Bruce Hornsby to headline Springfield Jazz Festival

(From the City of Springfield)

The Springfield Jazz Festival returns this month after a two-year hiatus. The festivities seek to broaden understanding and make new connections to enhance the quality of life for our community.

Bruce Hornsby will headline this 11th annual event in downtown Springfield. Hornsby will perform live, Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Historic Gillioz Theatre. 

Hornsby is an American singer, virtuoso pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. He is best known for his 1980s signature song “The Way It Is” and the top five hits “Mandolin Rain,” and “The Valley Road”, all recorded as Bruce Hornsby & The Range, and for his long association with the Grateful Dead. 

In some of his solo albums (from 1993) he moved in a less commercial, more musically-challenging direction. From 2000 he recorded albums a series of albums as Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers.

Hornsby continues to tour with his live band “The Noisemakers”, in addition to solo shows and his progressive bluegrass performances with Ricky Skaggs.

In 2007 he released Camp Meeting, his first total jazz album as The Bruce Hornsby Trio, which involved jazz giants, Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride with whom he made live appearances with throughout 2007.

Tickets range from $45 - $75. To purchase tickets, visit https://gillioztheatre.com/event/an-evening-with-bruce-hornsby/. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show at 7:30 p.m.

The rest of music at the festival is free to the public and combines a variety of grooves that jazz music has to offer, kicking off at 12:30 p.m.

The lineup, performing on two stages, includes the performers from Missouri State University Jazz program, Evangel University and local and regional jazz artists.

Park Central East Stage - Across from The Gillioz12:30 p.m. - Robbing Ford
1:30 p.m. - Matt Harp Trio
2:30 p.m. - MOJO Lite
3:30 p.m. - Arthur Duncan Jazz Group
4:30 p.m. - Hamm/Aho/Morrison with Christin Bohrisch
5:30 p.m. - The Missouri Jazz Orchestra (MOJO)

Park Central Square Pavillion Stage12:00 p.m. - MSU Jazz Symposium I
1:00 p.m. - Evangel University Jazz Combo
2:00 p.m. - MSU Jazz Symposium II
3:00 p.m. - Royal Court Jazz Ensemble
4:00 p.m. - MSU Trombone Ensemble

Event Partners Include:Missouri Arts Council
Springfield Regional Arts Council
Springfield Public Schools
Springfield Music
Gillioz
MSU Jazz Studies
MSU Division for Diversity & Inclusion
Downtown Springfield Association
City of Springfield