A progress update on Spirit Trail and a preview of Tupac’s Changes. Continuing a look at the Bruce Hornsby newsletter archive, sent by Melissa Reagan direct from Bruce’s office in the 1990s/early 2000s. Links have been added where appropriate to add context.
Sixth Album Progress
A 2-1/2 month summer touring “break” from recording led Bruce into an intensive summer of songwriting, leading to the fall’s recording of 8 new songs for the new record. (For those new to this seemingly never-ending saga of recording ineptitude, heads banging against walls, valiant but futile efforts and never ending self-doubt, ten to twelve songs were in various stages of completion before the band embarked on its summer tour.) So at this point, 18 to 20 songs are in various stages of production, and no one knows what the end result will be. Bruce said, “I had a lot of time on my hands during the Furthur Festival and other dates we were playing, so in an attempt to ‘use my time wisely’ I got into an intensive writing mode, and could be heard often in the tour bus in my bunk or in the back lounge quietly playing on a little Casio keyboard. In the end I liked what I was witin and had a desire to record all to Bruce has been working on most of the new songs with producer Mike Mangini, best known for his work with Digable Planets, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci and the Beastie Boys. Release date? Who knows?
World Series
Branford Marsalis and Bruce played the National Anthem at Game 5 of the 1997 World Series, enjoying balmy 40 degree weather in Cleveland (the night before had yielded snow flurries, so comparatively, the boys were able to play with “warm hands”). Baldwin piano employees surrounded the piano with heaters to keep the tuning from going to hell (the baseball viewing public probably not being quite ready for a”quarter tone” Ivesian anthem rendition). The anthem was televised by NBC with Bob Uecker undulating in the vicinity.
Dick’s Picks
The latest edition (Volume 9) in the continuing series of Dick’s Picks Grateful Dead Concert CDs has been released. It’s a board tape of the September 16, 1990 Madison Square Garden concert, which was Bruce’s second show as the “floating member” of the Dead. Included are Tennessee Jed (with Garcia-Hornsby solo trade-offs), He’s Gone, Morning Dew, and a Phil-Bruce-Vince trio piece dubbed by someone the No MSG Jam.
Tupac
Before his death in 1996, Tupac Shakur wrote a song over The Way It Is entitled Changes. The song is being prepared for release sometime in 1998. This is Bruce’s third songwriting collaboration “in absentia,” as The Way It is was previously sampled or re-recorded by rappers E-40 and MC Buzz B.
Lesh’s Christmas Party
Phil Lesh is putting together a Christmas program entitled “PhilHarmonia,” to be performed on Sunday, December 7, 4:00 pm, at the Maritime Hall in San Francisco. Phil, Bruce, Bob Weir, Graham Nash, Edie Brickell, David Grisman, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Donna Jean Godcheaux are among the performers. Musical selections ranging from Ava Maria to Let It Snow to the Dead’s Ripple will be performed during a segment of group singing.
Henley-Walden Woods Orchestral Project
Don Henley is developing an orchestral record to benefit his Walden Woods Project and is enlisting the help of various friends to make it happen. Sting, Elton John, Billy Joel, Don and Bruce are among the artists writing orchestral pieces. Bruce has contributed two selections so far and may be writing one more, a variation on a theme of Ives’ from his Concord Sonata’s Thoreau movement.
Billy Joel’s Book
Speaking of Mr. Joel, the Long Island piano stalwart is writing a book with Tony Rudel about classical music, tentatively titled Making Notes, and has asked Bruce to contribute a section discussing his classical influences, background and feelings regarding the broadening of classical music’s appeal to a larger audience. This book is slated for an April, 1998 release.
Rex Foundation Concert
The Rex Foundation Jerry Garcia Tribute Concert is tentatively set for January 16 at the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, NJ, with Bruce’s band scheduled as house band. Look for John D’Earth to display his trumpet mastery with his neo-samba, nouveau-bossa stylings on Scarlet Begonias.
Twelve Acres
One of the more popular BH bootlegs of the last couple of years, from what we’re told, is an audience tape of the Twelve Acres solo piano benefit concert that took place in San Jose in February of 1996. Bruce loved the gig, loved the San Jose Performing Arts Center and will return to the same venue for a second Twelve Acres benefit concert on April 24, 1998. Tapers, of course, are welcome once again.
Virginia Reads Literacy Campaign
Bruce and his twin boys, Russell and Keith, will be featured on a poster promoting literacy to be distributed to libraries, schools, and children’s hospitals across Virginia.
Web Site
Our web site is still not much to look at but, hopefully, that will be changing soon. We do try to keep the site updated with current performance information and other interesting stuff.
Also, we are still offering merchandise to anyone seeking Bruce Hornsby And The Range t-shirts, Hot House t-shirts, or a Walk In The Sun cd single. The address is: http://members.aol.com//