In 1984 Hornsby formed Bruce Hornsby & 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 vocals), Joe Puerta (bass guitar and backing vocals), and John Molo (drums).
During the 1990s he toured with the Grateful Dead, and released four albums, including A Night on the Town (1990) after which he split from The Range. Harbor Lights (1993) was his first solo album and signaled Hornsby was moving in a new jazz-influenced direction, whilst retaining elements of rock and pop. Later releases include Hot House (1995) and Spirit Trail (1998).
His experimental album Big Swing Face (2002) attracted much criticism as it veered away from his piano-based style. Despite these criticisms, he returned with his next studio album, shrugging off RCA and signing to Sony Music Entertainment. Halcyon Days, released in 2004, saw a return to the piano as the key instrument; this album also became the premise for his world tour the same year.
Hornsby continues to tour with his live band "The Noisemakers", in addition to solo shows and his progressive bluegrass performances with Ricky Skaggs.
In 2007 he released Camp Meeting, his first total jazz album as The Bruce Hornsby Trio, which involved jazz giants, Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride with whom he made live appearances with throughout 2007.
In March 2007 Hornsby teamed with bluegrass player Ricky Skaggs to produce a bluegrass album, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, and played several tour dates together. The seeds for the album had been sown in 2000 when the pair collaborated on "Darlin' Cory", a track on the Big Mon Bill Monroe bluegrass tribute album and then proposed recording an album together. Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, featuring the duo backed by Skaggs's band Kentucky Thunder, combined bluegrass, traditional country, "a tinge of Hornsby's 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 "Appalachian storytelling tradition that was always at the song's heart. The album ended with a surprise cover of Rick James's funk hit "Super Freak" in a bluegrass arrangement. Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby topped Billboard's bluegrass charts for several weeks. The album showed Hornsby carving out a place for piano within traditional bluegrass, disproving the notion that the piano is not compatible with "string-oriented" bluegrass.
Concurrently with the bluegrass project, Hornsby recorded a jazz album, Camp Meeting. with Christian McBride (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). 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.") 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.
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 Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House in the United States Congress.
Hornsby wrote songs for a Broadway Musical, titled "SCKBSTD"; one song from this project, a playful biographical tune about real-estate tycoon Donald Trump titled "The Don of Dons," made several appearances in setlists during his early-2007 solo piano performances. He also composed the score for Spike Lee's ESPN documentary, Kobe Doin' Work, about NBA star Kobe Bryant and his MVP season.
Outside of music composition and performance, Hornsby has taken an ownership interest in Williamsburg area radio station "The Tide," WTYD 92.3 FM, and he has endowed the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program at University of Miami's Frost School of Music, encouraging the study of songwriting broadly across traditional genres. 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.
He has also been honored by piano makers Steinway & Sons with their Limited Edition Signature Piano Series. Hornsby selected ten Model B Steinway Grands to be featured in this collection, each one personalized with his signature. Hornsby owns three 9-foot Model D Steinway Grands himself.
Rainbow
Bruce Hornsby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would flash his moves for the worshipful
Shoulder moves from side to side
Go over your head, and dot your eyes
Every night about a quarter to ten
From the middle of June till the summer's end
People would gather from miles around
He'd pull up from around the back
Folks say, "there's Rainbow's Cadillac"
Fancy shirts and shorts of plaid
Coat of more colors than Joseph had
Every night about a quarter to ten
From the middle of June till the summer's end
People would gather from miles around
To see the mighty Rainbow knock 'em down
Take a quarter form the collection plate
Every night he would dominate
Jump to the top and pick off a dime
Throw it down at the proper time
Every night about a quarter to ten
From the middle of June till the summer's end
People would gather from miles around
To see the mighty Rainbow knock 'em down
The lyrics of Bruce Hornsby’s “Rainbow’s Cadillac” capture the essence of a charismatic performer named Rainbow, who comes to town and immediately captivates the audience with his moves and flashy style. The first verse describes his entrance into town, where he performs and dazzles the crowd with his skillful shoulder moves. The chorus is repeated throughout the song and acts as a sort of refrain, describing how people from miles around come to see Rainbow perform and how he knocks them down with his skill. The second verse provides more detail on Rainbow’s attire, describing his colorful clothing that reflects the character Joseph from the Bible.
The third verse has a darker note, where the song describes how Rainbow takes a quarter from the collection plate every night and dominates the performance with his skill. He even throws a dime down at the proper time for the audience. Despite the negativity of the verse, the chorus is still repeated, reflecting the thrall that Rainbow holds over the audience. Overall, the song is a celebration of charisma, performance, and showmanship.
Line by Line Meaning
He came to town with a strong pull
He arrived in town with a magnetic presence, drawing people towards him.
Would flash his moves for the worshipful
He would demonstrate his skills for those who admired and respected him.
Shoulder moves from side to side
He moved his shoulders back and forth in a distinctive manner.
Go over your head, and dot your eyes
His moves were so quick and powerful, they could leave you disoriented and dazed.
Every night about a quarter to ten
He performed at the same time every evening.
From the middle of June till the summer's end
He had a regular schedule during the summer months.
People would gather from miles around
His performances drew large crowds from distant areas.
To see the mighty Rainbow knock 'em down
They came to watch him perform and impress them with his skills.
He'd pull up from around the back
He would arrive from an unexpected direction.
Folks say, "there's Rainbow's Cadillac"
People recognized him by the car he drove, a symbol of his success.
Fancy shirts and shorts of plaid
He wore stylish clothing with bold patterns.
Coat of more colors than Joseph had
His coat was colorful and eye-catching, similar to the coat worn by Joseph in the Bible.
Take a quarter form the collection plate
He would take money from the church's offering plate.
Every night he would dominate
He was in control and commanded attention.
Jump to the top and pick off a dime
He would jump high and pick a coin off a high surface.
Throw it down at the proper time
He would throw the coin down with precision and style.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRUCE HORNSBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind