Author’s Note: We’d like to thank the folks at the Malibu Performing Arts Center and promoter Ben Baruch of Wagatail Presents for setting up a great performance, as well as their hospitality in accommodating this review.
Bruce Hornsby walked casually onto the stage at the Malibu Performing Arts Center, welcomed the crowd, and launched into the playful “Circus on the Moon” with its buoyant melody juxtaposed against lyrics steeped in wistful melancholy with an air of redemption. Like many of his songs, this tune was a reflective story driven by an interesting and pretty melody that was immediately engaging.
Playing to a full house of confirmed fans, each ticket holder received a copy of his recently released box set Intersections, Hornsby didn’t have to work very hard to impress the appreciative crowd. After humbly thanking the audience for its applause, Hornsby briefly recounted his collaborations with such jazzmen as a Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, and Branford Marsalis, explaining that the next song would be jazzy. “It’s real jazz, so you’ll probably hate it,” he joked. Explaining further, “It’s not smooth; it’s not pretty.”
To the contrary, Hornsby’s playing was quite beautiful. It was a very expressive song-sad, nostalgic, and hopeful-but not melodic. He deftly maneuvered from dissonant high notes to low notes and back again, playing solidly but slowly, allowing the meandering pretty notes to linger in the air. It was a complex piece that began slowly, very gradually building and transforming into a more determined and up-tempo rhythm that became much deeper before he began singing. While it may have been confusing to the casual pop or contemporary music listener, discriminating music fans were treated to a very impressive performance.
Hornsby has a commanding, yet humble stage presence. Wearing blue jeans and sneakers he seems very approachable – he could be your uncle, neighbor or co-worker. An engaging and confident figure, between songs he would regale the audience with entertaining insights and anecdotes. Throughout the night he remarked on such topics as: the evolution of his career (“I’ve taken my music to a place that has nothing to do with radio”); the history and inspiration of his songs and albums (why he almost titled his box set Slow Learner); his choice of collaborators (“a lot of my musician friends don’t get the [Grateful] Dead“); and numerous other entertaining anecdotes from his life as a musician (how Jerry Garcia was the only person at one show who was able to pacify Hornsby’s crying infant son). His stories were informative, entertaining, and charming.
But the music was the main event. Hornsby’s selections showcased his versatile range and impressive song writing-a comical show tune about Donald Trump, a stunning and haunting rendition of Bill Monroe’s “Darling Corey”, another jazz number with rocking blues interludes, a song about his son’s spelling bee competition, and his Don Henley collaboration “End of Innocence”. He even repackaged his colossal hit “The Way It Is” with a Coltrane-esque improvisational jazz intro and mid-song jam that morphed into a solo piece that was evocative of a Mozart concerto. It’s a beautiful song – more reflective melancholy – but again, he spins nostalgia with a third person detachment and resigned acceptance embodied by the refrain of the song, “That’s just the way it is, some things will never change.” But then follows with, “but don’t you believe it.”
After much well-deserved applause, Hornsby commented on how much he liked the sound of the room, which was indeed fantastic. Though the Malibu Performing Arts Center seats 500 people, all night it felt like we were sitting in his living room or his own private studio. Having never seen Hornsby live before, this writer was blown away by his inspiring, well rounded, and entertaining performance.
Photographer’s Notes:
Being in Malibu, the show brought out some friends of Hornsby, notably Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. I was told that there were quite a few industry folk there as well. As I was waiting for Hornsby after the performance, I spoke with some of the people milling around. Walking around with a dSLR camera, people often think I have some official paparazzi capacity, when in fact I don’t. I met the Memoryman, David Markoff, and his leading actress, Bara Byrnes, from his movie self-titled movie “Memoryman” He is renowned for his ability to recite a 50 digit number forward and backwards after only hearing it once. The movie is showing in limited release in the LA area;. if you are in the mood for a indie movie, go check it out. David said he would write Ice Cream Man into the sequel.
