Bromberg, Angel Band: heavenly harmonies
Thursday, December 07, 2006
By Mark Bialczak
Staff writer | More From The Post-Standard

David Bromberg was the star Wednesday night at the Palace Theatre. He ably showed off his big, deep voice, an embracing sense of humor and guitar skills that earned him the key spot in the studio for hundreds of important American recording sessions.

But the best times came when the members of the Angel Band joined their three beautiful voices with his wondrous work.

It wasn't your regular, old one-band-opens-and-the-headliner-follows. Thankfully.

The Angel Band took the stage first. The three grand voices of Nancy Josephson, Jen Schonwald and Kathleen Weber, making her debut as part of the trio, filled the old movie theater from top to bottom, gorgeously thrilling the crowd that smartly got there in time.

Then their backup band marched on, and it was Bromberg himself on guitar, with his current band: Bobby Tangrea on mandolin, Butch Amiot on bass and Jeff Wisor on fiddle.

The onstage chemistry made them all sizzle, and not just because Josephson happens to be Bromberg's wife, too.

This cast was touched by the special kind of magic that makes a night of music memorable. Josephson shined in the role as leader, charming the crowd with her comments as well as with her vocals.

She told the crowd of how the Angel band recently sang backup to Linda Ronstadt. But with a three-to-one advantage, the band hijacked the song away from the star.

"Thus, we are known as the Tonya Hardings of folk music," Josephson said.

Their songs spilled over with spirit. "Hold Me Angel" soared with perfect harmony.

Even a run of songs that dealt with death, "Time Is Winding Down," "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" and "Lydia," throbbed with life and passion. The just-about-perfect "Angel in the Morning" raised goosebumps.

After intermission, Bromberg showed that he's a cool customer leading a band, too, as well as the owner of a booming voice that's too often been overshadowed by his instrumental talents.

"Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" and "As the Years Go Passing By" showed why the everlasting love of the blues and traditional string sounds paid off for the guy who was a big part of the mid 1960s Greenwich Village folk movement.

The band left to let Bromberg's solo style sink in. "Try Me One More Time," which will be the title cut from his album due out in February, proved that the 16 years between studio albums didn't diminish his power a bit.

And then Bromberg cut the power to his mike and guitar for "Little Bit of Rain." Midway through the song and halfway back in the center aisle, the Angel Band women showed up to add their harmony.

The juice was turned on again, literally and figuratively, and everybody grooved to a very funky version of the blues standard "Who Do You Love."