Concert report - Bromberg, Clinch Mountain Boys)

[swampstomper]

This last Saturday the State Theater in Ithaca NY had a double concert: Dr Ralph & the Clinch Mt Boys / David Bromberg with Angel Band.

Mando report:
1. Dr Ralph is again carrying a mandolinist -- his 13-year old grandson Nathan (a brief bio here (http://drralphstanley.com/biography/nathanstanley.shtml)).
He played almost exclusively rhythm with a big loose right hand -- but amazingly he MC'd the first half of the show, quite credibly. He did play one instrumental, his own composition "Sandy Ridge", a simple little riff. The Clinch Mt Boys were really, really tight as always -- the combination of Steve Sparkman (b) and Dewey Brown (f), with JA Shelton cross-picking and the ageless Jack Cooke keeping down the bottom end, really "gets it".

2. Bromberg (homepage (http://www.davidbromberg.net/home.html)) is difficult to describe let alone categorize. He had Mitch Corbin mostly full-time on mando. According to his bio "In 1982 he accomplished the unheard of when he won both the guitar and mandolin championship at the national contest held in Winfield, Kansas." Also on stage for much of the show was the Angel Band's multi-instrumentalist Bobby Tangrea. The high point of the evening for me was a triple mandolin rendition of Wheel Hoss!! (with Bromberg on the 3rd mando). Just 3 mandos and (electric) bass.

[AlanN]

Good to hear that Dewey fits right in. He is a local boy who made good. And good to hear that Bromberg is still alive and well. I was just watching a YouTube video of him playing slide with Garcia and a folk singer during the Woodstock(!) weekend.

[Tom C]

I noticed last time I saw Bromberg, he is now playing an Eastman instead of his '70s Gibs*on he used to use.
When I saw him with Angel Band, I was hoping Angel Band backs him up, but he backs up Angel Band. No singing or talking. He's just like a no-name in his wife's band. They were great singers and great tune selections.
<span style='color:purple'><span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Ohhhh Sharon......</span></span>

[swampstomper]

This time Bromberg did both. First he backed up Angel Band for about 1/2 hr on dobro and guitar, no singing. Then it was his show for 1.5 hrs, with Angel Band coming back out to back him up for the final 45 min. including a 20 min. (!!) rendition of "I want to testify my love for you". I was too far from the stage to see the mando brands, but they were all F5-style.

About Dewey Brown -- wow can that man fiddle!! He stuck to standards for his pieces (Fire on the Mt, OBS) but some really tremendous interpretations. I heard lots of Scotty Stoneman influence but within the Clinch Mt Boys framework.

[AlanN]

Dewey is perfect for that band, cause he is more mountain grass than a guy like Ron Stewart or Van Cleve. It's the subtle things that usu. make or break a winning combination, not sheer technical virtuosity.

[maynard g. krebs]

Bomberg is still alive and well. I was just watching a YouTube video of him playing slide with Garcia and a folk singer during the Woodstock(!) weekend.
i belive the "folk singer" may be Rosalie Sorrels

thats a great clip i had it on vhs at one point, can you post a link to it. thanks

on Bromberg, its great that he's come out of retirement. having watched him and Jorma K. play dueling guiters was a highlight of my mispent college days in upstate ny (back when jorma lived in the area), hopefully for him playing twin fiddles to the accompement of a giant naked mudfight in New Paltz NY was not one of his! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[AlanN]

Here's the (poor quality) clip, where you can hear Bromberg, and see him at the tail end of the clip.

Bromberg at Woodstock (with Garcia and Mimi Farina) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ggWflYSSlqU&search=jerry%20garcia)

[ira]

thanks for the link- jerry with bromberg----aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[AlanN]

Bromberg had an in with the Dead, the band played on his record Demon in Disguise.

An interesting story - Bromberg's father and my father were colleagues. One day, his double album How Late'll Ya Play Till? arrives in the mail, with an inscription on the cover...Dear Alan, don't drive your old man crazy with this...

[maynard g. krebs]

THANKS,

gues the urban legend was wrong, imagine that http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

bromberg and hot tuna also opened for the dead in 1970

[AlanN]

Yep, Garcia knew a good musician when he heard one.

[swampstomper]

Well, I would definitely recommend going to see Bromberg. He gigs when he wants and where he wants, and each show has different combinations of musicians. On his home page he shows a large horn section, but they didn't travel to Ithaca, so we got a more acoustic sound (although he was mostly playing an acoustic guitar through an effects pedal !! and amp, the sound was fairly natural). One one piece he sounded so much like BB King if the King played acoustic... and he is not afraid to pay direct homage to his sources like BB, Rev. Gary Davis, James Brown etc. And he has a "shtick" as they call it in NY State that is completely spontaneous. He played two solid hours with no break and no letup and with such changes in style and mood... really a master performer as well as musician. AND he can play Wheel Hoss.... what more do you want?

[Tom C]

Many women do not seem to like Bromberg. Maybe because all his songs are about women, drinking, and gambling. Every year for about 15years, David and his big band played at the Bottom Line. I miss that place. I also miss seeing Dick Feegie (RIP)when his big band does play. I've seen some nice fellows fill in for him like Jay Unger and Neil Rossie. He does seem to have an attitude going back to the early days. If you yell out a name of a tune, he will NOT play it. -Even if he was just about to and wants to. And he can request some really, really, bizaar stuff in a contract.

[Perry]

Now for something really interesting:

Bromberg's parents were clients in my first "real job";
an accounting firm in Tarrytown, NY http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sleepy.gif

The Bromberg/Hot Tuna collaborations back in the '80's
were great....I wasn't at the Chance but I was at the the Beacon....Bromberg added that showmanship to Tuna
and Tuna added grit to Bromberg.

A few months ago I got to see Tony Rice and Bromberg on stage together at BB KINGS in NYC...that was something else

Bromberg is BACK!

[maynard g. krebs]

it was great watching Jorma stump bromberg with the water song at the chance. it took bromberg a few seconds to catch up. that was the same time period that we would drive by uncle willey's in kingston and look for Jorma's car. if was there it likley meant't that he and maybee Rick Danko were inside and jamming!

one of the very few things, i miss from the east, along with pizza and bagels.

for those who don't have it bromberg realesed a great live show on that you can order from his website, highly recommned!

http://www.davidbromberg.net/buy.html

[Perry]

Uncle Willie's..hmmmm

I think I saw Jorma do an "official" show there once...if I remember correctly a banjo player may have joined him at the very end...I remember a diner of some sort being a few doors down

my band back then (The Lost Boys) used to play in New Paltz often..Snug Harbor, P&G's, some gigantic parties and Koochie's.....all back in "the goodle days"..

[ira]

man- haven't thought of new paltz for a while- i went to stoneonta, but had lots of friends at the paltz- many a good time at p&g s:p

[C. Carr]

Mr. Krebbs:

Would you please enlighten me about this comment?
..."guess the urban legend was wrong, imagine that"...
I really don't know to what you're referring. Inquiring minds want to know!

I first saw David Bromberg at the "Main Point"(outside Philly)in the mid 1970's. The combination of Bromberg and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" by NGDB had a profound effect upon my musical orientation.

Regards,

C. Carr
New Orleans
..."if the levee breaks won't be no place to stay"...

[ira]

all this bromberg talk is making me want to play some tunes- chords anyone???
send me to the lectric chair?
new lee hiway blues?

[allenhopkins]

Had the privilege of opening for Bromberg and his (smaller) band in Rochester last October. Jeff Wisor on fiddle was great, and Bromberg, somewhat heftier than when I first saw him in the '70's, was an amazing showman. The high point, for me, was the last encore, when the band stepped out in front of the mikes and sang "Roll On John" (you can hear it on one of the Greenbriar Boys' recordings) totally unamplified, in a 500-seat theater. They were masterful at setting the mood and pace of the concert, and could they pick! A great evening, and an honor to be a small part of the show.

[ira]

wow- just you , with a band?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif opening for bromberg- pretty impressive stuff my friend!

[allenhopkins]

Just me, solo, doing a brief five-song set. I did two on Autoharp 'cause I figured that's one instrument Bromberg wouldn't play! One on National Style 0 slide guitar, and two on my 00-42 Martin. I knew enough to get off the stage before the comparisons between my skills and Bromberg's became too obvious... Still, a great night!

[Richard Singleton]

Any of you New Paltz folk also check out The Arm Brothers back in the day? Tim Duran was one fine mandolin player. Their fiddle player Evan Stover was on Bromberg's Midnight on the Water album, with Jay Unger as well. Evan and Jay and Matt Glaser later became Fiddle Fever. I saw them once at SUNY New Paltz and also had the good fortune of seeing the Arm Bros as the opening act for Reno, Harell and Smiley, and Bill Monroe there a few years prior. Jay also plays some really fine mando when he plays with Bromberg.