The Best of David Bromberg

In the ‘70s, singer/guitarist David Bromberg was among the first to unabashedly sound like a suburban white kid steeped in roots music—and he did it with such singular style, sardonic humor, and undeniable instrumental panache that he became a cult hero. While a 10-track anthology can’t come close to encompassing the broad array of traditional styles Bromberg imprinted with his engagingly offbeat sound (not to mention his ample supply of indelible original tunes), this collection catches the highlights of his ‘70s salad days. It focuses on Bromberg’s own quirky but tradition-conscious compositions, including “The Hold Up” (a mariachi-tinged tale of desperate roadside bandits co-penned by George Harrison), the satirical 12-bar slow burner “Suffer to Sing the Blues,” and the saucy, slinky stripper’s story “Sharon.” But Bromberg brings just as much élan to his extended acoustic cover of “Mr. Bojangles” (the signature song of his onetime employer Jerry Jeff Walker) and a bold, brassy take on the old blues tune “Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair.” This concise collection will get you off to a great Bromberg start.