Bruce Hornsby

==Career==
In 1974, Hornsby's older brother Bobby, who attended the [[University of Virginia]], formed the band "Bobby Hi-Test and the Octane Kids" to play fraternity parties, featuring Bruce on [[Fender Rhodes]] and vocals.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://glidemagazine.com/237007/bruce-hornsby-at-65-revisiting-the-pianist-vocalists-greatest-covers-non-hit-classics/ | title=BRUCE HORNSBY AT 65- REVISITING THE PIANIST/VOCALIST'S GREATEST COVERS & NON-HIT CLASSICS | first=Dave | last=Goodwich | work=Glide | date=November 25, 2019}}</ref><ref name="bobbyhitest">{{cite web | title=Bobby High Test and the Octane Kids | url=https://www.realhornsby.com/octanekids.htm | publisher=RealHornsby.com}}</ref> The band, which is listed in ''Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads'', performed covers of [[Allman Brothers Band]], [[The Band]], and predominantly [[Grateful Dead]] songs.<ref name="bobbyhitest" />

Bobby Hornsby's son, Robert Saunier Hornsby, was a recurring guest-guitarist with Hornsby's band and periodically toured with his uncle until his death on January 15, 2009, in a car accident near [[Crozet, Virginia]] at age 28.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://dailyprogress.com/news/article_358233e6-9bed-5263-a217-c8b37b30c790.html | title=The music keeps playing after a Hornsby's death | first=Bryan | last=MacKenzie | work=[[The Daily Progress]] | date=January 24, 2009 | url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/robert-hornsby-obituary?pid=178185783 | title=Robert Saunier Hornsby Obituary | date=March 22, 2016 | publisher=[[Legacy.com]]}}</ref>

Following his graduation from the [[University of Miami]] in 1977, Hornsby returned to his hometown of Williamsburg, and played in local clubs and hotel bars. In 1980, he and his younger brother and songwriting partner [[John Hornsby]] moved to [[Los Angeles]], where they spent three years writing for [[20th Century Fox]].<ref name="allmusic-bio">{{cite web | last=Ruhlmann | first=William | title=Bruce Hornsby: Biography | url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4511/biography|pure_url=yes}} | publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> Before moving back to his native [[Hampton Roads]], he also spent time in Los Angeles as a [[session musician]]. In 1982, Hornsby joined the band [[Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia]] for their last album ''[[Road Island (album)|Road Island]]'' and can be seen in the band's video for the album's single "How Can You Love Me". After Ambrosia disbanded, he and bassist [[Joe Puerta]] performed as members of the touring band for [[Sheena Easton]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/504164/bruce-hornsby/ | last=Tortorici | first=Frank | title=Bruce Hornsby | publisher=MTV Networks | date=November 23, 1998}}</ref> In 1984, Hornsby appeared in the music video for Easton's single ''[[Strut (Sheena Easton song)|Strut]]''.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.stereogum.com/2038972/bruce-hornsby-spike-lee-grateful-dead-bon-iver-absolute-zero/interviews/weve-got-a-file-on-you/ | title=We've Got A File On You: Bruce Hornsby | first=Ryan | last=Leas | work=[[Stereogum]] | date=July 31, 2019}}</ref>

===The Range===
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Bruce Hornsby and the Range
| origin           = [[Los Angeles, California]]/[[Williamsburg, Virginia]], United States
| genre            = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[pop rock]], [[soft rock]]
| years_active     = 1984–1991
| label            = [[RCA Records]]
| past_members     = Bruce Hornsby<br />[[David Mansfield]]<br />George Marinelli<br />[[Joe Puerta]]<br />[[John Molo]]
}}

In 1984, Hornsby formed '''Bruce Hornsby and the Range''', who were signed to [[RCA Records]] in 1985. Besides Hornsby, Range members were [[David Mansfield]] ([[guitar]], [[mandolin]], [[violin]]), George Marinelli (guitars and [[backing vocalist|backing vocals]]), former [[Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia]] member [[Joe Puerta]] ([[bass guitar]] and backing vocals), and [[John Molo]] ([[drum kit|drums]]).

{{listen
|pos=left
| filename = TheWayItIs.ogg
| title = "The Way It Is" (1986)
| description = The song's discussion of the troubled economy and race relations resonated with the American public and it remains Hornsby's best known song.
| format = [[Ogg]]
}}

Hornsby's recording career started with the biggest hit he has had to date, "[[The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby and the Range song)|The Way It Is]]". It reached number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in December 1986.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bruce-hornsby/chart-history/hsi/ | title=The Way It Is | publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref><ref name=Grain>{{cite journal | last=Metzger | first=John | title=Against the Grain: An Interview with Bruce Hornsby | journal=The Music Box | url=http://www.musicbox-online.com/bh-int.html | volume=7 | issue=11 | date=November 2000}}</ref> The song described aspects of [[homelessness]], the [[American civil rights movement]] and [[institutional racism]].<ref name="songfacts-thewayitis">{{cite web | url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bruce-hornsby-the-range/the-way-it-is | publisher=[[Songfacts]] | title='The Way It Is' by Bruce Hornsby }}</ref> It has since been sampled by at least six [[rapping|rap]] artists, including [[Tupac Shakur]], [[E-40]], and [[Mase]].<ref name=Grain/>

With the success of the single, the album ''[[The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby album)|The Way It Is]]'' received the [[RIAA certification]] of multi-platinum.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.jambase.com/band/bruce-hornsby | title=Bruce Hornsby | publisher=[[JamBase]]}}</ref> It included "[[Mandolin Rain]]" (co-written, as many of Hornsby's early songs were, with his brother [[John Hornsby|John]]), another top-five hit.<ref name=Grain/> "[[Every Little Kiss]]" peaked at number 14 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in July 1987.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bruce-hornsby/chart-history/hsi/ | title=Every Little Kiss | publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref><ref name=Grain/> Other tracks on the album helped establish what some labeled the "Virginia sound", a mixture of [[rock music|rock]], [[jazz]], and [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]].<ref name="cathalenaeburch">{{cite news | last=Burch | first=Cathalena E. | title=Musician tells it 'the way it is' |work=[[Arizona Daily Star]] |url=https://tucson.com/entertainment/music/musician-tells-it-the-way-it-is/article_6fbb8753-1501-5ea9-a12a-189767ffd3cd.html | date=December 29, 2005 }}</ref> Bruce Hornsby and the Range won the [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist]] in 1987, beating out [[Glass Tiger]], [[Nu Shooz]], [[Simply Red]], and [[Timbuk3]].

Hornsby and the Range's sound was distinctive for its use of [[syncopation]] in Hornsby's piano solos, a bright piano sound and an extensive use of [[synthesizer]]s as background for Hornsby's solos. John Molo's drumbeats were often looped throughout the recorded versions of songs. They are typical double-time beats, which allowed Hornsby and the rest of the band to do more with their solos.

{{Sidebar timeline
| titlestyle = background: #f0e68c
| title = Bruce Hornsby Timeline

| color1 = #FF0000
| height1 = 8| years1 = 1984–1991
| members1 = Bruce Hornsby and the Range

| color2 = #A2D12E
| height2 = 3| years2 = 1990–1992
| members2 = Grateful Dead

| color3 = #60629F
| height3 = 3| years3 = 1993–1995
| members3 = Solo Albums: ''Harbor Lights'' & ''Hot House''

| color4 = #DCAA1F
| height4 = 3| years4 = 1996–1998
| members4 = Further Festivals & The Other Ones, Solo Album: ''Spirit Trail''

| color5 = #6497C3
| height5 = 10| years5 = 1998–present
| members5 = Bruce Hornsby and the Noise Makers

| color6 = #BD3838
| height6 = 1| years6 = 2007–present
| members6 = Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby

| color7 = #11306A
| height7 = 1| years7 = 2007–present
| members7 = The Bruce Hornsby Trio (with Christian McBride & Jack DeJohnette)
}}
Hornsby and the Range's second album, ''[[Scenes from the Southside]]'' (on which Peter Harris replaced Mansfield), was released in 1988.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-07-10-0050250211-story.html | title=HORNSBY KNOWS COUNTRY BY HEART | first=Agnes | last=Torres Al-Shibibi | work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] | date=July 10, 1988 | url-access=limited}}</ref> It included "Look Out Any Window" and "[[The Valley Road]]" which many critics noted for their "more spacious" musical arrangements, allowing for "more expressive" piano solos from Hornsby.<ref name=birthday/><ref name=southside>{{cite web | last=Iyengar | first=Vic | title=Scenes From the Southside: Overview | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r9511|pure_url=yes}} | publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> It also included "[[Jacob's Ladder (Huey Lewis and the News song)|Jacob's Ladder]]", which the Hornsby brothers wrote for musician friend [[Huey Lewis]]; Lewis's version became a number one hit from his album ''[[Fore!]]''.<ref name=leftfield>{{cite news | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-09-05-8603060424-story.html | title=BRUCE HORNSBY, HUEY LEWIS AND THE RECORDING CONTRACT THAT SNEAKED IN FROM LEFT FIELD | first=Tom | last=Popson | work=[[Chicago Tribune]] | date=September 5, 1986 | url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1987-01-18-0100210139-story.html | title=HORNSBY'S HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT IS | first=Thom | last=Duffy | work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] | date=January 18, 1987 | url-access=limited}}</ref> ''Scenes'' offered further slices of "Americana" and "small-town nostalgia",<ref name=southside/> but it was the band's last album to perform well in the singles market.<ref name=birthday/>

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman, producing a comeback album ''[[Anything Can Happen (Leon Russell album)|Anything Can Happen]]'' for [[Leon Russell]].<ref name="allmusic-bio" /> In 1987, Hornsby collaborated with Irish group [[Clannad]], playing and lending vocals to their single "[[Something to Believe In (Clannad song)|Something to Believe In]]". Hornsby also appears on the official music video release for the track. In 1989, Hornsby co-wrote and played piano on [[Don Henley]]'s hit "[[The End of the Innocence (song)|The End of the Innocence]]". In 1991, he played piano on [[Bonnie Raitt]]'s hit "[[I Can't Make You Love Me]]". He also appeared on albums by [[Bob Dylan]], [[Robbie Robertson]], [[Crosby Stills and Nash]], [[Stevie Nicks]] and [[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]].<ref name=birthday/>

He slowly began to introduce jazz and bluegrass elements into his music, first in live performance settings and later on studio work.<ref name=Grain/> In 1989, he first performed at the [[Telluride Bluegrass Festival]]. He also reworked his hit "The Valley Road" with the [[Nitty Gritty Dirt Band]] for their album ''[[Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two]]''. In February 1990, the song won Best Bluegrass Recording at the [[32nd Annual Grammy Awards]].

In May 1990, he released ''[[A Night on the Town (Bruce Hornsby album)|A Night on the Town]]'', on which he teamed up with jazz musicians [[Wayne Shorter]] (tenor saxophone) and [[Charlie Haden]] (double bass) as well as bluegrass pioneer [[Bela Fleck]] (banjo). A change in style became apparent as the album was much more rock and guitar driven, making use of [[Jerry Garcia]]'s guitar work on several tracks, including prominently on the single "[[Across the River (Bruce Hornsby song)|Across the River]]".<ref name="allmusic-anightonthetown">{{cite web | last=Newsom | first=Jim | title=A Night on the Town: Overview | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r9512|pure_url=yes}} | publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> In concert, Hornsby and the Range began to stretch out their songs, incorporating more and more "freewheeling musical exchanges".<ref name=Grain/> Critics praised the album for its production, its political relevance, and Hornsby's gestures toward expanding out of a strictly pop sound by incorporating jazz and bluegrass.<ref name="allmusic-anightonthetown" /> Ultimately, though, the core "rock band" sound of the Range limited Hornsby's aspirations, and after a final three-week tour in 1991, Hornsby disbanded the Range to enter a new phase of his career.<ref name=Grain/> Drummer [[John Molo]] continued to perform regularly with Hornsby for another few years, although other members pursued separate musical endeavors. Following Hornsby's and Molo's involvement with [[The Other Ones]], Molo left Hornsby to become the primary drummer with bass guitarist [[Phil Lesh and Friends]].

===Grateful Dead===
[[File:BruceCentralPark.jpg|left|thumb|Hornsby playing accordion in [[Central Park]] in [[New York City]]]]
In 1988, Hornsby first appeared on stage with the [[Grateful Dead]], a recurring collaboration that continued until the band's dissolution.<ref name=grateful>{{cite web | last=Heisler | first=Brett I. | title=Grateful Family and Friend: Bruce Hornsby | url=http://www.philzone.com/interviews/hornsby/ | publisher=philzone.com | date=October 9, 2000}}</ref> Hornsby was frequently a guest before becoming a regular fixture in the touring lineup for the Grateful Dead a few years later.

From 1988 until [[Jerry Garcia]]'s death in 1995, Hornsby played more than 100 shows with the Grateful Dead.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-hornsby-grateful-dead-interview-2015/ |title=Bruce Hornsby on the Grateful Dead, Connecting with Trey Anastasio + Going Beyond His Hits: Exclusive Interview |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |date=August 22, 2015 }}</ref> At some shows in 1988 and 1989, he joined the band as a special guest and played [[accordion]] or synthesizer. Following the death of Grateful Dead keyboardist [[Brent Mydland]] in July 1990, Hornsby played [[piano]] (and frequently accordion) at many gigs. Mydland's place was filled in September 1990 by [[Vince Welnick]], who became the sole keyboardist by March 1992, although Hornsby still sat in with the band on occasion.

Hornsby's own music evolved significantly during this time period. Critics have suggested that the Dead's vibrant tradition of melding [[folk music]] and the [[blues]] with [[psychedelic rock]] in "loose-knit expressions" and extended jamming "further pushed [Hornsby] outside the confines of mainstream pop".<ref name=Grain/> Critics have also commented upon the close musical connection formed between Hornsby and Jerry Garcia, suggesting that Hornsby's particular style of jazz-fueled improvisation added to the band's repertoire and helped to revitalize and refocus Garcia's guitar solos in the band's sound.<ref name=grateful/> Hornsby's friendship with Garcia continued, both inside and outside the band, as the two "challenged" each other to expand their musicianship through several other album and live collaborations.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19951008-1995-10-08-9510060238-story.html | title=BRUCE HORNSBY: MUSIC IS HIS THERAPY | first=SAM | last=MCDONALD | work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] | date=October 8, 1995 | url-access=limited}}</ref> Above all, Hornsby's musical versatility and ability to slip in and out of extended freeform jams won over longtime Grateful Dead fans.<ref>{{cite web | last=Barry | first=John W. | title=Bruce Hornsby Live Set Puts New Spin On Old Tunes | date=November 7, 2000 | url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1224281/20001107/hornsby_bruce.jhtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930221006/http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1224281/20001107/hornsby_bruce.jhtml | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 30, 2007 | access-date=May 4, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bruce-hornsby-interview-jerry-garcia-grateful-dead-1038619/ | title=Bruce Hornsby Looks Back on Jerry Garcia's Last Days: 'I Miss Him So Much' | first=DAVID | last=BROWNE | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=August 8, 2020}}</ref>

Since his first involvement with the Grateful Dead, Hornsby's live shows have drawn [[Deadhead]]s and Hornsby has commented: "I've always liked the group of fans that we've drawn from the Grateful Dead time, because those fans are often adventurous music listeners".<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/musicdb/artists/850/bruce-hornsby-trio | title=Bruce Hornsby Trio | work=[[Hollywood Bowl]]}}</ref> He has performed several of their songs at his concerts and as homages on studio and live albums, while Hornsby originals "[[The Valley Road]]" and "Stander on the Mountain" appeared several times in the Dead's setlists. Hornsby also co-performed the improvisation "Silver Apples of the Moon" for the Grateful Dead's ''[[Infrared Roses]]''.

Hornsby was the presenter when the Grateful Dead were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/grateful-dead | title=The Grateful Dead | publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccnKwiCVst4 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/ccnKwiCVst4| archive-date=November 17, 2021 | url-status=live| title=Bruce Hornsby Inducts the Grateful Dead into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1994 | via=[[YouTube]] | publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] | date=January 18, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and in 2005 he participated in "Comes a Time", a tribute concert to Jerry Garcia. He continues to work with Dead-related projects, such as [[Bob Weir]]'s [[Ratdog]], [[Mickey Hart]]'s solo projects. He performed as part of [[The Other Ones]] in 1998 and 2000, and on occasion sat in with [[The Dead (band)|The Dead]]. Hornsby continues to be involved in the Grateful Dead and Furthur community. He played at the [[All Good Music Festival]] in 2012 with Bob Weir on rhythm guitar.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.last.fm/festival/3208005+All+Good+Music+Festival+2012 | title=All Good Music Festival 2012 | publisher=[[Last.fm]]}}</ref> In mid-2013, Hornsby performed with Grateful Dead-influenced bluegrass group [[Railroad Earth]]. Hornsby reunited with surviving members of the Grateful Dead along with [[Trey Anastasio]] from [[Phish]] and Jeff Chimenti at [[Levi's Stadium]] in Santa Clara, California, and later at [[Soldier Field]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]], in July 2015.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.jambase.com/article/grateful-dead-celebration-with-anastasio-hornsby-in-chicago | title=Grateful Dead Celebration With Anastasio & Hornsby In Chicago | work=[[JamBase]] | date=January 16, 2015}}</ref>

===Solo===
[[File:BruuuceHead.jpg|thumb|Hornsby in [[Portland, Oregon]], 2006]]
Hornsby released his first solo album, ''[[Harbor Lights (Bruce Hornsby album)|Harbor Lights]]'', in 1993. The record showcased him in a more jazz-oriented setting and featured a lineup that included [[Pat Metheny]], [[Branford Marsalis]], [[Jerry Garcia]], [[Phil Collins]] and [[Bonnie Raitt]]. Hornsby secured his third Grammy in 1993 for Best Pop Instrumental for "Barcelona Mona" (composed with [[Branford Marsalis]] for the [[Barcelona Olympics]]).

In 1995, ''[[Hot House (Bruce Hornsby album)|Hot House]]'' was released, its cover art featuring an imagined jam session between [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] musician [[Bill Monroe]] and [[jazz]] saxophonist [[Charlie Parker]]. Hornsby expanded into the jazz sound from ''Harbor Lights'', this time reintroducing elements of bluegrass from ''A Night on the Town'' and his earlier collaborations.<ref>{{cite web | last=Miller | first=Skyler | title=Hot House: Overview | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r216522|pure_url=yes}} | publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> "Walk in the Sun" reached number 54 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]].<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bruce-hornsby/chart-history/hsi/ | title=Walk In The Sun | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>

{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "To be creative, spontaneous in the moment and make music in the present tense, that's what we're all about live. I write the songs, we make the records and then the records become a departure point, the basic blueprint, the basic arrangement. I'm fairly restless creatively. I was never a very good Top 40 band guy because I never liked to play the same thing every time. Too often songwriters approach their songs like museum pieces. I don't subscribe to that. I think of my songs as living beings that evolve and change and grow through the years."<ref>{{cite book | title=The Grateful Dead | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxCDDwAAQBAJ | first=Michele C. | last=Hollow | publisher=[[Enslow Publishing]] | date=December 15, 2018|isbn = 9781978505230}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align: left;" |—Bruce Hornsby
|}During this time period, "even his concerts conveyed a looser, more playful mood, and Hornsby began taking requests from the audience".<ref name=Grain/> Hornsby's concerts became "departure points" for his album compositions, which would be blended with and reworked into "lengthy spontaneous medleys".<ref name=Grain/> Both in terms of audience requests and in terms of spontaneous on-stage decisions, Hornsby's performances became opportunities for him to challenge himself by trying to "find a way to seamlessly thread these seemingly disparate elements together".<ref name=Grain/>

Hornsby next worked with several Grateful Dead reformation projects, including several Furthur Festivals and [[The Other Ones]], which resulted in the release of a live album, ''[[The Strange Remain]]''. As part of The Other Ones, Hornsby performed Grateful Dead tunes "[[Jack Straw (song)|Jack Straw]]" and "[[Sugaree]]" (which features Hornsby on lead vocal, in Jerry Garcia's absence), as well as Hornsby-originals "White-Wheeled Limousine" and "Rainbow's Cadillac". Hornsby dropped out of The Other Ones in 2002.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Joel | last=Selvin | authorlink=Joel Selvin | url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Other-Ones-reunite-Former-Grateful-Dead-mates-2749192.php | title=Other Ones Reunite | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date=December 1, 2002}}</ref>

In 1998, three years after ''Hot House'', Hornsby released a double album, ''[[Spirit Trail]]''. Featuring a picture of his uncle on the cover,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19981009-1998-10-09-9810140303-story.html | title=HORNSBY CONJURES A NEW 'SPIRIT' | first=SAM | last=MCDONALD | work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] | date=October 9, 1998 | url-access=limited}}</ref> the collection blended instrumental tracks with the story-telling, [[rock music|rock]], jazz, and other musical forms Hornsby had delved into over his career. The album considered "very Southern" themes with "songs about race, religion, judgment and tolerance" and "struggles with these issues".<ref>{{cite AV media | url=https://music.youtube.com/channel/MPREb_4ruCbQcQebz | title=Spirit Trail | publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> An example is "Sneaking Up on Boo Radley", which references the character from [[Harper Lee]]'s [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning novel ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]''.

Throughout the sequence of ''[[Harbor Lights (Bruce Hornsby album)|Harbor Lights]]'', ''Hot House'', and ''Spirit Trail'', Hornsby's piano playing steadily gained further complexity, taking on a more varied array of musical styles and incorporating more difficult techniques, as evidenced by his two-hand-independence on ''Spirit Trail''{{'s}} "King of the Hill". During this same span of solo album years, Hornsby made several mini-tours playing solo piano gigs for the first time in his career.<ref name=leftfield/> The shows allowed Hornsby additional possibilities for segueing songs into other songs, often blurring lines between classical compositions, jazz standards, traditional bluegrass, [[folk music|folk]], and [[fiddle]] tunes, Grateful Dead songs, as well as reworkings of Hornsby originals.<ref name=grateful/> Hornsby reflected on these periods of intensive solo performances, stating that the solo tours helped him "recommit [himself] to the study of piano" and "take [his] playing to a whole new level", explorations and improvisations that would not be possible in a band setting.<ref>{{Cite press release | url=https://www.adelphi.edu/news/bruce-hornsby-to-perform-for-a-sold-out-audience-at-adelphi/ | title=Three-Time Grammy Award Winner Bruce Hornsby to Perform for a Sold Out Audience at the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center on February 10 | publisher=[[Adelphi University]] | date=January 23, 2012}}</ref>

In August 2014, Hornsby released his first entirely live solo album, ''Solo Concerts''.

In April 2019, his 21st album, ''Absolute Zero'', was released. It features collaborations with [[Justin Vernon]] and Sean Carey of [[Bon Iver]], [[Jack DeJohnette]], [[Blake Mills]], [[yMusic]], [[The Staves]], and Brad Cook.

===The Noisemakers===
Hornsby's touring band lineup underwent extensive changes between 1998 and 2000, with longtime drummer [[John Molo]] joining former [[Grateful Dead]] bassist [[Phil Lesh]] in his band [[Phil Lesh & Friends]].<ref name=grateful/> A set of twenty consecutive shows performed by Hornsby and his band at [[Yoshi's Jazz Club]] in [[Oakland, California]] included a lot of spontaneity and taking requests from the audience, a form that he continues at live shows to this day.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.diablomag.com/blog/popcorn-picks/awesome-exclusive-interview-with-bruce-hornsby/article_cacd09fa-2e32-5665-a9cc-85a775adc89d.html | title=Awesome Exclusive Interview with Bruce Hornsby | work=Diablo | date=March 20, 2015}}</ref> As Hornsby experimented with a different sound, ushering in frequent collaborations with such musicians as [[Steve Kimock]] on guitar and Bobby Read on heavily effects-driven electronic woodwinds, a new band, dubbed the Noisemakers, took shape. In 2000, Hornsby chronicled this journey with a compilation live album entitled ''[[Here Come the Noise Makers]]'', and did extensive touring with his new band featuring John "J.T." Thomas ([[keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[organ (music)|organ]]), Bobby Read ([[saxophone]]s, [[woodwinds]], [[flute]]), J.V. Collier ([[bass guitar|bass]]), Doug Derryberry ([[guitar]], [[mandolin]]), and several different drummers before [[Sonny Emory]] took over full-time.

[[File:BruuuceRequests.jpg|right|thumb|Hornsby performing a solo piano show June 21, 2005, in [[North Bethesda, Maryland]], audience requests visible across keyboard]]
In 2002, Hornsby released ''[[Big Swing Face (Bruce Hornsby album)|Big Swing Face]]''. The album was Hornsby's most experimental effort to date. It was the only album on which Hornsby barely plays any piano and relied heavily on post-electronica beats, drum loops, Pro Tools editing, and dense synthesizer arrangements.<ref name="allmusic-bigswingface">{{cite web | last=Erlewine | first=Stephen Thomas | title=Big Swing Face: Overview | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r593251|pure_url=yes}} | publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/75176/hornsby-eschews-trademark-sound-for-big-swing-face/ | title=Hornsby Eschews Trademark Sound For 'Big Swing Face' | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date=July 8, 2002}}</ref> ''Big Swing Face'' received mixed reviews, ranging from "a new and improved Bruce Hornsby"<ref>{{cite web | last=Miller | first=Skyler | title=Halcyon Days: Overview | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r695109|pure_url=yes}} | publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> to being called one of the "strangest records of 2002".<ref name="allmusic-bigswingface" />

In 2004, after 19 successful years on RCA Records, Hornsby signed with [[Columbia Records]] and returned to a more acoustic, piano-driven sound on his Columbia Records debut album, ''[[Halcyon Days (Bruce Hornsby album)|Halcyon Days]]'', released in June 2004. Guests included [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[Elton John]] and [[Eric Clapton]].<ref>{{Cite press release | url=https://www.sony.com/content/sony/en/en_us/SCA/company-news/press-releases/sony-music-entertainment/2004/bruce-hornsby-comes-to-columbia-records-with-new-album-halcyon-days.html | title=Bruce Hornsby Comes to Columbia Records With New Album, Halcyon Days | publisher=[[Sony Music]] | date=June 1, 2004}}</ref>

Throughout tours following the album's release, both with the Noisemakers and in solo performances, Hornsby continued to demonstrate his desire to "grow" as a singer and performer and to expand the instrumental possibilities of the piano in various genres.<ref name="cathalenaeburch" />

In July 2006, Hornsby released a four-CD/DVD box set titled ''[[Intersections (1985–2005)]]''. The discs are thematically broken into three categories: "Top 90 Time", "Solo Piano, Tribute Records, Country-Bluegrass, Movie Scores", and "By Request (Favorites and Best Songs)".<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2006-08-25/397721/ | title=Bruce Hornsby | first=JIM | last=CALIGIURI | work=[[The Austin Chronicle]] | date=August 25, 2006}}</ref> A full third of the music is previously unreleased; many familiar tracks are presented as unreleased live versions rather than the original studio recordings, and the majority of the remaining tracks are from single [[B-side]]s, collaborations or tribute albums, and movie soundtracks.<ref>{{cite web | title=Bruce Hornsby: Intersections | publisher=[[All About Jazz]] | url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bruce-hornsby-intersections-1985-2005-by-john-kelman.php | last=Kelman | first=John | date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> One song, "Song H", a new composition, was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental in 2007 at the [[49th Annual Grammy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/193 | title=GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Pop Instrumental Performance | publisher=[[Grammy Awards]]}}</ref>

In 2007, Hornsby began more regularly playing classical music: at a concert in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], during Hornsby's improvisational session in "The Way It Is", he began playing [[J.S. Bach]]'s [[Goldberg Variations]] along with the drums. In a different city, he played five straight Goldberg Variations over the drum intro of "Gonna Be Some Changes Made".<ref name=hitsong/>

On September 15, 2009, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers released their fourth album, ''[[Levitate (Bruce Hornsby album)|Levitate]]'' to mixed reviews; it included new solo material with several songs co-written with Chip DiMatteo for the Broadway play ''[[SCKBSTD]]''.

In May 2011, the band released a live album, ''Bride of the Noisemakers''.

On June 17, 2016, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers released their sixth album and fourth studio album, ''Rehab Reunion''. Hornsby only plays the [[dulcimer]] on the album and does not play piano. The album was also Hornsby's first release on 429 Records. Like on many of his previous releases, ''Rehab Reunion'' features collaborations with guest artists. [[Justin Vernon]] of [[Bon Iver]] sings background vocals on "Over the Rise". [[Mavis Staples]] duets with Hornsby on "Celestial Railroad". Also noteworthy is a folk version of "The Valley Road", originally a hit in 1988 with Hornsby's first backing band, the Range.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/night_and_day/jennings-bruce-hornsbys-show-will-be-the-way-it-is/article_ba5e862a-b61b-5fe1-9fa4-34a1bf006ff8.html | title=JENNINGS: Bruce Hornsby's show will be 'The Way It Is' | first=Thom | last=Jennings | work=[[Niagara Gazette]] | date=June 14, 2018}}</ref>

===Skaggs & Hornsby/The Bruce Hornsby Trio===
In March 2007, Hornsby teamed with bluegrass player [[Ricky Skaggs]] to produce a bluegrass album, ''[[Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby]]'', followed by a tour. In 2000, the pair had collaborated on "Darlin' Cory", a track on the ''Big Mon'' [[Bill Monroe]] [[bluegrass music]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.startribune.com/bruce-hornsby-and-ricky-skaggs-bring-bluesgrass-to-burnsville-nov-2/229395091/ | title=Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs bring bluesgrass to Burnsville Nov. 2 | first=Liz | last=Rolfsmeier | work=[[Star Tribune]] | date=October 26, 2013}}</ref> ''Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby'', featuring the duo backed by Skaggs's band Kentucky Thunder, combined bluegrass, traditional [[country music]], jazzy piano and a splash of humor on a spectrum of songs from the traditional to new compositions such as the opening track, "The Dreaded Spoon", a humorous tale of a youthful ice cream heist. The pair also reinvented Hornsby's hit "Mandolin Rain" as a [[minor key]] acoustic ballad and give his cautionary tale of backwoods violence, "A Night on the Town", a treatment highlighting the "[[Appalachia]]n storytelling tradition that was always at the song's heart".<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/arts/music/26skag.html | title=A Collaboration Recalls an Isolated Rural America | first=Jon | last=Pareles | authorlink=Jon Pareles | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=April 26, 2007 | url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.popmatters.com/ricky-skaggs-and-bruce-hornsby-ricky-skaggs-and-bruce-hornsby-2496199211.html | title=Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby | work=[[PopMatters]] | date=May 14, 2007}}</ref>

The album ended with a cover of [[Rick James]]'s [[funk]] hit "[[Super Freak]]" in a bluegrass arrangement. The album peaked at number one on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Bluegrass Albums list; it was on the charts for 52 weeks.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ricky-skaggs/chart-history/bgr/ | title=Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby | publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> With the album, Hornsby disproved the notion that the piano is not compatible with "string-oriented" bluegrass. The duo released the live album ''Cluck Ol' Hen'' in September 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ksut.org/music/2013-09-05/ricky-skaggs-bruce-hornsby-cluck-ol-hen-feature-cd-9-6 | title=Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, Cluck Ol' Hen, feature CD 9/6 | publisher=[[KSUT]] | date=September 5, 2013}}</ref>

Concurrently with the bluegrass project, Hornsby recorded a [[jazz]] album, ''[[Camp Meeting (album)|Camp Meeting]]'' with [[Christian McBride]] ([[Double bass|bass]]) and [[Jack DeJohnette]] ([[drum kit|drums]]).<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.offbeat.com/music/bruce-hornsby-christian-mcbride-jack-dejohnette-camp-meeting-sony-legacy/ | title=Bruce Hornsby, Christian McBride, Jack DeJohnette, Camp Meeting (Sony Legacy) | first=MARK | last=LAMAIRE | work=[[OffBeat (music magazine)|OffBeat]] | date=December 1, 2007}}</ref> Alongside original compositions by Hornsby, the trio delivered newly reharmonized versions of tunes by [[John Coltrane]], [[Miles Davis]], [[Thelonious Monk]] and [[Bud Powell]], a previously unrecorded [[Ornette Coleman]] work ("Questions and Answers") and an early [[Keith Jarrett]] composition ("Death and the Flower").<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegram.com/article/20070831/NEWS/708310382 | title=Bruce Hornsby: life after pop stardom | first=Charles J. | last=Gans | work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] | agency=[[Associated Press]] | date=August 31, 2007}}</ref> The trio made a series of appearances in the summer of 2007, including the [[Playboy Jazz Festival]], the [[Newport Jazz Festival]] and at the [[Hollywood Bowl]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegram.com/article/20070805/column14/708050388 | title=I get them with the rhythm | first=Scott | last=McLennan | work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] | date=August 5, 2007 }}</ref>

On January 4, 2007, former Grateful Dead members [[Bob Weir]], [[Bill Kreutzmann]] and [[Mickey Hart]] reunited along with Hornsby, [[Mike Gordon]] (of [[Phish]] and the [[Rhythm Devils]]) and [[Warren Haynes]] to play two sets, including Dead classics, at a post-inauguration fundraising party for [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives]] [[Nancy Pelosi]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2007/01/06/partying-dead-wake-up-the-democrats/98ec267c-78a5-4feb-a3b4-bac2f6c76929/ | title=Partying Dead Wake Up The Democrats | first=J. Freedom | last=du Lac | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=January 6, 2007 | url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2007/01/07/speaker-pelosi-hosts-day-of-the-dead-in-d-c/ | title=Speaker Pelosi hosts day of the Dead in D.C. | work=[[The Mercury News]] | date=January 7, 2007}}</ref>

Hornsby wrote songs for ''[[SCKBSTD]]'', a [[Broadway Musical]]; one song from this project, a playful biographical tune about real-estate tycoon [[Donald Trump]] titled "The Don of Dons", was played often at Hornsby's solo piano performances in early 2007. In 2009, he composed the score for [[Spike Lee]]'s [[ESPN]] documentary, ''[[Kobe Doin' Work]]'', about [[NBA]] star [[Kobe Bryant]] and his MVP season.<ref name=Levitation/>

Hornsby invested in Williamsburg area radio station "The Tide" [[WTYD]] 92.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]. He has endowed the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program at the [[Frost School of Music]] of [[University of Miami]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://cam.frost.miami.edu/ | title=CREATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC | publisher=[[Frost School of Music]]}}</ref> Hornsby played himself in a cameo role in the [[Robin Williams]] movie ''[[World's Greatest Dad]]'', in which Williams' character is a Bruce Hornsby fan.