In a 2004 interview on CNN, Bruce Hornsby identified himself as a lover of stories. From my point of view, as someone who rediscovered an appreciation of Bruce’s music and storytelling this past summer, that seems to just scratch the foundation of what he creates and performs.
I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never seen Bruce Hornsby in concert. My favourite album of his has to be the double live album Here Come the Noisemakers which I believe captures the essence of the amazing talent that is Bruuuuuuuuce. It’s from the repeated listening to that recording and some of his studio albums that I’ve learned a few things about creativity — also communication, composition, recording and performance.
Warning… you’re about to read descriptive language not normally found on this blog.
VOICE
Bruce does some truly amazing things with his voice (that is, his fully embodied voice). First and foremost his words and (vocal) voice work together to tell a story to the listener. That is, when I listen to his music I really feel as though he’s an acquaintance in the room with me, relating a story of which I may or may not have been a part. Incredibly, it doesn’t matter that I wasn’t because the images and scenes he constructs make me experience it as though I was.
Bruce does something else amazing with his voice. He maximizes his limited vocal range, concentrating on a deeply personal part of his vocal spectrum for a majority of his singing, then reaches the edge of his range to accent other parts of the story. The result is he engages rather than performs to his listener.
Reveal: it’s not just that he tells fantastic stories, he tells them fantastically.
VOICING
It’s hard to say whether the Noisemakers are a band, an orchestra or Bruce on his own. The instruments work together as a single voice with many nuances. They move from the percussive to the flowing, steering the listener through a variety of musical feelings. I’m no expert, but as a listener and hack bass player who’s written a few songs, the arrangements seem masterful. The arrangements include simple and catchy melodies and snappy, memorable phrasings (lyrical and musical).
Of course, it helps that the Noisemakers are all incredible musicians and can afford some of the best audio engineering talent. The recordings are as crisp as the performances. They’ll rattle your ribcage at the right volume.
Reveal: make sure all of the elements work together to provide colour and texture.
FUN
You can hear it in the between-song banter with the audience. You can hear it in the way Hornsby immerses himself in his performance. You can hear it in the way the band functions as a unit. The Noisemakers have fun. All of the elements of the story, whether melancholy or upbeat, work together because the delivery is an enjoyable process for the performers.
Reveal: enjoy the process.
Thank you, Bruce!
Photo: bruce’s goodbye uploaded to Flickr by zen.
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