About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Bruce Hornsby may have achieved crossover success in the '80s with hits such as "The Way It Is," but he's always been somewhat overshadowed by piano-playing peers Billy Joel and Elton John. This box set -- which joins four CDs with a DVD -- spotlights the thrilling journey Hornsby has taken by choosing the path less traveled, a road that's found him exploring unexpected sounds and textures. The audio component offers one disc of hits, another filled with songs from side projects and soundtracks, and two more containing fan favorites -- here, Hornsby unexpectedly unearths a wealth of previously unreleased material for alternate versions of some of his best-known songs. Thus, "Jacob's Ladder" is turned into a Cajun bluegrass romp; an extended version of "The Way It Is" becomes a meditative solo piece featuring Bach-flavored classical overtones; and a 2004 in-concert walk through "The Valley Road" ends up being far more jaunty and soulful than its studio incarnation. Elsewhere, Hornsby pays homage to his buddies in the Grateful Dead (a mid-tempo "Jack Straw"), hero Keith Jarrett (the syncopated, New Orleans brass-stoked "Backhand"), and Bill Monroe (a twangy take on the traditional "Darlin' Cory" featuring Ricky Skaggs). And when Hornsby isn't channeling his inner Randy Newman on cuts like the self-deprecating "What the Hell Happened," he's seamlessly segueing out of his own songs with portions of songs by a variety of sources including Pink Floyd, Bud Powell, and Bill Evans. The DVD features an array of live performances, TV appearances, a handful of music videos (some directed by Spike Lee), and other odds and ends...even a duet with Branford Marsalis on "The Star-Spangled Banner," from the 1997 World Series. All this and more makes Intersections a fascinating overview of one of pop music's more overlooked artists. Dave Gil de Rubio, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

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