David Bromberg - Musical Career

Musical Career

Bromberg was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 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 1972's 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 on 27 February 2007, on Appleseed Recordings. The disc includes Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" and Elizabeth Cotten's "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 O'Brien, 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 Wilmington's 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.