<\/p>\n
Photo: Harrison Ezratty <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On April 25, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers delivered their highly anticipated New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival set. The ensemble\u2019s latest appearance arrived amid an undertaking of live performances in support of the bandleader\u2019s latest studio project, Indigo Park<\/em>, released on April 3. During Saturday\u2019s frame at the Fair Grounds, an old connection was reignited when Hornsby brought out Branford Marsalis and nodded to their crossover with the Grateful Dead as well as their subsequent collaborations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before Hornsby\u2019s tenure, Marsalis joined the Grateful Dead for the first time on March 29, 1990, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. The performance included one of the most beloved renditions of \u201cEyes of the World,\u201d later included on the live compilation LP, Without a Net. <\/em>That summer, Brent Mydland played his last show with the Dead on July 23, 1990, and passed away three days later. The massive loss pressed the group to fill the lineup gap, resulting in Hornsby\u2019s entry into the fold along with fellow keyboard player Vince Welnick in September 1990.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before capping off the year, the Grateful Dead and their two-keyboard tandem of Welnick and Hornsby participated in the annual New Year\u2019s Eve tradition of putting on a live spectacle, this time on Dec. 31, 1990, at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. The performance represented Hornsby and Marsalis\u2019 initial on-stage meeting, as facilitated by the Dead.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marsalis appeared on Hornsby\u2019s fourth album, Harbor Ligh<\/em>ts, adding more layers to their storied history on tunes like \u201cTalk of the Town,\u201d \u201cLong Tall Cool One,\u201d and \u201cRainbow\u2019s Cadillac.\u201d Their history continued over the next decades, illuminated by an array of musical meetups like the MLB-fledged National Anthem<\/a> in 1995, Gathering of the Vibes\u2019<\/a> conjuring of \u201cKing of the Hill\u201d into \u201cBig Boss Man\u201d in addition to All Good Festivals\u2019 2012 \u201cHell in the Bucket\u201d<\/a> delivery, which also included Weir \u2013 just to name a few.<\/p>\n During Hornsby & The Noisemakers\u2019 [J.V. Collier, Chad Wright, John Mailander, Gibb Droll, J.T. Thomas] festival set in the Big Easy on Saturday, Marsalis joined the group on the Fais Do-Do Stage to add to Hornsby\u2019s Don Henley co-write \u201cThe End of Innocence,\u201d \u201cPrairie Dog Town,\u201d and \u201cWay It Is,\u201d [See an additional show note below]. The jazz legend and group of premier players conjured layers of keys and strings that elicited one-of-a-kind sonic designs like those on a tightly woven Persian rug, impressing with the saxophone player\u2019s prominence \u2013 distinguishable blows like floral accents that would otherwise be regarded as a solo.<\/p>\n Marsalis wasn\u2019t the group\u2019s only guest. Hornsby also brought out Matt Perrine (tuba) and Craig Klein (trombone) from the New Orleans Nightcrawlers to help on features off the new record, his final collaboration with the late Bobby Weir, \u201cMight As Well Be Me, Florinda,\u201d in addition to \u201cWay It Is.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n