David Bromberg Big Band w/ special guest Loudon Wainwright III

No upcoming concerts for david-bromberg

Other Upcoming Shows

Joe Dombrowski

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 4th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$33 - $43

Ismo: Watch Your Language Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 5th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $37

Heather McDonald: The Juicy Scoop Experience

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 6th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $85

Yngwie Malmsteen: The 40th Anniversary Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon Oct 7th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45 - $75

CANCELLED – Robin Trower

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Oct 8th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $69

My Therapist Ghosted Me

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Oct 10th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $47

Brian Simpson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 11th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $57

Tracy Morgan

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 12th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$69

Richard Thompson: Ship to Shore Tour – Full Band Show

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 13th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $85

John Early: The Album Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Oct 15th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Partly seated
PRICE:
$45

Liang Haiyuan – The Man In The Corner 2

*Performed in Mandarin

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Oct 16th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $75

Therapuss Live with Jake Shane

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Oct 17th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $126

Matt McCusker

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 18th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Oct 18th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$29 - $39

Sheng Wang

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 19th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Oct 19th - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 20th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$32.50 - $42.50

HAIRY SITUATION: A New Comedy show by ALOK

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon Oct 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
Openers: Travis Alabanza
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Jenny Slate LIFEFORM Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Oct 23rd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$65 - $75

The Moth Mainstage

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Oct 24th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$57

Tommy Tiernan – tommedian

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Oct 27th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon Oct 28th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$52 - $62

Lore Podcast Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Oct 30th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Duncan Trussell

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 1st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $40

Neighbor and LaMP

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 2nd - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$32

Ronny Chieng: The Love To Hate It Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 3rd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 3rd - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $89

The Wallflowers

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 6th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$57 - $85

CANCELLED – Miller: New Supply Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 7th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Almost Friday TV Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 7th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $55

Brian Regan

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 8th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 9th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $69

Kevin Hart: Acting My Age (Boch Center)

Please Note - This show is at the Wang Theatre

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 10th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39.50 - $299.50

The Rest Is History

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 10th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $47

Max Fosh – Loophole

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 13th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45

Steve Treviño: The Good Life Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Kathleen Madigan: The Potluck Party

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 15th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 16th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$36.75 - $61.75

An Evening with Railroad Earth

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Partly seated
PRICE:
$35 - $39.50

Dinosaur Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$34 - $65

Michael Rapaport

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Whitney Cummings: Big Baby

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 22nd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 22nd - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Ryan Hamilton

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 23rd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$25 - $35

Anubhav Singh Bassi

Ages 16+ | Performed in Hindi

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 24th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $82

Justin Hayward: Blue World Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 27th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $189

Chris Botti

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 29th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 30th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $89

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 1st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$60 - $95

Jimmy O. Yang

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 6th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$48 - $98

David Lucas

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 7th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $40

Hot Tuna (Acoustic)

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Dec 11th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$60 - $80

Morgan Jay: Aphrodesia Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 12th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 12th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 13th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 13th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$36.50 - $56.50

Godfrey

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 14th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$26 - $35

Matt Rogers: The Prince of Christmas Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45

Girls Gotta Eat: No Crumbs Tour

Tickets on sale now!

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 20th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$44.50 - $77

Sammy Obeid

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $89

Big Jay Oakerson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 28th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Bob Marley Comedian

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 29th - 5:30PM Doors Open - 4:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 29th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$46.50

Russell Peters: RELAX World Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Jan 15th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $229

Tech Roast: Touring Machine

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Jan 16th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$47 - $117

Christopher Titus

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Jan 19th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Monét X Change: Life Be Lifin’

Rescheduled from 5/14 to 1/24

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Jan 24th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$38 - $48

Sarah Silverman: Postmortem

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 25th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 25th - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $89

Gals on the Go Podcast: Who Is She? Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Sep 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $100

Andrew Santino: Freeze Peach Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $69.50

Tom Segura @ TD Garden

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$44.50 - $104.50

Jordan Jensen

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Feb 16th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27

Jimmy Cash

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Feb 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $37

Ginger Billy

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $100

HYPROV: Improv under Hypnosis

Starring Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and Asad Mecci (World Renowned Hypnotist)

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 28th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Maria Bamford

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 6th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

David Nihill: Shelf Help Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Mar 9th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$29 - $59

Margaret Cho Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Mar 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $50

Phil Hanley Spellbound Tour

Each ticket includes "Spellbound" Book!

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Astronomy Bizarre

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $250

Trae Crowder

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

A Nightmare with Casey Sherman

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Mar 26th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $55

Gaelic Storm: Roll Out the Barrel Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 27th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $65

Becky Robinson: Members Only Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Apr 4th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $70

JOHNNYSWIM: The WHEN THE WAR IS OVER Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Apr 11th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$42 - $297

CANCELLED – Christina P: Old Yeller Tour

This show is cancelled. Ticket purchasers will be refunded automatically.

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat May 17th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
PRICE:
$39

Bio

ABOUT DAVID BROMBERG: For Americana godfather David Bromberg, it all began with the blues. His incredible journey spans five-and-a-half decades, and

ABOUT DAVID BROMBERG:

For Americana godfather David Bromberg, it all began with the blues.

His incredible journey spans five-and-a-half decades, and includes – but is not limited to – adventures with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jerry Garcia, and music and life lessons from seminal blues guitarist Reverend Gary Davis, who claimed the young Bromberg as a son. A musician’s musician, Bromberg’s mastery of several stringed instruments (guitar, fiddle, Dobro, mandolin), and multiple styles is legendary, leading Dr. John to declare him an American icon. In producing John Hartford’s hugely influential Aereo-Plain LP, Bromberg even co-invented a genre: Newgrass.

Add in a period of self-imposed exile from his passion (1980-2002), during which he became a renowned violin expert, and Wilmington, Delaware’s cultural ambassador; top that off with a triumphant return to music-making, and you have an amazing tale leading back to one place: the blues.

Now, with The Blues, the Whole Blues, and Nothing But the Blues, his first release for Red House Records, Bromberg and multi-Grammy-winning producer/accompanist Larry Campbell (Dylan, Levon Helm, Paul Simon) focus on the music David discovered in high school, when, circa late 50s, he was introduced to a friend’s dad’s collection of blues 78s. He’d only just taken up guitar as a means to pass the time while in bed with the measles.

“I loved those 78s so much,” says David, “I taped them on a portable reel-to-reel, so I could listen at home and learn.”

That love is evident in The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues. The album is both blues primer and an opportunity to witness a master embracing this distinctly American music with passion and grace.

“There’s a lot of different types of blues on there,” Bromberg notes. “We decided to start it off with a dyed-in-the-wool blues [Robert Johnson’s “Walkin’ Blues”], but there’s also country blues [“Kentucky Blues”], and gospel-influenced blues [“Yield Not”].”

Bromberg, a onetime sideman himself, is quick to give props to his long-running road-and-studio cohorts: Butch Amiot (bass), Josh Kanusky (drums), Mark Cosgrove (guitar), Nate Grower (fiddle), and Peter Ecklund (cornet). Of producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, fellow Reverend Gary Davis acolyte, and old friend Larry Campbell, he says, “To use a baseball analogy, Larry is like a star at any position in the infield, because he can play them all.”

Since meeting in the early 80’s, Campbell and Bromberg had crossed paths many times. They finally worked together in Levon Helm’s studio for David’s 2013 return-to-form Only Slightly Mad. “He wanted to do a Chicago blues album then,” Larry says. “But we decided to remind folks of what he does better than anyone: the whole gamut of Americana, the full Brombergian. And we got some new fans. For this one, we went back to the blues, and made use of David’s great vocabulary in all veins of the genre.”

Bromberg’s guitar work remains a marvel; amped electric lead – both slide and fretted – and delicately powerful acoustic fingerpicking propel these songs with the same force that made him the go-to guy for acts ranging from the Eagles to Link Wray to Phoebe Snow. This is a man who can go full-on Chicago gutbucket with “You Don’t Have to Go” (a Bromberg original), then slay with the jazz inflections of Ray Charles’ “A Fool for You,” rendered here intimately solo. Although Bromberg points out he’s not the same guitarist he was before his two decades away from performing and recording. “I play differently,” he says. “I can’t play as fast, but playing slower gives me more time to think about what I’m doing.”

“He’s always able to plug into the emotion of a song,” Campbell says. “He’s incredibly inventive as a player. Sometimes restrictions can be good.”

Listeners can actually hear what the years have given Bromberg in the spartan, acoustic “Delia.” Bromberg originally covered this traditional nugget on his 1972 self-titled debut – a live, solo rendition with a spoken-word break. The new version features Campbell and Bromberg in the studio, revisiting Bromberg’s live arrangement from their occasional duo tours. It is mesmerizing, with gravitas only experience can bring. “Larry and I have played ‘Delia’ a lot,” Bromberg says. “I love what he does on it.”

Longtime fans will notice another difference: Bromberg’s voice; he’s really singing. The vocals cover a broad range: impassioned, vibrato-laden testifying; pew-jumping soul shouts; soft, confident, crooning; and, of course, his peerless raconteur chops (particularly in “You Been A Good Old Wagon”).

“When I first started,” Bromberg says, “singing was something I did between guitar solos. But during the period I did so little performing, I took some voice lessons, and now, I know more what I’m doing. I love singing now. Love it.”

Larry Campbell was impressed at the newfound vocal chops, too. “He is a better vocalist than ever,” he says. “He’s strong, and present. None of the songs took more than three takes. And he was able to take the old folk song ‘900 Miles’ [a “railroad song” made famous by Odetta and Woody Guthrie], and turn it into an electric blues that’s a real high point of the album for me.”

Although he remains the proprietor of the beloved David Bromberg Fine Violins in Wilmington, Delaware – “I love my shop,” he says – Bromberg makes time to tour with his quintet, and he’s already included every song in his live repertoire (save “Yield Not,” which requires a choir), from The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues. As ever, he brings his characteristic devotional intensity to the music, invigorating his surprise third act with the same passion he felt as a teen, spinning those blues 78s, just before the road called. 

 

ABOUT LOUDON WAINWRIGHT:

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2010 GRAMMY Winner (Best Traditional Folk Album) for High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (Two previous GRAMMY nominations: I’m Alright, 1985 and More Love Songs, 1986).

Best Album of 2009: High Wide & Handsome per NPR’s Ken Tucker (Fresh Air & Entertainment Weekly magazine).

High Wide & Handsome named among the year’s best per Village Voice, No Depression, FolkWax and fRoots.

“Mr. Wainwright has proved to be far and away the most candid diarist among the singer-songwriters who… brought confessional poetry into popular song… Mr. Wainwright wrings more human truth out of his contradiction than any other songwriter of his generation.” – New York Times, Stephen Holden

Songs covered by Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Earl Scruggs, Mose Allison, Big Star, Freakwater, Norma Waterson, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright.

Film acting credits include: Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up (for which he also recorded the soundtrack) and The 40 Year Old Virgin; Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration; Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown; Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator; Tim Burton’s Big Fish; 28 Days alongside Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen and Steve Buscemi; Jacknife alongside Robert De Niro and Ed Harris; Neil Simon’s The Slugger’s Wife.

Television acting credits include: Parks and Recreation (w/ Amy Poehler); Undeclared (w/ Seth Rogen & writer/producer Judd Apatow); Grounded for Life; Ally McBeal; The T.V. Show (w/ Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Billy Crystal) where he played keyboard with the early Spinal Tap, which made it’s first appearance on this program; a recurring role on M*A*S*H and a role as the original musician/sidekick on The David Letterman Show.

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