The Seven Song Itch - Bruce Hornsby Piano

One night, not too long ago, I was listening to an album track “Without A Sound,” from the group SheDaisy. I marveled at its simplicity and sensed a familiarity in the piano accompaniment. The sound of that song reminded me of “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” by Bonnie Raitt. Though I do not know who played the piano on the SheDaisy song, I can attest that one of my favorite musicians played on the Raitt track—Bruce Hornsby. He has worked with a myriad of artists, which includes: Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Cowboy Junkies, Bela Fleck, and even the Grateful Dead. Bruce is consistent in his piano work, but brings something new to each composition. Even though he may not be directly credited with a song, here is a list of seven songs that showcase his sound.

1. SheDaisy–“Without A Sound” (2004)

Sometimes you don’t need a full band of musicians to make a song great. Someone once told me that Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones) became a great guitarist because he knows how to “play the pauses.” The simple piano in this song conveys an emotional Niagara Falls of sadness in its quiet melody. It also has a sound like Amy Grant’s “If These Walls Could Speak,” but that’s another set of songs.

2. Bonnie Raitt–“I Can’t Make You Love Me” (1991)

Although Bruce Hornsby provided fills and interpolations on this song, he is not credited for writing it. His piano part on the track has become associated with this Ballad, though he did record his own version later on.

3. Cowboy Junkies–“Rock And Bird” (1990)

This spooky song has haunting lyrics of being caught between the sky and the ground. Bruce gives the foundation to Margo Timmins’s ethereal voice in what I feel is an under appreciated song. This track was on The Caution Horses record, but was overshadowed by the previous successful release, so I don’t believe it was given popper consideration. I still grapple with the song’s meaning, but revel in the vocal and musical dichotomy and find it brilliant.

4. Don Henley–“End Of The Innocence” (1989)

This one Bruce gets a writing credit in a wonderfully introspective composition that appears on Don’s third solo album named for the song. Nostalgia saturates this pensive selection about entering into middle age.  The song is more than a flashback of someone’s recollections; it also has political sub tones that aren’t just banged out on the keyboard.

5. Stevie Nicks & Bruce Hornsby–“Two Kinds Of Love” (1989)

Stevie’s Fleetwood Mac roots can still be heard—stemming from her duets with Lindsey Buckingham.  In her solo work, she had hit duets with Tom Petty (Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around) and Don Henley (Leather and Lace), but in this instance it is Bruce Hornsby.  The song appears on Stevie’s Other Side of the Mirror record, but the single failed to chart.  I think it is another haunting melody with a good collaboration between these two great artists.  It also includes some sax work from Kenny G.

6. Bruce Hornsby & Bela Fleck–“Tangled Up In Blue”

Though Bob Dylan is the author of this one, Bela and Bruce gave their spin on this record. This is around the time that Bruce started to expand from just pop hits into a more improvisational jazz artist. You really can see the evolution in his playing on this classic record.

7. Bruce Hornsby and the Range–“Mandolin Rain” (1986)

This is a classic Hornsby tune. It is, in my opinion, the benchmark of Bruce’s sound. Several years after this song, he broke up the band and started composing and playing more elaborate pieces. He continues to delight listeners by sprinkling his magic on a select few projects.