Bruce Hornsby - lead vocals, piano, accordion, synthesizer; Peter Harris - guitars; George Marinelli - guitars, vocals; Joe Puerta - bass, vocals; John Molo - drums, percussion; Peter Harris - lead guitar
Recorded on the same tour that gave King Biscuit its Ritz Theater, New York show, this memorable performance shows us just how great the original Bruce Hornsby and the Range lineup really was. At the time, Hornsby and the group were on RCA Records and he was heralded as the next Elton John or Billy Joel. However, his Virginia roots would keep his music firmly entrenched in the belly of Americana. After he disbanded the Range in the mid-1990s, he would move closer to the jam band genre and modern jazz movement.
This recording shows us a fairly complete set of the music Hornsby and the Range took on the road for this tour. They were bouncing off the buzz that surrounded the release of Bruce Hornsby and the Range's 1987 debut album, The Way It Is.
Included in the lineup back then was George Marinelli (later to become the lead guitarist and musical director for Bonnie Raitt). Hornsby essentially recreates the atmosphere of his debut album with passionate versions of "Jacob's Ladder" (which he had originally written for Huey Lewis and the News), "Every Little Kiss," "Mandolin Rain," "On The Western Skyline," and a cover of the Dylan tune, "Girl From North Country."
The highlight of the show, in many ways, is his remarkable piano solo, which leads directly into his biggest hit, "The Way It Is." Another gem is Hornsby's version of the Grateful Dead classic "I Know You Rider," which he would perform regularly when he eventually met the Dead and began sitting in with them at their shows.