BRUCE HORNSBY
''SOLO CONCERTS, DISC ONE''
AUGUST 25 2014
91:55
DISC ONE
1 Entrance 0:32
2 Song 3 (Hymn in Eb)
Bruce Hornsby 1:59
3 Preacher in the Ring, Pt. 1/Variation II (Webern)/Cantéares (Carter) Excerpt
Elliot Carter / Bruce Hornsby / Anton von Webern 7:10
4 Life in the Psychotropics
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 3:37
5 Piano Concerto (Schoenberg) Excerpt
Arnold Schoenberg 1:23
6 Might as Well Be Me
Bruce Hornsby / Robert Hunter 6:13
7 Continents Drift
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 6:21
8 The Valley Road
Bruce Hornsby / John Hornsby 5:47
9 Caténaires (Carter)
Elliot Carter 4:05
10 Where No One's Mad
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 3:38
11 Where's the Bat
Bruce Hornsby 3:37
DISC TWO
1 Sticks and Stones
Bruce Hornsby 3:58
2 Invisible
Bruce Hornsby 4:08
3 Gavotte (Schoenberg) & Variations
Arnold Schoenberg 3:25
4 Paperboy
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 3:04
5 20/20 Vision/Night on the Town
Joe Allison / Milton Estes / Bruce Hornsby / John Hornsby 10:43
6 Arc de Terre
Bruce Hornsby 1:48
7 La Grive Musicienne (Messiaen) Excerpt/Camp Meeting
Bruce Hornsby / Olivier Messiaen 4:49
8 Mandolin Rain
Bruce Hornsby / John Hornsby 7:00
9 Etude #5 (Ligeti)
György Ligeti 3:50
10 Here We Are Again
Bruce Hornsby 4:48
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Bruce Hornsby long ago left behind the heartland rock that made his name in the mid-'80s, choosing to explore many long, winding roads over the course of the next 25 years. The Solo Concerts, a 2014 double-disc compendium of highlights from an American tour that ran throughout the course of 2012 and 2013, illustrates just where his journeys took him. Hornsby doesn't ignore songs that brought him fame -- there's no "The Way It Is" but "Mandolin Rain" is given a prominent spot -- but he weighs them equally with jazz, contemporary classical pieces, boogie woogie, and excerpts from his own film work. Far from seeming like a mess, the willful eclecticism of The Solo Concerts is an asset, largely because Hornsby's execution encompasses all of these influences; a piece may be anchored in a certain style but he finds ways to expand, stretch, and invert the composition so the focus becomes his style, not the song. Similarly, he's elastic as a vocalist -- he gives "The Valley Road" a welcome elongated reading that stands in direct contrast to the 1988 hit original -- and that only underscores how Hornsby has settled into his style. He's elaborate but never fussy, sophisticated without succumbing to pretension, and this, almost more than his live records with the Noise Makers, illustrates his full range and idiosyncratic appeal.
BIOGRAPHY
by William Ruhlmann
Possessed of a breezy, nonchalant style that belies his technical gifts, pianist Bruce Hornsby writes powerful songs from the heart that touch on several distinctly American traditions: pop, jazz, bluegrass, and '60s soul. He worked for a while as a studio player and songwriter, and had his first hit in 1986 with the stirring and philosophical "The Way It Is." After that, he continued to release albums that honored his own muse rather than the marketplace, and put together various backing bands to suit the mood and style of the genres he works in. Hornsby has also maintained a close musical relationship with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead, having toured as a temporary member in the early '90s and collaborated on off-shoot recordings and live shows.
Bruce Hornsby was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, and grew up in that combination college town and tourist center, later attending the University of Miami and the Berklee School of Music. He then spent years playing in bars and sending demo tapes to record companies. In 1980, he and his brother (and songwriting partner) John Hornsby moved to Los Angeles, where they spent three years writing for 20th Century Fox. There Bruce Hornsby met Huey Lewis, who would eventually produce him and record his material. Hornsby finally signed his band, the Range, to RCA in 1985. Their debut album, The Way It Is, was released in April 1986. It eventually produced three Top 20 hits, the biggest of which was the socially conscious "The Way It Is," which featured Hornsby's characteristically melodic right-hand piano runs. The album stayed in the charts for almost a year-and-a-half and sold two million copies. Hornsby & the Range won the Best New Artist Grammy Award for 1986.
Hornsby's second album, Scenes from the Southside, was not as successful as his debut, though it sold a million copies and produced the Top Ten single "The Valley Road." Hornsby also began to make his mark as a songwriter for others: Huey Lewis had a hit with his "Jacob's Ladder," as did Don Henley with "The End of the Innocence." Hornsby's third album, A Night on the Town (1990), found him trying to break out of his signature sound into other areas. It was less successful than its predecessors but, along with the pianist's extensive session work, it signaled his determination to tackle new musical challenges. Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman in the early '90s, notably doing temporary duty in the Grateful Dead after their keyboardist, Brent Mydland, died in July 1990, and producing a comeback album for Leon Russell, an idol of Hornsby's. He also became the father of twin sons.
He finally turned in his fourth album, Harbor Lights, for release in 1993. This solo album, which did not feature his backup band, the Range, went gold, and Hornsby toured the U.S. and Canada through the end of the year. He followed it with a similar effort, Hot House, in July 1995, returning three years later with the double album Spirit Trail. Here Come the Noise Makers was issued in fall 2000. Since that time, Hornsby has released a handful of albums including Big Swing Face in 2002, Halcyon Days in 2004, the jazz-oriented Camp Meeting in 2007, and Levitate in 2009. Hornsby's most impressive playing has arguably been in live settings, though, as the two-disc set Bride of the Noisemakers -- released in 2011 and featuring concert performances from Hornsby and his band the Noisemakers, recorded between 2007 and 2009, illustrates -- putting the band’s impressive ability to jam in styles ranging from rock to jazz and bluegrass on full display. A live set with Ricky Skaggs, Cluck Ol' Hen, appeared at the end of the summer in 2013.
OFFICIAL SITE
''SOLO CONCERTS, DISC ONE''
AUGUST 25 2014
91:55
DISC ONE
1 Entrance 0:32
2 Song 3 (Hymn in Eb)
Bruce Hornsby 1:59
3 Preacher in the Ring, Pt. 1/Variation II (Webern)/Cantéares (Carter) Excerpt
Elliot Carter / Bruce Hornsby / Anton von Webern 7:10
4 Life in the Psychotropics
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 3:37
5 Piano Concerto (Schoenberg) Excerpt
Arnold Schoenberg 1:23
6 Might as Well Be Me
Bruce Hornsby / Robert Hunter 6:13
7 Continents Drift
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 6:21
8 The Valley Road
Bruce Hornsby / John Hornsby 5:47
9 Caténaires (Carter)
Elliot Carter 4:05
10 Where No One's Mad
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 3:38
11 Where's the Bat
Bruce Hornsby 3:37
DISC TWO
1 Sticks and Stones
Bruce Hornsby 3:58
2 Invisible
Bruce Hornsby 4:08
3 Gavotte (Schoenberg) & Variations
Arnold Schoenberg 3:25
4 Paperboy
Chip Dematteo / Bruce Hornsby 3:04
5 20/20 Vision/Night on the Town
Joe Allison / Milton Estes / Bruce Hornsby / John Hornsby 10:43
6 Arc de Terre
Bruce Hornsby 1:48
7 La Grive Musicienne (Messiaen) Excerpt/Camp Meeting
Bruce Hornsby / Olivier Messiaen 4:49
8 Mandolin Rain
Bruce Hornsby / John Hornsby 7:00
9 Etude #5 (Ligeti)
György Ligeti 3:50
10 Here We Are Again
Bruce Hornsby 4:48
REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Bruce Hornsby long ago left behind the heartland rock that made his name in the mid-'80s, choosing to explore many long, winding roads over the course of the next 25 years. The Solo Concerts, a 2014 double-disc compendium of highlights from an American tour that ran throughout the course of 2012 and 2013, illustrates just where his journeys took him. Hornsby doesn't ignore songs that brought him fame -- there's no "The Way It Is" but "Mandolin Rain" is given a prominent spot -- but he weighs them equally with jazz, contemporary classical pieces, boogie woogie, and excerpts from his own film work. Far from seeming like a mess, the willful eclecticism of The Solo Concerts is an asset, largely because Hornsby's execution encompasses all of these influences; a piece may be anchored in a certain style but he finds ways to expand, stretch, and invert the composition so the focus becomes his style, not the song. Similarly, he's elastic as a vocalist -- he gives "The Valley Road" a welcome elongated reading that stands in direct contrast to the 1988 hit original -- and that only underscores how Hornsby has settled into his style. He's elaborate but never fussy, sophisticated without succumbing to pretension, and this, almost more than his live records with the Noise Makers, illustrates his full range and idiosyncratic appeal.
BIOGRAPHY
by William Ruhlmann
Possessed of a breezy, nonchalant style that belies his technical gifts, pianist Bruce Hornsby writes powerful songs from the heart that touch on several distinctly American traditions: pop, jazz, bluegrass, and '60s soul. He worked for a while as a studio player and songwriter, and had his first hit in 1986 with the stirring and philosophical "The Way It Is." After that, he continued to release albums that honored his own muse rather than the marketplace, and put together various backing bands to suit the mood and style of the genres he works in. Hornsby has also maintained a close musical relationship with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead, having toured as a temporary member in the early '90s and collaborated on off-shoot recordings and live shows.
Bruce Hornsby was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, and grew up in that combination college town and tourist center, later attending the University of Miami and the Berklee School of Music. He then spent years playing in bars and sending demo tapes to record companies. In 1980, he and his brother (and songwriting partner) John Hornsby moved to Los Angeles, where they spent three years writing for 20th Century Fox. There Bruce Hornsby met Huey Lewis, who would eventually produce him and record his material. Hornsby finally signed his band, the Range, to RCA in 1985. Their debut album, The Way It Is, was released in April 1986. It eventually produced three Top 20 hits, the biggest of which was the socially conscious "The Way It Is," which featured Hornsby's characteristically melodic right-hand piano runs. The album stayed in the charts for almost a year-and-a-half and sold two million copies. Hornsby & the Range won the Best New Artist Grammy Award for 1986.
Hornsby's second album, Scenes from the Southside, was not as successful as his debut, though it sold a million copies and produced the Top Ten single "The Valley Road." Hornsby also began to make his mark as a songwriter for others: Huey Lewis had a hit with his "Jacob's Ladder," as did Don Henley with "The End of the Innocence." Hornsby's third album, A Night on the Town (1990), found him trying to break out of his signature sound into other areas. It was less successful than its predecessors but, along with the pianist's extensive session work, it signaled his determination to tackle new musical challenges. Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman in the early '90s, notably doing temporary duty in the Grateful Dead after their keyboardist, Brent Mydland, died in July 1990, and producing a comeback album for Leon Russell, an idol of Hornsby's. He also became the father of twin sons.
He finally turned in his fourth album, Harbor Lights, for release in 1993. This solo album, which did not feature his backup band, the Range, went gold, and Hornsby toured the U.S. and Canada through the end of the year. He followed it with a similar effort, Hot House, in July 1995, returning three years later with the double album Spirit Trail. Here Come the Noise Makers was issued in fall 2000. Since that time, Hornsby has released a handful of albums including Big Swing Face in 2002, Halcyon Days in 2004, the jazz-oriented Camp Meeting in 2007, and Levitate in 2009. Hornsby's most impressive playing has arguably been in live settings, though, as the two-disc set Bride of the Noisemakers -- released in 2011 and featuring concert performances from Hornsby and his band the Noisemakers, recorded between 2007 and 2009, illustrates -- putting the band’s impressive ability to jam in styles ranging from rock to jazz and bluegrass on full display. A live set with Ricky Skaggs, Cluck Ol' Hen, appeared at the end of the summer in 2013.
OFFICIAL SITE
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