Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of David Bromberg's Cover Of Blind Willie McTell's Classic "Statesboro Blues".
He Ain’t No Wallflower
David Bromberg, The Player: A Retrospective, David Bromberg, Sony Music, 1998
The last time that I had mentioned the name of the artist under review, the well-regarded highly-skilled guitarist David Bromberg, was in a review of Rosalie Sorrels "The Last Go Round" album. That work was a recording of her last concert at Harvard in 2002. Originally the late Dave Van Ronk was to be on the program but he passed away a few weeks before the concert. David Bromberg was brought in as a replacement on short notice and wowed the house. I am sorry that I do not remember his play list and his work was not produced on the Sorrels CD. Not to worry though you can be sure that it included some of the tracks on this CD that represent some of his best work over a long career going back to the 1960's.
Virtually everyone I know has commented on Bromberg's extraordinary command of the guitar, his knowledge of what is called the American songbook and his, let's face it, at times thin and reedy voice. Forget that last part of the comment though because what you get in return are very innovative Bromberg presentations of well-known material. Obviously, Bromberg, having played with legendary cowboy Jerry Jeff Walker, needs to give us his version of "Mr. Bojangles". But how about a talking "Statesboro Blues", the Blind Willie McTell classic that most cover artists try to go up tempo on. The he goes 1950's on us with "Mr. Blue". And then gets down and dirty honky-tonk with "Wallflower". See what I mean, the guy knows his stuff. Get this thing and find out for yourself.
Song Lyrics: Statesboro Blues
Written by Blind Willie McTell
Recorded in (1928)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Have you got the nerve to drive papa McTell from your door
My mother died and left me reckless, my daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
Mother died and left me reckless, daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
No, I'm not good lookin', I'm some sweet woman's angel child
You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
Going to leave this town, pretty mama, going away to stay
I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
Treat me like I was a king and she was a doggone queen
Sister, tell your Brother, Brother tell your Auntie, Auntie, tell your Uncle,
Uncle tell my Cousin, Cousin tell my friend
Goin' up the country, Mama, don't you want to go?
May take me a fair brown, may take me one or two more
Big Eighty left Savannah, Lord, and did not stop
You ought to saw that colored fireman when he got that boiler hot
Reach over in the corner, hand me my travelin' shoes
You know by that, I got them Statesboro blues
Sister got 'em, daddy got 'em
Brother got 'em, mama got 'em
Woke up this morning, we had them Statesboro blues
I looked over in the corner,
Grandpa and grandma had 'em too.
He Ain’t No Wallflower
David Bromberg, The Player: A Retrospective, David Bromberg, Sony Music, 1998
The last time that I had mentioned the name of the artist under review, the well-regarded highly-skilled guitarist David Bromberg, was in a review of Rosalie Sorrels "The Last Go Round" album. That work was a recording of her last concert at Harvard in 2002. Originally the late Dave Van Ronk was to be on the program but he passed away a few weeks before the concert. David Bromberg was brought in as a replacement on short notice and wowed the house. I am sorry that I do not remember his play list and his work was not produced on the Sorrels CD. Not to worry though you can be sure that it included some of the tracks on this CD that represent some of his best work over a long career going back to the 1960's.
Virtually everyone I know has commented on Bromberg's extraordinary command of the guitar, his knowledge of what is called the American songbook and his, let's face it, at times thin and reedy voice. Forget that last part of the comment though because what you get in return are very innovative Bromberg presentations of well-known material. Obviously, Bromberg, having played with legendary cowboy Jerry Jeff Walker, needs to give us his version of "Mr. Bojangles". But how about a talking "Statesboro Blues", the Blind Willie McTell classic that most cover artists try to go up tempo on. The he goes 1950's on us with "Mr. Blue". And then gets down and dirty honky-tonk with "Wallflower". See what I mean, the guy knows his stuff. Get this thing and find out for yourself.
Song Lyrics: Statesboro Blues
Written by Blind Willie McTell
Recorded in (1928)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low
Have you got the nerve to drive papa McTell from your door
My mother died and left me reckless, my daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
Mother died and left me reckless, daddy died and left me wild, wild, wild
No, I'm not good lookin', I'm some sweet woman's angel child
You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
You're a mighty mean woman, to do me this a-way
Going to leave this town, pretty mama, going away to stay
I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
I once loved a woman, better than I ever seen
Treat me like I was a king and she was a doggone queen
Sister, tell your Brother, Brother tell your Auntie, Auntie, tell your Uncle,
Uncle tell my Cousin, Cousin tell my friend
Goin' up the country, Mama, don't you want to go?
May take me a fair brown, may take me one or two more
Big Eighty left Savannah, Lord, and did not stop
You ought to saw that colored fireman when he got that boiler hot
Reach over in the corner, hand me my travelin' shoes
You know by that, I got them Statesboro blues
Sister got 'em, daddy got 'em
Brother got 'em, mama got 'em
Woke up this morning, we had them Statesboro blues
I looked over in the corner,
Grandpa and grandma had 'em too.
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