David Bromberg Sessions

This was the album that Dylan started to record in 1992, that was later scrapped in favour of the solo acoustic performances which became the 'Good As I Been To You' album. A 4-track 'sampler' from these sessions emerged in 2002. Sadly, it now seems that no more of a complete tape will be forthcoming, despite it's existence being known.

JUNE 2006 UPDATE: Here's some new information, coming from 'The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia' by Michael Gray. Under the entry for David Bromberg (page 89), he give a more detailed list of songs recorded by Bob Dylan at these 1992 sessions than has ever been reported before:


1. Hey Joe (maybe a warm up/fragment, or not recorded at all?)
2. Mobile Line
3. Just Because
4. Field Of Stone (Would You Lay With Me)
5. Annie's Song
6. Jugband Song
7. Rock Me Baby
8. Send Me To The 'lectric Chair
9. Gotta Do My Time
10. Su Su's Got A Mohawk
11. Northeast Texas Woman
12. Sail On
13. Can't Lose What You Never Had
14. World Of Fools
15. Everybody's Crying Mercy
16. Tennessee Blues
17. Summer Wages
18. Casey Jones
19. Morning Blues
20. Young Westley
21. The Lady Came From Baltimore
22. New Lee Highway Blues
23. Rise Again
24. Duncan & Brady
25. The Main Street Moan
26. Nobody's Fault But Mine
27. Miss The Mississippi & You (currently circulating)
28. Sloppy Drunk (currently circulating)
29. Kaatskill Serenade (currently circulating)
30. Polly Vaughn (currently circulating)


Looks like we'd have 2 discs worth of material if these came into circulation.
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Here's some session information which I compiled a while back, taken from ISIS magazine:

ISIS #85 TWM 1462: 4248 9th May 1999 Page 9

4248: THE ACME STUDIOS, CHICAGO, JUNE 1992 SESSIONS

These sessions with Dave Bromberg, have not been mentioned in this column for some time, so here are the various references: 2359, 2362, 2366, 2378 and 2445.

The musicians on these sessions included a horn section of: Peter Ecklund (trumpet), Curtis Linberg (trombone) and John Firmin (tenor saxophone and claranet). The rhythm section consisted of: Butch Amiot (bass), Chris Cameron (keyboards) and Richard Crooks (drums), who also played on 'Blood On the Tracks'. Other musicians were: Jeff Wisor (fiddle and mandolin), Dick Fegy (mandolin) and Glenn Lowe (guitar). These are in addition to Dave Bromberg, of course. There was a choir, as previously reported, but this was only for one of the sessions. Also, a zydeco accordian player came in for one song; this was NORTH EAST TEXAN WOMAN. This title adds to previous information, as do a few others below.
A number of chicago blues songs were done, mainly Muddy waters material, as well as some Jimmie Rogers material, such as MISS THE MISSISSIPPI AND YOU, and some Dave Bromberg songs, such as KAATSKILL SERENADE and SLOPPY DRUNK. HEY JOE was a warm-up song and, as previously reported, POLLY VAUGHN was recorded. Dylan, who drove out from Los Angeles in a "truck" (perhaps a camper van?), is quoted as saying, at one session, 'I've made too many records". Dylan was looking for a "live" sound, that is, all the musicians playing together at one time in the same room. For at least some of the recordings, the musicians sat in a circle in the studio to record, including Dylan. Though not too talkative, Dylan did hang out a bit with the session musicians and the crew.

Ian Woodward.
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13265 Acme Recording
Chicago, Illinois
Early/Mid June 1992
Produced by David Bromberg.

1. I'll Rise Again (trad.)
2. Nobody's Fault But Mine (Blind Willie Johnson)
3. Lady Came From Baltimore (trad.)
4. Polly Vaughan (trad.)
5. Casey Jones (trad.)
6. Duncan And Brady (trad.)
7. Kaatskill Serenade (David Bromberg)
8. World Of Fools (David Bromberg)

1-2, 4-8 Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar) backed by David Bromberg (guitar) and his band.
2 Bob Dylan (vocal) and David Bromberg (acoustic guitar).
1-2 Chicago South Side Gospel Choir
Note. No known recording in general circulation from this session.
References.
Mix, November 1992.
Clinton Heylin: The Recording Sessions 1960-1994. St. Martins Press 1995, pp. 189– 91.
Clinton Heylin: Bob Dylan: Behind The Shades. Take Two. Viking 2000, pp. 672–673.
Session info updated 26 February 1993.

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Therefore, these are the tracks known to have been recorded -

1. North East Texas Woman
2. Miss The Mississippi & You
3. Kaatskill Serenade
4. Sloppy Drunk
5. Polly Vaughn
6. I'll Rise Again
7. Nobody's Fault But Mine
8. Lady Came From Baltimore
9. Casey Jones
10. Duncan & Brady
11. World Of Fools


I've omitted 'Hey Joe' from the list since it was described as a 'warm up' and may or may not have been recorded.
Thanks to Emily for correcting some of the band member's names, and my spelling of 'Kaatskill Serenade'! ;-)

August 11th 2004 Update:

In 'The Recording Sessions', Clinton Heylin suggests that it could be very likely that 'Little Maggie' was also recorded, so I suppose it's worth mentioning here.

There was also mutterings of a video (!) from these sessions turning up. As of October 2005, nothing more has surfaced, sadly.


Complete tape, anyone...?