Hornsby Grateful Dead covers: Bruce Does the Dead

Bruce Hornsby Grateful Dead covers are in demand! From his high-school band, to an opening act, to a part-time member and throughout his own career, Bruce Hornsby has always played the music of the Grateful Dead.

Bruce Hornsby’s history with the Grateful Dead

Hornsby Grateful Dead covers
Bruce Hornsby Grateful Dead covers

Bruce Hornsby and the Range contributed “Jack Straw” to the Dedicated album of Dead covers, which subsequently proved to be the last recorded work with the Range.

Meanwhile Jerry Garcia appeared on the Night on the Town DVD, reprising his studio contributions to Across the River and Barren Ground. Bruce’s 1995 Hot House record closes with Garcia’s last recorded work.

In addition, Bruce notably inducted the Dead into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, including all band members and a cardboard cutout of Jerry Garcia.

Bruce has also toured performing duo shows with Bob Weir. Throw in years of Furthur Festivals and also the Other Ones, and Bruce has never been far away from the Dead. And Grateful Dead covers are also regular occurrences at a live show. Moreover, Bruce played a special set of “Bruce Sings Jerry” at the 2017 edition of his Funhouse Festival.

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, especially, have been frequent guests at Bruce’s concerts over the years, and the songs below certainly reflect that. 

And of course, Bruce Hornsby subsequently rejoined the remaining members of the Grateful Dead for the Fare Thee Well concerts, celebrating the 50th anniversary.

Highlights

Some of the highlights from these downloads:

  • Phil Lesh sits in on Truckin, Not Fade Away and also Sugaree, all from Hornsby shows in April 1996
  • Giovanni Hidalgo brings his drums to Jack Straw in 1996, also joined by Bob Weir
  • In addition, Steve Kimock’s contribution to Tennessee Jed, from Bruce’s Yoshi’s run in 1998
  • Finally, RS Hornsby’s guitar from Across the River into Morning Dew. Bruce surprised him with that song as he was a big fan of it, so loved to play it.

Free downloads 

Please enjoy almost three hours of Bruce Hornsby Grateful Dead covers, featuring some terrific guests including Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, RS Hornsby and Branford Marsalis.

So please grab your free downloads and take a look around the rest of the site for some terrific shows.

Also many thanks to those of you who have publicised this project, and who have circulated links. If you have requests for any more content, certainly feel free to contact Si.

You’ll also see the different Dead songs listed in the setlists. You’ll also find some individual gems in the Daily Dose archive.

Bruce Hornsby Grateful Dead covers:

mp3  01. Iko Iko
» 4.7 MiB - 6,683 downloads
Hampton Beach, NH
August 22 1995

mp3  02. Scarlet Begonias
» 6.9 MiB - 6,433 downloads
Toledo, OH
July 23 1994

mp3  03. Truckin'
» 8.4 MiB - 5,263 downloads
w/Phil Lesh
San Francisco, CA
April 12 1996

mp3  04. Not Fade Away
» 8.2 MiB - 5,178 downloads
w/Phli Lesh
San Francisco, CA
April 12 1996

mp3  05. Sugaree
» 9.5 MiB - 5,314 downloads
w/Phil Lesh
Columbus, OH
April 23 1996

mp3  06. Terrapin Station > I Know You Rider
» 10.3 MiB - 6,349 downloads
North Tonawanda, NY
August 29 1995

mp3  07. Evangeline
» 5.1 MiB - 4,748 downloads
Saratoga, CA
August 24 2001

mp3  08. Rainbow's Cadillac > Franklin's Tower
» 19.1 MiB - 5,511 downloads
Morristown, NJ
April 12 1999

mp3  09. Ripple
» 5.3 MiB - 5,359 downloads
York, PA
November 12 2000

mp3  10. Mandolin Rain > Brokedown Palace
» 9.9 MiB - 5,665 downloads
Williamsport, PA
June 5 1996

mp3  11. Tennessee Jed
» 11.6 MiB - 5,110 downloads
w/Phil Lesh and Steve Kimock
Oakland, CA
November 6 1998

mp3  12. Row Jimmy
» 4.4 MiB - 5,008 downloads
Wallingford, CT
August 27 2005

mp3  13. Samson and Delilah
» 7.5 MiB - 5,057 downloads
w/ Bob Weir
Hartford, CT
July 7 1996

mp3  14. Black Muddy River
» 5.7 MiB - 5,078 downloads
Cupertino, CA
April 25 1998

mp3  15. Dark Star
» 15.6 MiB - 5,113 downloads
w/ Bob Weir and Branford Marsalis
Bridgeport, CA
July 20 2012

mp3  16. Loser
» 9.2 MiB - 5,127 downloads
w/ Phil Lesh and Steve Kimock
Oakland, CA
November 6 1998

mp3  17. He's Gone > Wharf Rat
» 13.9 MiB - 5,283 downloads
Wilkes Barre, PA
September 31 1995

mp3  18. Standing on the Moon
» 10.8 MiB - 5,369 downloads
location unknown - Williamsburg?
2009

mp3  19. Jack Straw
» 9.2 MiB - 5,696 downloads
w/ Giovanni Hidalgo and Bob Weir
Englewood, CO
July 29 1996

mp3  20. Across the River > Morning Dew
» 10.5 MiB - 5,771 downloads
w/ R.S.Hornsby
Asheville, NC
August 11 2006

Speaking of the Dead

Bruce always reflects fondly of his time with the band. He told the Phoenix New Times in 2017:

“I wouldn’t trade my time with the Dead for anything; it was a truly singular and often transcendent experience for me. Any time you spend that much time around a musical scene as vast and deep as the Dead world, it can’t help but have an influence. I loved them as writers, so that was an influence; I loved their loose approach, so that was another influence, although having been a jazz major at University of Miami, I was always game for winging it and improvising, and the whole “be kind” philosophy that permeated their scene was another beautiful influence”.

Bruce also spoke about Jerry Garcia to Diablo magazine:

“There are so many memories. He was a very funny guy. I used to phone prank him a lot, and used to make him laugh. I, like millions, miss him a lot.

He was such a bright man, so intelligent, and he had such a broad range of knowledge. He was a walking encyclopedia of folk music. I thought I knew a lot, but when I talked to Garcia I realized there was so much more to learn. I remember riding on the European bus with him in the fall 1990 Dead tour, and just furiously jotting down references to these songs and musicians.

On a comedic level, he turned me on to everyone from Henny Youngman to the Jerky Boys. So, from the humor to the vast range of musical knowledge, he was just a wonderful person.”

 

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