Bruce Hornsby's Work Displays a Creative Iconoclasm That's Been a Constant in the Artist's Two-And-A-Half Decade Recording Career
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Bruce Hornsby's work displays a creative iconoclasm that's been a constant in the artist's two-and-a-half decade recording career. His commercial stock soared early on, when "The Way It Is"--the title track of Bruce Hornsby and the Range's 1986 debut album--became the most-played song on American radio in 1987, winning ASCAP's Song of the Year award. "The Way It Is" and subsequent hits as "Mandolin Rain" and "Every Little Kiss," established Hornsby as popular pop act, while high- profile work with the likes of Don Henley and Huey Lewis made him an in-demand collaborator. Despite his early mainstream successes, Hornsby has pursued a more personal, idiosyncratic musical path, focusing on projects that sparked his creative interest and musical progress. He's performed more than 100 concerts with the Grateful Dead as guest keyboardist. His work with the Dead encouraged him to incorporate improvisation into his own performances, while Hornsby's eclectic musical interests have led to venture into a wide array of musical styles. Recent successes include the bluegrass project Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby and the jazz album Camp Meeting. The diverse and prestigious list of Hornsby collaborators now includes Ornette Coleman, Bob Dylan, Bela Fleck, Charlie Haden, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Branford Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Robbie Robertson, Leon Russell, Chaka Khan, Wayne Shorter, Squeeze, Tupac Shakur and Sting. "I guess I'm a bit of a musical proselytizer," says Hornsby. "I'm always hoping to turn the audience on to more adventurous music and music that's below the mainstream radar. I know that that may seem too pretentious to the rock and pop world. But for me it's all just beautiful music, and people seem willing to come along with me on the journey." .