BRUCE HORNSBY
''HOT HOUSE''
JULY 18 1995
59:12
**********
01 - Spider Fingers 06:45
02 - White Wheeled Limousine 05:28
03 - Walk In The Sun 04:58
04 - The Changes 05:49
05 - The Tango King 05:48
06 - Big Rumble 04:41
07 - Country Doctor 05:57
08 - The Longest Night 05:22
09 - Hot House Ball 04:41
10 - Swing Street 04:37
11 - Cruise Control 05:03
All Tracks By Bruce Hornsby
**********
Bruce Hornsby - piano, synthesizers, accordion, vocals
Jimmy Haslip - bass (tracks 2-5, 7-9)
J. V. Collier - bass (tracks 1, 6, 10)
John Molo - drums
Ornette Fogelberg - tambourine
J. T. Thomas - organ
Debbie Henry - backing vocals
John D'earth - trumpet
Bobby Read - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Additional personnel, by track:
White Wheeled Limousine
• Bela Fleck - banjo
• Debbie Henry - lead vocal
• Pat Metheny - guitar
Walk In The Sun
• David Hollister - background vocals
• Levi Little - background vocals
• Pat Metheny - guitar
• John Paris - programming
• Robert "Blue" Brookings - programming
The Changes
• Pat Metheny - guitar
Big Rumble
• Joe White - lead vocals
• Glenn Wilson - baritone saxophone
Country Doctor
• Randy Jacobs - melody guitar
• Chaka Khan - background vocals
• Pat Metheny - guitar solos
The Longest Night
• Randy Jacobs - rhythm guitar
• Pat Metheny - sitar
• Louis Price - background vocals
• John Paris - programming
• Robert "Blue" Brookings - programming
Swing Street
• David Hollister - background vocals
• Levi Little - background vocals
• Stephen Lipson - programming
Cruise Control
• Jerry Garcia - lead guitar
• David Hollister - background vocals
• Levi Little - background vocals
• Randy Jacobs - rhythm guitar
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Skyler Miller
From the opening notes of "Spider Fingers," Hot House declares itself a jazzy showcase for Bruce Hornsby's piano skills, continuing further down the path started on Harbor Lights. Leaned more heavily toward the instrumental side of things, the album works better as a whole than as a collection of individual songs. Still, "White Wheeled Limousine" and "Country Doctor" show off Hornsby's gift for story weaving, and "Walk in the Sun" and "The Longest Night" rank among his best tracks. But Hot House is mostly about the overall vibe of the music, with lyrics taking a backseat in many cases. And that's just fine since the always technically proficient Hornsby has surrounded himself with other talented musicians like Béla Fleck, Pat Metheny, and Jimmy Haslip. There's an upbeat, loose feel to even the darker-edged songs, making this his most optimistic release to date. While Hot House is less personal and contains fewer individually memorable tracks than Hornsby's previous albums, it's still a great listen.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
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 offshoot recordings and live shows.
The Way It Is
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.
Scenes from the Southside
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.
Harbor Lights
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 illustrated by 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), which put 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. Another live album, a double-disc set called Solo Concerts, appeared on Vanguard Records in August 2014.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
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''HOT HOUSE''
JULY 18 1995
59:12
**********
01 - Spider Fingers 06:45
02 - White Wheeled Limousine 05:28
03 - Walk In The Sun 04:58
04 - The Changes 05:49
05 - The Tango King 05:48
06 - Big Rumble 04:41
07 - Country Doctor 05:57
08 - The Longest Night 05:22
09 - Hot House Ball 04:41
10 - Swing Street 04:37
11 - Cruise Control 05:03
All Tracks By Bruce Hornsby
**********
Bruce Hornsby - piano, synthesizers, accordion, vocals
Jimmy Haslip - bass (tracks 2-5, 7-9)
J. V. Collier - bass (tracks 1, 6, 10)
John Molo - drums
Ornette Fogelberg - tambourine
J. T. Thomas - organ
Debbie Henry - backing vocals
John D'earth - trumpet
Bobby Read - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Additional personnel, by track:
White Wheeled Limousine
• Bela Fleck - banjo
• Debbie Henry - lead vocal
• Pat Metheny - guitar
Walk In The Sun
• David Hollister - background vocals
• Levi Little - background vocals
• Pat Metheny - guitar
• John Paris - programming
• Robert "Blue" Brookings - programming
The Changes
• Pat Metheny - guitar
Big Rumble
• Joe White - lead vocals
• Glenn Wilson - baritone saxophone
Country Doctor
• Randy Jacobs - melody guitar
• Chaka Khan - background vocals
• Pat Metheny - guitar solos
The Longest Night
• Randy Jacobs - rhythm guitar
• Pat Metheny - sitar
• Louis Price - background vocals
• John Paris - programming
• Robert "Blue" Brookings - programming
Swing Street
• David Hollister - background vocals
• Levi Little - background vocals
• Stephen Lipson - programming
Cruise Control
• Jerry Garcia - lead guitar
• David Hollister - background vocals
• Levi Little - background vocals
• Randy Jacobs - rhythm guitar
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Skyler Miller
From the opening notes of "Spider Fingers," Hot House declares itself a jazzy showcase for Bruce Hornsby's piano skills, continuing further down the path started on Harbor Lights. Leaned more heavily toward the instrumental side of things, the album works better as a whole than as a collection of individual songs. Still, "White Wheeled Limousine" and "Country Doctor" show off Hornsby's gift for story weaving, and "Walk in the Sun" and "The Longest Night" rank among his best tracks. But Hot House is mostly about the overall vibe of the music, with lyrics taking a backseat in many cases. And that's just fine since the always technically proficient Hornsby has surrounded himself with other talented musicians like Béla Fleck, Pat Metheny, and Jimmy Haslip. There's an upbeat, loose feel to even the darker-edged songs, making this his most optimistic release to date. While Hot House is less personal and contains fewer individually memorable tracks than Hornsby's previous albums, it's still a great listen.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
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 offshoot recordings and live shows.
The Way It Is
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.
Scenes from the Southside
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.
Harbor Lights
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 illustrated by 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), which put 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. Another live album, a double-disc set called Solo Concerts, appeared on Vanguard Records in August 2014.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
********************
