Bruce Hornsby - vocals, piano, accordion,; David Mansfield - guitars; George Marinelli - guitars, mandolin, vocals; Joe Puerta - bass, vocals; John Molo - drums, percussion
Bruce Hornsby came onto the international music scene in 1986 by way of his hit debut album, The Way It Is, with fresh songs, stunning piano chops, and the best backing band since the E Street Band. Not since Elton John and Billy Joel had such a prolific singer-songwriter-pianist burst on to the scene with such a brilliant debut album and group.
This recording was done in 1987 in Daytona Beach as part of "Spring Break" week activities and MTV's coverage of that collegiate institution. Hornsby performs with the original Range line-up, including George Marinelli, who eventually became lead guitarist for Bonnie Raitt.
He opens the set with his own version of "Jacob's Ladder," (originally written for Huey Lewis & the News by Hornsby), and moves quickly into a seamless version of "The Long Race." Next up is a gorgeous eight-minute version of his classic, "Mandolin Rain," which he follows with his own 12-minute take on the Grateful Dead song "I Know You Rider." Hornsby's tribute to the Dead in "I Know You Rider" was the impetus to bring him together with Jerry Garcia and the rest of the Dead on many occasions. His lengthy solo piano instrumental serves as the introduction to his landmark song, "The Way It Is," and the rest of the set is filled out with versions of Hornsby originals: "The Wild Frontier," "On The Western Skyline," and "Down The Road Tonight."
By the mid-1990s, Hornsby had split up the Range in order to pursue a wider spectrum of music. He has made several solo rock albums, and an album of piano jazz, as well as several live recordings with the Grateful Dead and that band's off-shoot, The Other Ones.