Bruce Hornsby may have surprises in store for fans at Paramount Theatre this Friday

Who knows what will be in store for fans during an evening with Bruce Hornsby?

The gifted vocalist-pianist is one of the most versatile and restless recording artists on the circuit. Hornsby, 63, is adept at delivering pop, jazz, bluegrass, R&B and other genres.

It's not surprising that when Hornsby performs Friday (11/2) at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, he'll take fans in a number of sonic directions.

'The show will be a bit of a mixed bag,” Hornsby said by phone from York, Pa. 'It's satisfying on an artistic level to try different musical paths. Every show I do is different.”

Each concert is unique, since Hornsby will respond to the audience's suggestions.

'I love to take requests,” he said. 'I've taken requests for years. I tell everyone that if you don't like what I play, the request came from the audience so don't get mad at me.”

It would be difficult to ever be upset with Hornsby. The Williamsburg, Va., native always plays with a smile and it's evident that he's having fun, since he's typically playful with the crowd.

'I enjoy speaking with the audience,” he said.

However, speak when Hornsby opens the channel for fans to make requests. do not distract the three-time Grammy winner with an outburst.

'If someone starts jabbering, I won't play,” he said. 'I won't put up with it. I'm too old to care. I tell the audience I'll be quiet if you choose not to be quiet. It works out. I love it when the audience cooperates: 96 percent of the audience is really into it so I rarely have issues with the crowd. I love the give and take of requests. Every musician should do it because it keeps you on your toes.”

When Hornsby isn't taking requests, he'll also showcase quite a bit of his early material.

'I'm not going to stray too far from what I did with those older songs,” he said. 'But there will be some adventurous moments. This show will feature a cross section of songs.”

Expect Hornsby to perform his biggest hit, 'The Way it Is,” which topped Billboard's pop charts in 1986. The unlikely smash, which features a pair of improvisational piano solos, sounds just as relevant today, since the tune was inspired by racism and homelessness.

'That's sad but true, considering what the song is about,” Hornsby said. 'It's good when your biggest hit has a little meat on the bone. It's not just a pop ditty.”

When asked if there is a song he could compare his unique signature song with, he laughed. 'I would compare it with (Dire Straits) ‘Sultans of Swing.'”

Both songs tell vivid stories, feature inventive solos and were big hits.

'You don't hear many songs like those two (tunes),” he said.

Hornsby has breathed the rarefied air of the top of the pop charts, made a jazz album with Charlie Haden, performed as a member of the Grateful Dead, and recorded with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe. Is there anything he hasn't accomplished?

'I haven't done modern classical,” he said. 'But that's something that I don't think I'll play with. I'm fine if I don't go in that direction. I accomplished a lot, since I'm a late bloomer.”

Hornsby didn't play piano until he was 17.

'I was a jock,” he said. 'I was a hooper as a kid. I was totally obsessed with basketball, and I'm still obsessed with college and pro basketball. It's difficult for a kid to immerse themselves in both. You usually have to pick one or the other, and I went with sports as a kid and music as an adult.”

Hornsby's twin boys, 26, went the sports route. Russell Hornsby ran track and field for the University of Oregon and Keith Hornsby played basketball for Louisiana State University. He's currently playing with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.

'A huge part of life is doing what you love, and my sons have done that and so have I,” Hornsby said. 'I've only made the kind of music that I want to make. I've never made concessions, and that feels good.”

Get Out!

WHAT: Bruce Hornsby

WHERE: Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday (11/2)

TICKETS: $39.50 to $75, Paramount Ticket Office, (319) 366-8203 or Paramounttheatrecr.com

ARTIST'S WEBSITE: Brucehornsby.com