For ten + years, when mentioning pop piano players, the only names present were Elton John and Billy Joel. As many readers know, in the late 1980's, Bruce Hornsby added his name to that list. An upcoming PBS Special, "In The Spotlight", shines the light on this talented performer.
Fresh on the release of his recent Hot House album, this special splits time between Hornsby's "solo" (with his traditional backing band) performances and surprise guests adding their talents.
One of the first guests on the show was Gregory Hines, who tap danced his way through part of "Talk of the Town". Hines was the only non-musical guest; Don Henley came out to sing the song he and Hornsby co-wrote, "The End of the Innocence", with Bruce taking over the lead vocals on the final verse of the smash.
Hornsby's duet with Bob Weir on "Jack Straw", which previously appeared on the Deadicated tribute album, stirred up the Grateful Dead fans in the front row. This performance makes one wonder - if the remaining members of the Dead decide to perform live (for a benefit concert), would they ask Bruce Hornsby to sit in and take some of Jerry Garcia's vocals? Hornsby already has played with the band for 1 1/2 years during one of their tours, and "Spider Fingers" (which also appears on this show) was the nickname bestowed upon him from the band.
The exclusion of "The Way It Is", Hornsby's #1 song which first brought him national acclaim, is probably for the better; this evening was focused on free-form jazz and expressing the different avenues and vehicles which Hornsby's music can utilize - whether through his co-writing partners or just the fellow musicians whom he respects and who respect him.
Although most live shows lose a great deal of the power and impact when broadcast via television, Hornsby's remains strong and intimate. Taped at a special October filming in New York City, this is one showing that viewers will want to mark on their calendars.
This concert will be broadcast throughout most of the country in 1996. However, it will be appearing sometime in December on PBS' "In The Spotlight" music series in New York, Washington (DC), Orlando, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Grand Rapids and Portland, Oregon. In addition, parts of the concert will be shown on VH1's "Duets" series. Bruce is currently finishing up his European tour and will return to the States in early 1996 for more of his Hot House tour.
TRACK LISTING: Spider Fingers; Talk of the Town (with Gregory Hines); The End of the Innocence (with Don Henley); Walk In The Sun (with David Hollister & Levi Little of Blackstreet); White Wheeled Limousine (with Pat Metheny); Mandolin Rain; Jack Straw (with Bob Weir); Rainbow's Cadillac (with Bonnie Raitt); The Valley Road; Fields of Gray; Cruise Control
