diverse artists like jazz artists Christian McBride and Pat Metheny, as well as bluegrass giant Ricky Skaggs. He continues his work with various members of the Grateful Dead musical family, and has written for Broadway and film.
He certainly needs no introduction to Telluride audiences who know just how beautifully Bruce Hornsby’s music echoes off the canyon walls and into their souls. Welcome back, Bruce!
