When classically trained pianist Kristina Marinova boards the psychedelic bus, she brings nothing but a grand piano—and proves that’s all she needs. Out June 6, 2025 on Navona Records, THE BUS CAME BY AND I GOT ON transforms eleven cornerstones of the Grateful Dead canon into a cinematic solo-piano experience that mirrors the arc of an early-’70s Dead show, complete with exploratory segues and encore-worthy fireworks.
Marinova’s touch is already legendary. Classical Music Review hailed her Carnegie Hall program 4 Rhapsodies as “A Feast for the Ears,” while Nagamag Magazine wrote that her playing feels “like a message from God,” praising its “dazzling, tender, virtuosic and emotional” power. A capacity crowd at Tarrytown Music Hall went further, calling her recent recital “an incredible spectacular performance” by “the elegant and masterful Bulgarian pianist.”
That same virtuosity now steers listeners through a kaleidoscopic set list that spans the Dead’s acid-test beginnings (“Cryptical Envelopment / The Other One”) to Europe ’72 favorites (“China Cat Sunflower → I Know You Rider”) and timeless closers (“Not Fade Away / Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad”). By condensing sprawling improvisations into a single instrument without losing their sense of adventure, Marinova invites Deadheads and classical aficionados alike to hear this music in a brand-new light.
Album details
Title: THE BUS CAME BY AND I GOT ON
Artist: Kristina Marinova, piano
Label/Catalog: Navona Records, NV6730
Release date: June 6, 2025 (digital & physical)
Pre-order & info: https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6730/
About Kristina Marinova
A native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Marinova holds a master’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan and serves as President of Collaborative Piano for the World Piano Teachers Association. She appears worldwide as a performer, lecturer, and educator, known for combining crystalline tone with fearless interpretive imagination.
Buy the ticket, take the ride, and discover how one piano can summon the spirit of the Grateful Dead.
