David Bromberg: Bull Run Paddy
[purchase]
Despite appearances, David Bromberg is not actually a NY Jew (as I previously suggested) : he hails originally from NJ and his current domicile is Delaware ( = none of the above).
Among the most eclectic and most accomplished guitarists alive, (his official website lists the multitude of concerts he has performed over the years!), the man is a stringed instrument master. He's a finger picker par excellence (you know when they use those thumb and finger picks that they're serious) in addition to playing slide guitar, fiddle and more. His genres include folk, rock, country ... and span various cultural influences: not the least of which includes the Irish.
For my part (in addition to his obvious comfort on the stage), one of his most endearing skills is the way he can tell a story in the midst of a song. In fact, this is a trademark of his style: he puts the song on pause and adds a few lines of related dialogue - bring in the audience, comment on the saga behind the song, and then continue. His better known tunes such as Sharon, I Like to Sleep Late and Demon in Disguise are classics of this style (and you can watch him do them here.)
As for the Irish, he's done several tunes over the years. Herewith/above, you'll hear a fiddle medley from his 1977 Reckless Abandon album , complete with a call out to the Irish of America in the lyrics: …” if it hadn't a been for Irishmen, what would your Union done ...?” This song's got the Irish "stomp", the fiddle, the "whistles" - what more could you want?
A tip o' the hat to both Darius and Bert for their backing "vocals" in bringing this your way.