Possessing a breezy, nonchalant style that belies his technical gifts, pianist Bruce Hornsby writes powerful songs from the heart that touch on several distinctly American traditions: pop, jazz, bluegrass, and 1960s soul. He worked for a while as a studio player and songwriter, and had his first hit in 1986 with the stirring and philosophical "The Way It Is," a single he recorded with his backing band the Range. An unexpected number one hit, "The Way It Is" kicked off a period where Hornsby straddled the line between heartland rock and adult contemporary pop, reaching the Top Ten with such singles as "Mandolin Rain" and "The Valley Road." Hornsby ultimately rejected the musical mainstream, disbanding the Range so he could tour with the Grateful Dead in the early '90s, then exploring a variety of adventurous musical fusions on his own that decade and with the Noisemakers in the 2000s. Along the way, Hornsby collaborated with everybody from bluegrass picker Ricky Skaggs to jazz musicians Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette while also spending time composing scores for Spike Lee, but his real revival arrived in the 2010s when Justin Vernon cited Hornsby as an influence and invited the pianist to play on Bon Iver's 2019 album I, I. Hornsby embraced the opportunities that arose with a series of electronic-inflected, unpredictable albums that ran from 2019's Absolute Zero through 2022's 'Flicted. Though more organic in nature, 2024's Deep Sea Vents was a similarly adventurous set made with acclaimed chamber group yMusic.

Bruce Hornsby was born and raised in a musical family in Williamsburg, Virginia. He played basketball as a teenager, but following his high school graduation he was pulled toward music. He joined his older brother Bobby in the frat band Bobby Hi-Test and the Octane Kids, a group that played country-rock tunes with a special affinity for the Grateful Dead. After spending a year at the University of Richmond, Bruce attended the Berklee College of Music for two semesters before earning a degree from the University of Miami in 1977. After his college graduation, he returned to Williamsburg, where he played in local bars until he and his younger brother John -- who by that point was his songwriting partner -- headed to Los Angeles in 1980. Michael McDonald happened to catch a show by the Bruce Hornsby Band and the pair became friendly, a connection that helped the pianist get a foothold in the music industry. The Hornsby brothers wound up as staff songwriters at 20th Century Fox Records and, eventually, Hornsby branched out to work as a session musician.

Hornsby joined Ambrosia just in time to appear on their last album, 1982's Road Island. He then joined the supporting band for Sheena Easton -- he can be seen in the video for her 1984 hit "Strut" -- before forming Bruce Hornsby & the Range. During this time, he continued to write and record demos in hopes of becoming a recording artist in his own right. His work caught the ear of Huey Lewis, who wanted to record one of Hornsby's songs, but the songwriter declined the offer. Undaunted, Lewis continued to advocate for Hornsby, particularly after the keyboardist formed the Range -- a group that featured guitarist David Mansfield, ex-Ambrosia bassist Joe Puerta, guitarist George Marinelli, and drummer John Molo -- and began to shop demos to various record labels. Windham Hill expressed interest in signing Hornsby, which, along with the boosterism of Lewis, helped stir up interest in other labels, with RCA signing the band in 1985.

Lewis produced a handful of songs on The Way It Is, the 1986 debut album from Bruce Hornsby & the Range. Initially, Hornsby pursued an audience accustomed to the tranquil sounds of Windham Hill, but he wound up getting his break through album-rock radio, with "The Way It Is" making the leap from AOR to the Top 40 by the end of the year. An impassioned song about the state of Civil Rights and compassion in the Reagan years, "The Way It Is" became an unexpected number one hit, taking its parent album into the Top Ten along with it. "Mandolin Rain" gave Hornsby & the Range another Top Ten hit, with "Every Little Kiss" peaking at 14, the cumulative success establishing Hornsby as a formidable presence within mainstream rock -- a status cemented by the group taking home the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1987.

Scenes from the Southside, the second album from Bruce Hornsby & the Range, maintained the band's momentum in 1988 thanks in part to the Top Ten hit "The Valley Road." Hornsby could be heard elsewhere on the pop charts thanks to Huey Lewis & the News having a number one hit with "Jacob's Ladder" -- Hornsby's own version could be heard on Scenes from the Southside -- and Don Henley collaborating with the pianist on his Top Ten hit "The End of the Innocence." This would be the peak of Hornsby's pop presence. After 1990's A Night on the Town, which featured the Top 20 hit "Across the River," he'd no longer place in the Top 40.

This transition away from pop radio happened when Hornsby began to actively pursue avenues outside of the Range. He jumped at the chance to play on sessions from the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Robbie Robertson, and Bob Dylan; he also produced Leon Russell's 1994 album Anything Can Happen. The most prominent of these collaborations was with the Grateful Dead. He first jammed with the group in 1988, but after the death of their keyboardist Brent Mydland in July 1990, he became their regular keyboardist through that summer, and he'd continue to play with the group until 1992, by which time Vince Welnick filled Mydland's spot.

Bruce Hornsby officially went solo with 1993's Harbor Lights. Featuring contributions by Jerry Garcia, Branford Marsalis, and Pat Metheny, the album found the keyboardist moving in a jazz direction, an avenue he continued to pursue on 1995's Hot House. During the middle of the '90s, he circulated through the various Grateful Dead offshoots that surfaced in the wake of Jerry Garcia's passing, while also completing the sprawling 1998 double album Spirit Trail. Throughout this period, Hornsby's concerts became increasingly loose, experimental affairs where guests were welcome on-stage. He captured this vibe, along with his new backing band, on the 2000 LP Here Come the Noise Makers.

That album inaugurated regular live and studio collaborations with the Noisemakers. The first studio set recorded with the band was 2002's Big Swing Face, which ironically emphasized digital beats and synthesizers over live improvisations. Halcyon Days returned Hornsby to familiar musical territory in 2004, neatly teeing up the release of the retrospective box set Intersections (1985-2005) the following year. Hornsby stepped away from the Noisemakers in 2005 to record Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, the pianist who hosted an NPR radio show of the same name. He continued to pursue extracurricular activities in 2007, recording a duet album with Ricky Skaggs (the aptly titled Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby), then the jazz album Camp Meeting with Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette. Hornsby returned to the Noise Makers for 2009's Levitate, and the band were also showcased on the 2011 live set Bride of the Noisemakers. It was the first in a series of live albums, quickly followed by the Skaggs collaboration Cluck Ol' Hen and Solo Concerts in 2014.

During this period, Hornsby began concentrating on working as a screen composer. He often worked with Spike Lee, contributing to the soundtracks of Red Hook Summer, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, and the television adaptation of She's Gotta Have It. This activity coincided with Hornsby's profile being elevated after Bon Iver's Justin Vernon cited the keyboardist as a pivotal influence. Vernon and Hornsby struck up a collaborative relationship. Vernon appeared on Rehab Reunion, then Hornsby returned the favor by appearing on Bon Iver's 2019 album I, I. That same year, Vernon guested on Absolute Zero, an adventurous, electronic-inflected record that was Hornsby's first solo album since 1998's Spirit Trail. His creative streak continued in 2020 with another solo album, Non-Secure Connection. A wide-ranging and ambitious set, it was led by the single "My Resolve," a duet with the Shins' James Mercer. Hornsby returned in 2022 with 'Flicted, a record partially based on film cues he wrote for Spike Lee and featuring cameos from Ezra Koenig, Blake Mills, and Danielle Haim. The experimentation continued on 2024's Deep Sea Vents, an aquatic concept album made in conjunction with New York chamber ensemble yMusic. Hornsby had previously done a run of shows with yMusic in 2020, resulting in this studio collaboration, which they made under the joint name BrhyM. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

At his best, Jack DeJohnette is one of the most consistently inventive jazz percussionists extant. His style is wide-ranging, and while capable of playing convincingly in any modern idiom, he always maintains a well-defined voice. DeJohnette has a remarkably fluid relationship to pulse. His timing is excellent; even as he pushes, pulls, and generally obscures the beat beyond recognition, a powerful sense of swing is ever-present. His tonal palette is huge as well: No drummer pays closer attention to the sounds that come out of his kit than DeJohnette. He possesses a comprehensive musicality rare among jazz drummers.

That's perhaps explained by the fact that, before he played the drums, DeJohnette was a pianist. From the age of four, he studied classical piano. As a teenager he became interested in blues, popular music, and jazz; Ahmad Jamal was an early influence. In his late teens, DeJohnette began playing drums, which soon became his primary instrument. In the early '60s, the most significant event of his young professional life occurred -- an opportunity to play with John Coltrane. In the mid-'60s, DeJohnette became involved with the Chicago-based Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He moved to New York in 1966, where he played again with Coltrane, and with Jackie McLean. His big break came as a member of the very popular Charles Lloyd Quartet from 1966-1968.

The drummer's first record as a leader was 1968's The DeJohnette Complex. In 1969, DeJohnette replaced Tony Williams in Miles Davis' band; later that year, he played on the trumpeter's seminal jazz-rock recording Bitches Brew. DeJohnette left Davis in 1972 and began working more frequently as a leader. In the '70s and '80s, DeJohnette became something like a house drummer for ECM, recording both as leader and sideman with such label mainstays as Jan Garbarek, Kenny Wheeler, and Pat Metheny.

DeJohnette's first band was Compost; his later, more successful bands were Directions and Special Edition. The eclectic, avant fusion Directions was originally comprised of the bassist Mike Richmond, guitarist John Abercrombie, and saxophonist Alex Foster. In a subsequent incarnation -- called, appropriately, New Directions -- bassist Eddie Gomez replaced Richmond and trumpeter Lester Bowie replaced Foster. From the mid-'70s, Directions recorded several albums in its twin guises for ECM. Beginning in 1979, DeJohnette also led Special Edition, a more straightforwardly swinging unit that featured saxophonists David Murray and Arthur Blythe.

For a time, both groups existed simultaneously; Special Edition would eventually become the drummer's performance medium of choice. The band began life as an acoustic free jazz ensemble, featuring the drummer's esoteric takes on the mainstream. It evolved into something quite different, as DeJohnette's conception changed into something considerably more commercial; with the addition of electric guitars and keyboards, DeJohnette began playing what was essentially a very loud, backbeat-oriented -- though sophisticated -- instrumental pop music. To be fair, DeJohnette's fusion efforts were miles ahead of most others'. His abilities as a groove-centered drummer are considerable, but the subtle colorations of his acoustic work were missed. That side of DeJohnette is shown to good effect in his work with Keith Jarrett's Standards trio, and in his occasional meetings with Abercrombie and Dave Holland in the Gateway trio.

DeJohnette remained a vital artist and continued to release albums such as Peace Time on Kindred Rhythm in 2007. He returned in 2009 with the trio album Music We Are featuring pianist Danilo Pérez and bassist John Patitucci. In 2012, DeJohnette delivered the musically eclectic Sound Travels, showcasing a bevy of collaborations with such artists as Bruce Hornsby, Esperanza Spalding, and Ambrose Akinmusire, among others.

In 2013, DeJohnette was asked by the Chicago Jazz Festival to present a program of his choosing. He gathered together Roscoe Mitchell and Henry Threadgill -- his classmates at Wilson Junior College on the city's South Side -- and Muhal Richard Abrams, whose Experimental Band the three had all played in, and all were members of the AACM. Along with bassist/cellist Larry Gray, the quintet played a festival concert (as well as subsequent dates in several variations). The historic reunion show was released by ECM as Made in Chicago in early 2015.

The drummer's next project was forming a trio with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and electric bassist/electronicist Matthew Garrison -- the latter the offspring of classic John Coltrane Quartet bassist Jimmy Garrison. DeJohnette had played informally with the younger men for years before forming this band. In 2016, ECM issued the trio's debut, In Movement. It was the first appearance on the label for both bassist and saxophonist.

DeJohnette long made the Hudson Valley his home, and his sense of place has been an important part of his work for decades. To that end, he teamed with guitarist John Scofield, keyboardist John Medeski, and bassist Larry Grenadier -- all of whom live in or near the Hudson Valley -- to record an album that reflected the region's musical geography and creativity. In addition to well-considered originals, the quartet cut a series of covers associated with the region by artists who had lived or had worked there, including Bob Dylan, the Band, Joni Mitchell, and Jimi Hendrix. Issued on the occasion of DeJohnette's 75th birthday, Hudson appeared in June of 2017 and was followed by a tour. Early the following year, Keith Jarrett's longstanding standards trio with the drummer and bassist Gary Peacock, issued the double-disc After the Fall, a live document from November of 1998 that marked the pianist's return to the stage after a two-year hiatus. ~ Chris Kelsey

With his bold, swinging style and robust sound, Philadelphia native Christian McBride is one of the foremost jazz bassists of his generation. Initially gaining prominence as a Young Lion in the early 1990s, McBride was championed by elders including Benny Carter and his longtime idol and mentor Ray Brown. He attracted attention playing alongside similarly inclined contemporaries such as trumpeter Roy Hargrove, pianist Benny Green, and saxophonist Joshua Redman. His early albums, 1994's Gettin' to It and 1995's Number Two Express, displayed his hard-swinging, acoustic post-bop sound. However, he quickly proved his versatility and broad stylistic influences with 1998's Family Affair and 2000's Sci-Fi, embracing electric fusion, funk, and soul influences. Still, jazz remained his focus, with his trio and Inside Straight quintet, both of which he debuted in 2013 on Out Here and People Music, respectively. He has earned more than five Grammy Awards, including two with his big band -- 2017's Bringin' It and 2020's For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver -- and for his work in the Trilogy trio with Chick Corea and Brian Blade. As a leader, he moves easily between small group dates like 2018's Christian McBride's New Jawn to more ambitious large-ensemble projects like 2020's The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons. He also reunited with Redman, collaborating with his fellow '90s quartet bandmates Brad Mehldau and Brian Blade on 2020's RoundAgain and 2022's LongGone; both were Grammy-nominated. He was back with New Jawn exploring a blend of post-bop and free jazz on 2023's Prime, before pairing with fellow bassist Edgar Meyer for 2024's But Who’s Gonna Play the Melody?. In addition to performing, McBride is a well-known radio personality, having hosted The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian on satellite radio and Jazz Night in America on National Public Radio. His expertise has also been tapped for advisory positions, including Artistic Advisor for Jazz Programming at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Artistic Director for Newport Jazz Festival, and Associate Artistic Director at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

Born in 1972 in Philadelphia, McBride grew up in a musical family with a mother who taught school and a father who played bass with R&B bands like the Delfonics and Billy Paul, as well as Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria. Young McBride would often accompany his father to gigs, and it was during one of those times at the Atlantic City Jazz Festival that he saw legends Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, and Ella Fitzgerald. The show had a lasting impact on McBride, who started playing the electric bass around age eight after asking for one as a Christmas present. Though his parents divorced, McBride's father remained active in his musical development and gave him his first lessons on the bass. Through his father, he developed a love of funk, jazz, and soul music. By his teens, he was playing upright bass in the school orchestra and the youth ensemble at Philadelphia's noted Settlement Music School. He played his first paying gig at 13, and by age 16 was working regularly in local jazz and R&B bands. He attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, where he rubbed shoulders with classmates like Questlove and Black Thought of the Roots, keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco, and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

In 1989, McBride moved to New York City to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in Manhattan but left after one year to play with saxophonist Bobby Watson. Gigs and albums followed with luminaries including Roy Hargrove, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, and more. He also worked closely with his idol and mentor, bassist Ray Brown, forming the all-star trio Super Bass with Brown and bassist John Clayton. In 1994, McBride made his debut as leader with Gettin' to It on Verve with pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Number Two Express followed a year later and featured saxophonist Kenny Garrett, pianist Chick Corea, and drummer Jack DeJohnette, among others. There were also notable outings with Herbie Hancock, Wallace Roney, Ryan Kisor, John Pizzarelli, and more.

McBride closed out the decade with A Family Affair, in which he played the electric bass and reconnected with his R&B roots. He also began branching out, taking on the positions of artistic director of the summer jazz program at the University of Richmond, and embarking on what would be an 11-year run as artistic director of the Jazz Aspen-Snowmass summer program. He spent five years as creative chair for jazz programming at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. With 2000's Sci-Fi, McBride continued to explore his love of cross-pollinated fusion and funk. It was a sound he stuck with for his move to Warner Bros. for 2003's Vertical Vision. A year later, he earned his first Grammy playing on pianist McCoy Tyner's Illuminations. The three-disc Live at Tonic arrived in 2006 and showcased an even more wide-ranging mix of styles.

Having switched labels from Verve to Warner in the early 2000s, McBride made yet another label change, releasing the more straight-ahead New York Time on Chesky in 2006. He then joined pianist Bruce Hornsby and drummer DeJohnette for the 2007 trio album Camp Meeting. Two years later, he returned with Kind of Brown, his first album with his Inside Straight band. In 2009, he garnered his second Grammy Award for his contribution to pianist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin's Five Peace Band Live.

In 2011, the bassist introduced his big band with The Good Feeling on Mack Avenue. The album, which featured vocals by McBride's wife, singer Melissa Walker, took home the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. He also issued the duets album Conversations with Christian that year, which featured performances with Angélique Kidjo, Sting, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and others. He then joined pianist Makoto Ozone and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts for My Witch's Blue. People Music arrived in 2013 and found the bassist once again working with his Inside Straight ensemble.

2013 also saw the release of McBride's Grammy-nominated trio album Out Here with pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. He picked up a second Grammy that year for his work on pianist Corea's Trilogy. Away from performing, McBride stayed active hosting The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian on satellite radio and Jazz Night in America on National Public Radio. He also continued his work as Artistic Advisor for Jazz Programming at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Another trio effort, Live at the Village Vanguard, arrived in 2015 and included the bassist's Grammy-winning performance of "Cherokee," which took home the award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. He then returned to his big band for 2017's Bringin' It, which earned McBride his sixth Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. In 2018, he released Christian McBride's New Jawn, an adventurous, piano-less quartet album featuring trumpeter Josh Evans, tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and drummer Nasheet Waits. A year later, he teamed up with Chick Corea and Brian Blade for the live Trilogy 2 album while earning a trio of Grammy nominations for his New Jawn LP.

In February 2020, McBride released his ambitious large ensemble work The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons, celebrating the lives of famed civil rights leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Muhammad Ali. That September, he paid tribute to legendary jazz artists Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, and Oliver Nelson with the Grammy-nominated big-band album For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver. He also joined Joshua Redman for RoundAgain, a reunion of the saxophonist's '90s quartet with pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Brian Blade. Another Live at the Village Vanguard, this time featuring a performance with Inside Straight during McBride's 2014 residency at the famed Manhattan club, arrived in November 2021. The following year, he was back with Redman's quartet for LongGone, which picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Album. He then returned to his avant-garde-leaning work with New Jawn for the group's sophomore album, 2023's Prime. But Who’s Gonna Play the Melody?, a duet collaboration with virtuoso bassist Edgar Meyer, arrived in March 2024. ~ Matt Collar