Checking In With… David Bromberg

In times of crisis, it’s more important than ever to check in on your friends and loved ones. Here at XPN, we’re Checking In With our extended musical family to see how they’re holding up during the Coronavirus quarantine…and what music has kept them grounded. Today, Dan Reed chats with David Bromberg.

“We are completely hunkered,” said regional roots music legend David Bromberg when we caught up with him via phone at his Wilmington home for a Checking In spotlight.

In our conversation, we talk about Bromberg’s latest album, Big Road — released last month on Red House Records — which was recorded live in the studio, video and audio, all in one afternoon. “It wasn’t hard, it was fun,” Bromberg says. He also shares how he enjoys playing live more than he ever did. “I’m crazy about my band, and I’m crzy about the way they play, and I’m cray about them as humans,” Bromberg says.

We also hear about his violin shop in Wilmington, what qualities he looks for in a bandmate, and his love for early recordings of The Staples Singers. Hear it all in the player below.

Favorite Song of All Time + Song that Raises Your Spirits: “Too Close” by The Staple Singers

“It must have been recorded in Memphis, because at one point Pops Staples says ‘The spirit of Memphis got me feeling good.’ And he also says ‘Keep on, Brother Wright.’ And that was O.V. Wright, who was a DJ in Memphis and later had a few hits as an R&B singer.”

Song You’re Most Proud of Working On: “This Is The Strongest Man Alive” by David Bromberg Band

“I think there’s some good lines in it, and the point of it comes through at the very end.”