Here is David Bromberg saying to some of his favorite singer/songwriters “use me,” either write a song or pick one out we can do together.  His taste in these musicians, as you might guess is wide-ranging; eclectic, or diverse might also be appropriate words here.  The variety of musicians mirrors the Americana musical category into which we now use to lump musical styles as diverse as traditional folk, blues, R&B, New Orleans “fonk,” and any other genre we might feel like placing there.   This amalgam of wide-ranging friends help do a number of songs that these others have written either for this project or with him in mind for the large part (the only song he wrote is the one that he does with Levon Helm to open the disc, “Tongue”. 

As you would expect there is consistently outstanding playing throughout the songs, as dissimilar as they might appear to be.  David plays most of the lead guitar on all, but does hand off most of the honors to Vince Gill on “Lookout Mountain Girl,” and he does share the lead duties with Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic on “Old Neighborhood”. He also does all the lead vocals in his very distinctive and that so recognizable phrasing and voice.  Others contributing and appearing here are John Hiatt, Dr John, Linda Ronstadt, Keb’Mo, Los Lobos, Tim O’Brien, and Phil and Joe Nicolo (The Butcher Brothers), as well as those already mentioned.

David Bromberg has constantly been a musician who was like a chameleon in his earlier days though always a featured chameleon in who’s ever band he played; from Bob Dylan, to Link Wray, to Willie Nelson and so many more.  Through his collaborations and work with George Harrison, Jerry Garcia, and Jay Ungar.  This is one of the most fitting album titles I have yet come across; “Use Me,” and not only is he used, but he is well used and this is about as good as it gets, one fantastic disc with the constant of excellence in all ways running thorough it.