Bruce Hornsby

[mgraham333]

I have to say I am somewhat curious...

On August 7, Legacy Records will release Bruce Hornsby's debut jazz recording,

“Camp Meeting,” a potent and spirited collection of instrumental performances

steeped in improvisation with the pianist in the company of two of jazz's most

esteemed musicians, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Jack DeJohnette. In

addition to originals composed by Hornsby, the trio delivers newly

reharmonized versions of tunes by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk

and Bud Powell. Plus, Hornsby and co. debut a previously unrecorded Ornette

Coleman work titled “Questions and Answers” and render an early Keith Jarrett

composition from the '70s, “Death and theFlower.”

“I've spent my entire life combating closed-mindedness in music as well as the

lack of an adventurous spirit,” says Hornsby, a musical omnivore who cites a

variety of influences from Samuel Barber and Charles Ives to jazz pianists Keith

Jarrett and Bud Powell. “Just like all my music, this jazz album is coming from a

natural place in me.”

Hornsby calls his distinctive style a meld of jazz pianist “Bill Evans-meets-the

hymnbook. I've always loved Bill's harmonic conception that comes out of Ravel

and the French Impressionists, and I've been influenced by folk hymnal

harmonies and voice movement. A lot of my friends associate jazz with cocktail

music, but I've always sought to have my own sound and bring my own

harmonic aesthetic to the music.”

Fans familiar with Hornsby's career know that it was only a matter of time before

he would record a fully jazz album. He attended school at both Berklee College

of Music in Boston and at the University of Miami, where he earned a bachelors

degree in music. From his earliest pop-song hits like “The Way It Is” and “The

Valley Road,” he demonstrated a penchant for extended jazz-like piano solos.

And throughout his storied career, Hornsby has engaged in rich collaborations

with such jazz stars as guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonists Branford Marsalis

and Ornette Coleman, as well as filled the piano chair in rock's greatest improv

group, the Grateful Dead, in the early '90s.

After many years of contemplating a jazz album, the seed for “Camp Meeting”

was planted five years ago when Pat Metheny invited Hornsby to join him on the

Miles Davis composition “Solar” at a gig where the guitarist was performing

with the University of Virginia jazz orchestra band. “I played a piano intro and

afterward Pat said that I should make a jazz record,” says Hornsby. “He felt I

had developed my own way of playing the jazz repertoire. I wasn’t ready to

make the record at that time. Playing jazz is a lifetime study, and I knew that I

had to do some serious shedding before I could undertake this project.”

Fast-forward to the summer of 2005 when Hornsby caught one of his heroes,

Keith Jarrett, performing with his longtime trio of bassist Gary Peacock and

drummer Jack DeJohnette, at Carnegie Hall. “Backstage Jack asked me, 'When

are we going to do something?' at which point I told him that I had no excuse but

fear,” Hornsby says laughingly. “Jack told me that when I got over that to give

him a call.”

By November, after finding free time in all their busy schedules, both DeJohnette

and McBride were on board, and in April 2006, the three settled into Hornsby's

Virginia studio, rehearsed and then recorded “Camp Meeting.”

Hornsby admits that it was a daunting experience playing with such top-drawer

jazz artists: “It was stressful. In many ways I was out of my element playing with

these titans of jazz, but in the end I believe they felt we had recorded something

fresh and we all had fun. Jack and Christian both had a ball ‘blindfold testing’

people and asking them to guess who the pianist is.”

Hornsby adds, “I've come up with a standard line about how 'Camp Meeting'

came to be: Imagine that you took six years of French and became fluent in the

language, then didn't speak it for 30 years. Then you're hired to be the French

translator at the U.N. Imagine how hard and intimidating that would be. That's

how it was with me playing jazz. And that's why I spent a lot of time in the

woodshed, and still do. It’s a never-ending pursuit.”

##

Tour dates:

August 10: Calvin Theater, Northampton. Mass.

August 11: Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, R.I.

August 22: Jazz Fest, Los Angeles

August 23: Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco

[marcello]

I hope he paid Jack and Christian a lot of money.

[ejp626]

I can't believe he couldn't get Norah to sing on a track or two.

[Bluerein]

is this meant sarcastical? I happen to respect and like Bruce's pop work and look forward to this "jazz" record.

[David]

By the way, I was IN the UVa jazz band when Bruce was invited to on stage to play with us and Pat Metheny (it was a Jazz Ensemble concert featuring Pat Metheny). I don't remember Bruce's intro being all that memorable -- at least compared to Pat's playing, which was just mind-blowing. I can still hear his killer solo on Minuano despite our mediocre backing.

I do, however, very much enjoy Bruce's pop stuff, have seen and thoroughly enjoy him live, and will definitely be looking forward to this album.

[AllenLowe]

he's a helluva shortstop - good hitter too -

[Aggie87]

For anyone interested, Bruce has a free concert download available on his website at the moment.

Disk 1

1. Country Doctor

2. Resting Place

3. Walk in the Sun

4. Talk of the Town

5. Jacob's Ladder / Cartoons and Candy

6. Gonna Be Some Changes Made

Disk 2

1. End of the Innocence

2. Fortunate Son / Comfortably Numb

3. Circus on the Moon

4. Sunflower Cat

5. The Way It Is

6. Rainbows Cadillac

7. Big Rumble

8. Standing on the Moon / Halcyon Days

Looks like it may be a compilation of tracks versus an actual show, but still cool.

[Bright Moments]

For anyone interested, Bruce has a free concert download available on his website at the moment.

Disk 1

1. Country Doctor

2. Resting Place

3. Walk in the Sun

4. Talk of the Town

5. Jacob's Ladder / Cartoons and Candy

6. Gonna Be Some Changes Made

Disk 2

1. End of the Innocence

2. Fortunate Son / Comfortably Numb

3. Circus on the Moon

4. Sunflower Cat

5. The Way It Is

6. Rainbows Cadillac

7. Big Rumble

8. Standing on the Moon / Halcyon Days

Looks like it may be a compilation of tracks versus an actual show, but still cool.

way cool, thanks!!

[randissimo]

I got a copy of the Hornsby CD with Jack DeJohnette & Christian McBride and really like it.. It's a fresh piano trio sound that isn't trying to rehash all the cliches of other jazz trios.

[mr jazz]

He blew me away when I saw him last summer. Yes, there is noodling but also real talent. He comes off as very likeable and took written requests throughout his show. Excellent band as well.

[Bluerein]

Maybe it's a drummers kind of thing....I also like the cd very much.

[Kyo]

I haven't heard Camp Meeting yet (I will!), but thanks for recommending that live album download.

Good stuff! I hadn't heard anything past Hornsby's "The Range" albums before, this is quite interesting.

[CJ Shearn]

just downloaded. I also like the trio album as well.