Like his music, Bruce Hornsby’s life is an unpredictably improvised, yet wonderfully present tapestry of imagination.
July 8 | 8 p.m. | $45-$55
MontBleu Resort Casino | Stateline, Nev.
“I’m a restless creative soul and I’m bored quickly,” he says. “Playing a song the same way at all times is a bit of a prison for me, so I’m always looking for new musical moments that keep the music fresh.”
Though a guitar was never far from hand, Hornsby was more of a jock as a kid. He didn’t find the piano in earnest until age 17. His primary influences during that developmental period were some of the great American-roots music pioneers of the 1960s and 1970s such as Leon Russell, Elton John, Dr. John, Otis Spann, Professor Longhair and Chuck Leavell.
Watch Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers perform “Pretty Polly”
“I think I remember most everything from my time as a student in Miami,” says Hornsby. “It was such a seminal time for me, so important to my development as a musician. I’ve always tried to improvise in a theme-and-variations manner as taught to me by my piano teacher, Vince Maggio. This approach helps me to not repeat myself and not just play licks and clichés.”
Hornsby made his mark in 1987 winning the Best New Artist Grammy with The Range for “The Way It Is,” when he caught the world’s attention with his bright, engaging piano style and instantly relatable lyrics.
“I’ve always been interested in many different styles of music although I don’t necessarily enjoy one style over another. I’m always pushing into new territory, looking for new inspiration and learning new music.”
–Bruce Hornsby
Over the years, Hornsby has become well known as a guest musician on various projects throughout the music industry while always putting his personal touch on each collaboration.
“I’m a lifelong student always looking to improve what I do and push it to new areas and heights,” he says. “I’ve always been interested in many different styles of music although I don’t necessarily enjoy one style over another. I’m always pushing into new territory, looking for new inspiration and learning new music.”
Hornsby gained the loyalty of one passionate fan base when he took the stage with The Grateful Dead at Madison Square Garden on Sept. 15, 1990, just 50 days after beloved keyboardist Brent Mydland suddenly passed away.
“It was completely surreal when I came in off the street and started winging it with them with no rehearsal,” Hornsby says. “But I was able to gradually work up to that because I had sat in with them several times starting in 1988.”
Because the band has had such a profound influence on his life and career, Hornsby usually incorporates at least one or two Grateful Dead songs into his set lists.
“My time with the Grateful Dead was so rich and beautiful,” he says. “I love them as writers. To me, their songbook is one of the great ones in the history of American music. Their amazing body of songs and their approach to playing them made re-invention of those songs always possible. I always loved their loose approach and the whole ‘be kind’ philosophy that permeated their scene.”
Nowadays Hornsby continues to follow a busy schedule of touring and collaborations to mirror his ever-curious personality. His interests are currently focused on scoring films and plays; traditional American folk, blues, bluegrass and old time, and modern classical music. Although the last category is one he admits many of his devotees wish he wasn’t into, it has helped him with his musical writing and film composing.
He recently finished scoring a 10-episode Netflix remake of longtime collaborator Spike Lee’s first movie “She’s Gotta Have It.”
The piano virtuoso will be bringing to Lake Tahoe a band of old-hand musicians, The Noisemakers, whom he has attracted over the years with his loose, inventive mode of performance.
“They are very adept at moving from one style to another at the blink of an eye or wave of a hand. They watch me closely because they know I’m restless and often looking for something new to do within a song’s performance to keep it loose, fresh, free and improvisational every night.”
Looking back on his career 40 years in, Hornsby sees himself walking through the visions he shaped as a young man, continually following the unfolding path he finds himself wandering on.
“I’ve found myself in lots of unexpected places, mostly being allowed to paint myself into the mural that I was looking at when I was a young, aspiring musician,” he says. “My career probably has more resonance now than ever, but I’m mostly just interested in staying inspired and moving to new musical places.”
For more information or for tickets, visit montbleuresort.com.
