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David Bromberg
Try Me One More Time
(Appleseed)
First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2007, Volume 14, #3
Written by John Metzger
As anyone who closely follows the acoustic side of the roots music scene is
aware, David Bromberg is a severely underappreciated performer. His skills on
guitar, in particular, are remarkable. By effortlessly intertwining
rhythm, bass, and melody in a delicate dance of flowing, finger-picked patterns,
he masterfully transforms the mathematical facets lurking at the heart of music
theory into something completely tangible.
It has been 17 years since Bromberg issued Sideman Serenade, and the
enormous passage of time that has elapsed inevitably makes his latest recording
Try Me One More Time a long overdue and highly welcome enterprise.
Swiping songs from Bob Dylan (It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to
Cry) and Robert Johnson (Kind Hearted Woman) as well as material from
Rev. Gary Davis (Trying to Get Home and I Belong to the Band),
Elizabeth Cotton (Shake Sugaree), and Blind Willie McTell (Love
Changing Blues), he seems to touch upon all of the right bases. This is,
however, merely a superficial illusion because somewhere along the way,
everything goes horribly awry.
It’s clear that Bromberg not only has a genuine affinity for the material but
also knows its history inside and out. Yet, his heart just doesn’t seem to be
into it. His vocals always have lagged behind his virtuosity, and throughout
Try Me One More Time, he struggles mightily to deliver the tunes in a
convincing fashion. Throughout the set, the warm intimacy that is established by
his solo arrangements is undone by the lack of passion in his vocals. Even
worse, the inclusion of cappella renditions of Moonshiner and Lonesome
Roving Wolves are untenable diversions that veer far from Bromberg’s
strengths. Still, there is a quiet beauty that lurks beneath the surface of the
collection, and it comes to the forefront on the instrumentals Buck Dancer’s
Choice and Hey Bub. In the end, though, there’s little on Try Me
One More Time that leaves much of a lasting impression.  ½
Try Me One More Time is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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