FOLLOWS THE SEPTEMBER 15 VERVE RELEASE OF
BRUCE HORNSBY & THE NOISEMAKERS’
NEW ALBUM LEVITATE
“Levitate is a staggeringly great collection of songs by one of our most gifted songwriters and instrumentalists playing at the top of his game…it just doesn’t get much better.”
—American Songwriter
“Mr. Hornsby is a remarkable pianist…The America in his music is one of countless connections and intersections…that’s still wide open and welcoming.”—The New York Times
Adding yet another milestone to his accomplished career, Bruce Hornsby will perform during the inaugural week of NBC Primetime’s “The Jay Leno Show” on September 17 with his longstanding touring band The Noisemakers. Special guest Eric Clapton will join Hornsby to perform “Space is the Place,” from Hornsby’s much-anticipated new album, Levitate, set for release September 15 on Verve. The album version of the song features a guitar solo by Clapton. Levitate is Hornsby’s first studio album co-credited to The Noisemakers. Hornsby will embark on a tour in support of the album beginning September 12 in Hampton, VA. Please see below for details.
A 13-time Grammy nominee and three-time Grammy winner, Hornsby has solidified his status as a highly sought after collaborator. His own 10 albums have sold over 11 million copies worldwide and he has appeared on over 100 records including releases by Bob Dylan, Don Henley, the Grateful Dead, Bob Seger, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and more.
While Levitate evokes Hornsby’s distinctive musical approach, the album marks a creative departure for the artist. For the first time, Hornsby opted to record an album with no piano solos, choosing instead to emphasize the songwriting behind each track. “I’ve always been about finding a place to express my interest in playing the piano within the pop song context,” Hornsby says. “But with this record, I felt like I’d done that enough, so this time I really wanted the focus to be on the songs.”
Levitate contains 13 new songs, including “Cyclone,” with lyrics from Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. The title cut, “Levitate”, is an alternate version of a song from the recent Spike Lee film Kobe Doin’ Work (for which Hornsby also provided the original score), and “Space is the Place” features an Eric Clapton guitar solo. Produced by Tony Berg and Bruce Hornsby, Levitate features Hornsby on piano, dulcimer, keyboard and vocals; JV Collier on bass; Sonny Emory on drums; John “J.T.” Thomas on organs and keyboards; Bobby Read on reeds; and Doug Derryberry on guitars.
Bruce Hornsby first rose to national prominence with The Way It Is, his 1986 Grammy-winning debut album with The Range. The title track became the most-played song on American radio in 1987, winning ASCAP’s Song of the Year award. Hornsby also won Grammys in 1989 for “Best Bluegrass Recording” for his version of “The Valley Road,” which appeared on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume II and in 1993 for “Best Pop Instrumental Performance,” for his song with Branford Marsalis for the Barcelona Olympics, “Barcelona Mona.” Additionally, Hornsby was a part-time member of the Grateful Dead from September 1990 to March 1992, performing over 100 concerts in America and Europe. He and has performed the National Anthem for many major events including the NBA All-Star game, four NBA finals, and the World Series. Currently, Hornsby is working with director Kathleen Marshall on a prospective Broadway musical titled SCKBSTD, which incorporates several songs from Levitate. He also appears on screen in the new Robin Williams/Bobcat Goldthwait film World’s Greatest Dad. The film includes several Hornsby songs, including the Levitate track, “Invisible.”
BRUCE HORNSBY & THE NOISEMAKERS TOUR DATES
*Denotes solo piano performance
†featuring Ricky Skaggs with Kentucky Thunder
September 12 Hampton Bay Days† Hampton, VA
September 26 Town Hall New York, NY
September 27 Berklee Performing Arts Center Boston, MA
September 29 The Music Hall Portsmouth, NH
October 1 The Egg Albany, NY
October 2 The Klein Bridgeport, CT
October 3 The National Richmond, VA
October 5 Strand Capitol Theater York, PA
October 6 Mahaiwe Theater Great Barrington, MA
October 7 Flynn Theater Burlington, VT
October 9 Warner Theater Washington, DC
October 10 Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City, NJ
October 11 Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead Pittsburgh, PA
October 30 Motor City Casino Hotel Detroit, MI
November 13 Jemison Concert Hall* Birmingham, AL
November 14 Centre East Theatre* Skokie, IL
November 15 McAninch Arts Center (College of DuPage)* Glen Ellyn, IL
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