Bromberg David

Compiling the third and fourth solo albums by sideman-to-the-stars David Bromberg, Wanted Dead or Alive/Midnight on the Water includes Bromberg's virtuoso musicianship, eccentric songwriting, and endearingly off-key vocals, along with plenty of guest spots: Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and on the first, most of the Grateful Dead.

Recorded in a simple trio format with bassist Brian Bromberg and drummer Gregg Bissonette, Standards is about as close as smooth jazz pianist David Benoit has come to the classic post-bop West Coast sound that's always been one of his primary inspirations. Benoit is simply not an adventurous soul as either a bandleader or a pianist, and so Standards consists mostly of familiar songs (John Lewis' "Django," Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser," Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby," Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo à la Turk") given safe, pretty performances that never come close to re-invention. It's simply not in Benoit's nature to take risks, but to a listener on the pianist's mellow wavelength, these performances are both technically excellent and completely heartfelt. The choice of a couple obscurities by Henry Mancini and Neal Hefti adds an idiosyncratic personal touch as well. Bold and audacious it may not be, but Standards is a low-key delight.

David Bromberg basically gave up his recording and performing career at the start of the 1980s, but in 1986 his old label, Fantasy Records, released this album of odds and ends recorded between 1976 and 1979. Since odds and ends are what Bromberg specialized in, the result was as good as any of his albums, beginning with a paean to marijuana ("The Viper"), followed by one to drinking and sex ("Loaded and Laid"). Those jazzy live tracks typically were followed by studio recordings of meticulously played acoustic ballads before Bromberg and his band returned to San Francisco's Great American Music Hall for concert staples like "Suffer to Sing the Blues" and "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor." It was enough to make you wish he'd perform a little more often.

David Bromberg, Godfather of Americana, musician's musician, decorated multi-instrumentalist, and acclaimed singer-songwriter, hits a milestone with his debut Red House Records release The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But The Blues. Produced by three-time Grammy winner Larry Campbell, it's a wonderfully curated selection of deep cuts from the blues genre, in addition to luminous originals and traditional material given the Bromberg treatment. David found his inspiration for the album when he heard Willie Nelson repeat a quote from Texas fiddler Johnny Gimble: "There's only two kinds of music - the Star-Spangled Banner and the Blues.

Writing about the album in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Steve Klinge said, "Bromberg recorded Only Slightly Mad, released by West Chester's Appleseed Recordings, with producer Larry Campbell, who played guitar in Dylan's touring band from 1997 to 2004, and who now runs the studio of the late Levon Helm. Bromberg originally intended to do an album of Chicago blues-style songs, but at Campbell's encouragement, the project turned into what Bromberg calls "an old-fashioned David Bromberg album with everything in the world on it." It's a broad mix of blues, bluegrass, folk, and gospel, mostly originals and a few choice covers, with moments of ironic humor, extemporaneous sermonizing, and deeply personal confessions, including a pair of love songs addressed to his wife, Nancy Josephson, the former leader of the Angel Band."