David Bromberg Band – The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing but the Blues

DAVID BROMBERG BAND

The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing but the Blues

Red House Records

davidbromberg.net

Most of David Bromberg’s albums, dating back to David Bromberg, his first solo LP released in 1971, have been wonderfully eclectic, drawing on a wide variety of styles and traditions, but, almost always with strong strains of the blues. This time around, as testified to in the album title, it’s an all-blues affair, just The Blues, the whole Blues and Nothing but the Blues.

But, even though this album is nothing but the blues, it is still remarkably eclectic thanks to the different approaches David takes on different tracks. Some are full band tracks, some are solo or almost solo. Some are electric, some are acoustic. Some are arranged Chicago style, others have an infectious jump or New Orleans or front porch feels.

The classic Chicago blues band sound developed as an electrified version of the Delta blues and that’s how David sets the tone for the album by opening with a grinding electric band version of Robert Johnson’s “Walking Blues.”

My favorite tracks on the album, though, are the acoustic tunes. Little Hat Jones’ “Kentucky Blues,” with it’s almost jug band style arrangement (there’s no jug) is a lot of fun. So is the New Orleans horn arrangement on Bessie Smith’s “You’ve Been a Good Ole Wagon,” while David’s solo guitar on Ray Charles’ “A Fool for You” is as expressive as a full band. My very favorite track, however, is the compelling version of the traditional “Delia” with David on vocal and acoustic guitar and producer Larry Campbell on acoustic slide guitar. David’s first recording of “Delia” was also my favorite track on his 1971 debut album but this version seems to come from even deeper in the well.

Among my favorite electric tracks are a version of “900 Miles,” the traditional folk song that David styles after Howlin’ Wolf; “Eyesight to the Blind,” an arrangement of a Sonny Boy Williamson song that jumps and swings with some terrific playing by fiddler Nate Grower and Bill Payne on organ; and a jumping, gospel-inspired version of “Yield Not to Temptation” with more great organ playing by Payne, a terrific horn arrangement, and a call-and-response chorus with David and back-up singers Nancy Josephson, Kathleen Weber and Teresa Williams.

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--Mike Regenstreif

David Bromberg – Archive Recordings Volume One; David Bromberg in Canada

DAVID BROMBERG
Archive Recordings Volume One 
davidbromberg.net

After racking up some impressive credentials as an A-list sideman on stage and recordings for the likes of Bob Dylan, Jerry Jeff Walker, Tom Paxton, Rosalie Sorrels and countless others, David Bromberg first emerged as a solo artist and then a band leader right about the same time I started spending so much of my time in coffee houses listening to folk music. I recall seeing David play at the Back Door Coffee House in Montreal circa 1970 or ’71 and picking up his self-titled debut LP not too much later.

Through the ‘70s and into the ‘80s, David was one of the major touring and recording artists on the folk scene (and beyond) both as a solo artist and band leader with one of the most eclectic repertoires of the day. Eventually, he tired of touring and became a student of violin making and a musical instrument dealer while only rarely performing and recording. In 2007, he returned with his first new album in 17 years – Try Me One More Time (Appleseed) which I rated 4-stars in my Montreal Gazette review – and began to tour again.

With Archive Recordings Volume One, David has also begun to release some of the hundreds of live, radio show and demo recordings he’s kept from that prolific decade of 1969 to ’79. Half of the 12 tracks here are solo performances and half feature sidemen or versions of the David Bromberg Band. Some of them are alternate versions of songs from his albums of the time, a few, I think, he’s never before released. Almost all feature David’s often brilliant acoustic guitar playing.

The album begins with a solo version of “Cannonball” (AKA “Cannonball Blues” or “Solid Gone”) recorded in 1975 on FolkScene, the legendary Los Angeles radio show hosted by my friends Roz and (the late) Howard Larmon. It’s an absolute delight to hear David’s Watson-worthy flatpicking on the song.

Among the other solo highlights are his guitar arrangements of the fiddle tune “Salt Creek” and a five-tune medley that includes “Devil’s Dream”; and his wonderful arrangement of Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues” that’s paired with Luke Jordan’s “Church Bell Blues.” “Statesboro” is one of my favorite blues songs and David’s official version on Wanted Dead or Alive was always one of my favorite versions.

Among my favorite band tracks is the hilarious “Jelly Jaw Joe,” a raggy tune on which David goes off on one of his legendary and very witty tangents while the band seems to be having tons of fun. The song seems like the kind of thing Pink Anderson or Jesse Fuller might have written but I don’t recognize it – so I’m guessing it might be something David himself came up with in the old medicine show style.

Other favorites among the band tracks are Bessie Smith’s “Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair,” which features a great New Orleans-style horn arrangement, and a version of “Wheel Hoss,” the Bill Monroe tune, that has David and the always-incredible Andy Statman going crazy on twin mandolins while Peter Ecklund – who played trumpet on “‘Lectric Chair” and several other tracks – switches to guitar.

I’m looking forward to hearing more from David’s archives.

David Bromberg in Canada this coming week

David will be here in the area this coming week for some solo concerts on Thursday, October 30 at Hugh’s Room in Toronto; Friday, October 31 at the Neat Coffeeshop in Burnstown; Saturday, November 1 at Le Petit Campus in Montreal; and Sunday, November 2 at the Isabel in Kingston.

I haven’t seen David perform live in more than 30 years so I’m going to hightail it into Montreal to see the show there.

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--Mike Regenstreif

Tom Rush Celebrates 50 Years of Music

TOM RUSH & GUESTS
Celebrates 50 Years of Music (CD/DVD)
Appleseed Recordings 
tomrush.com

My, but the years have flown by. When I was getting heavily into folk music – say 45 or so years ago – Tom Rush’s early Prestige and Elektra recordings were among the first LPs I bought. And I kept on collecting Tom’s Columbia albums into the ‘70s – as well as most of the later CDs he’s released independently. So his music has been part of my life for almost all of the years that Tom and a bunch of his musical friends celebrated with a concert on December 28, 2012 at Symphony Hall in Boston – just across the Charles River from where his career took off at Club 47 in Cambridge.

Playing with Tom that night were some of the same back-up musicians who’ve worked with him over many years – Trevor Veitch, Eric Lilljequist, Dean Adrien, Joe Mennonna, Marshal Rosenberg, Paul Guzzone – as well as special guests Buskin & Batteau (I remember David Buskin, Robin Batteau and Marshal Rosenberg being in Tom’s band at the Bottom Line in New York, circa 1978, when Priscilla Herdman, who I was working with at the time, opened four shows for Tom), Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), Jonathan Edwards, and David Bromberg. The guests each performed their own songs and sat in as part of the band for the night.

Tom turns in stellar performances of songs from throughout his career highlighted by such numbers as his own song, “No Regrets,” done in a medley with the guitar instrumental “Rockport Sunday,” Joni Mitchell’s always stunning autumn classic, “Urge for Going,” Murray McLauchlan’s poignant “Child’s Song,” which Tom still sings credibly despite the fact that the song is from the perspective of a 20-or-so-year-old and he’s past 70, David Wiffen’s bluesy “Drivin’ Wheel,” and, of course, “Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm.”

The guests’ performances include David Bromberg’s version of Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues,” Buskin & Batteau’s “Lancelot’s Tune (Guinenere),” Dom Flemons’ romp through “Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine,” and Jonathan Edwards’ nostalgic take on the 1960s anthem “Get Together.” Each of the guests is featured on one track on the CD and gets a second song on the DVD version (although, for some reason, David Bromberg’s second song is relegated to the DVD bonus features).

The DVD version also has a different running order – which, I believe, is more reflective of the actual concert – and expanded intros and comments from the artists, and bonus features built around an interview with Tom about some of his career highlights.

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--Mike Regenstreif