MOVING ON: Bruce Hornsby has quit his...

MOVING ON: Bruce Hornsby has quit his role as part-time pianist for the Grateful Dead, which he’s been since the death of keyboardist Brent Mydland in 1990, although he will still sit in with them on occasion.

“I loved playing with them for more than a year and a half, more than 100 shows,” Hornsby says, noting that he felt that Vince Welnick, Mydland’s full-time replacement, can handle the job alone. “And I just had twins and want to spend more time with them, and I want to focus on my own music again.”

To that end, Hornsby is finishing work on his fourth album, this time fully centering on his jazzy piano playing, with guest appearances from Bonnie Raitt, Pat Metheny, Branford Marsalis and the Dead’s Jerry Garcia. Spike Lee will direct the first video from the album, which Hornsby expects will be released later this year.