David Bromberg is 69 years old today. A multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, Bromberg is an eclectic artist — playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the same time. Bromberg has played with many famous musicians, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson, Jorma Kaukonen, Jerry Garcia, Rusty Evans (The Deep) and Bob Dylan. He co-wrote the song The Holdup with former Beatle George Harrison, who played on Brombergs self-titled 1972 album. In 2008, he was nominated for a Grammy Award. Bromberg was born in Philadelphia and raised Jewish in Tarrytown, New York. He attended Columbia University in the 1960s, studying guitar with Reverend Gary Davis during that period. Proficient on fiddle, many styles of acoustic and electric guitar, pedal steel guitar and dobro, Bromberg began releasing albums of his own in the early 1970s on Columbia Records. His seven-minute rendition of Mr. Bojangles from 1972s Demon in Disguise, interspersed with tales about traveling with song author Jerry Jeff Walker, earned Bromberg progressive rock radio airplay. In 1973, he played mandolin, dobro and electric guitar on Jonathan Edwards album, Have a Good Time for Me. Bromberg released his first new studio album since 1990 with Try Me One More Time in 2007 on Appleseed Recordings. The disc includes Dylans It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry and Elizabeth Cottens Shake Sugaree. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Traditional Folk Album at the 50th annual Grammy Awards in 2008. His 2011 album Use Me features guests Levon Helm, John Hiatt, Tim OBrien, Dr. John, Keb Mo, Los Lobos, Widespread Panic, Linda Ronstadt and Vince Gill. Bromberg currently lives in Wilmington, Delaware, where he and his wife, artist Nancy Josephson, own an extensive violin sales and repair shop, with a partial subsidy from the City of Wilmington, Delaware. He occasionally performs at Wilmingtons Grand Opera House, where he and his wife are major donors, as well as at the new World Cafe Live at the refurbished Queen Theatre. Here, Bromberg performs “Sloppy Drunk” at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 04:09:14 +0000