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Live Local Music

David Bromberg and Jorma Kaukonen at the State Theatre-Jan 27th

Posted by Michael Giannelli on 01/25 at 12:42 AM

As disciples of the late Rev. Gary Davis, Jorma Kaukonen and David Bromberg share the same major musical influence.  Born in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, respectively, each picked up on Davis’ gospel/blues songs and finger-picking guitar at an early age.  While Jorma learned of the music through friends, David was actually taught by him directly, along with several other prominent players.  Both Jorma and David seemed destined to head down similar career paths without either necessarily bound for the mainstream.

That is, however, until Jorma moved to the San Francisco area to attend college and eventually went on to join a rock and roll group called Jefferson Airplane.  The one time blues purist was “sucked in by technology” and then in turn distinguished himself as one of the great electric players of the psychedelic era, as well as a notable songwriter.
Although not reaching the prodigious heights as Jorma, David Bromberg still managed to achieve a notoriety of his own.  Beginning in the late 1960s, David released several solo albums over the years, culminating in a Grammy award nomination in 2008.  He has recorded material in many different styles including blues, folk, bluegrass, country, and rock and is known for his unique ability to play rhythm and lead guitar parts simultaneously.
Coming together at the State Theatre on Wednesday, January 27th, David Bromberg and Jorma Kaukonen will play Gary Davis-inspired acoustic songs as well as a bevy of their own folk and Americana originals.
When:  Show starts at 8pm
Tickets:  $29, all ages