Eerie Times
DAVE RICHARDS - Erie News Times
They like him, they really like him
BY DAVE RICHARDS
Published: March 29. 2007 7:00AM
'I've been in some weird bands,' Derek Lee Bronston admits. 'I've never done something that this many people liked.'
When Americana artist Derek Lee Bronston read what Performing Songwriter wrote about him, he darn-near blushed. He "growls and moans like a male Lucinda Williams," the magazine wrote.
Praise could not get any loftier than that, he says.
"That's about the nicest thing you can say to me," said Bronston, a Detroit native who'll perform Friday at Eclectic Etceteras in Edinboro.
"I love Lucinda Williams. I have every single Lucinda Williams record, and I listen to her all the time. As far as that quote goes, if that was true, that'd be great."
On "Empty River," he does veer into an occasional Lucinda-like drawl. He adopts her trademark halting / hesitant phrasing, too. But other influences abound: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, and Townes Van Zandt, whom he covers in "No Place to Fall."
It's a low-key, hushed, intimate, occasionally gorgeous CD, filled with evocative, open-hearted songs. It's also a far cry from the post-punk rock he played in New York's Great Shakes, or the jazz he favored for years, playing sideman with Cecil Taylor and Tom Harrell.
"I have pretty wide musical tastes," Bronston said. "I love Motown, and there's a lot of great jazz in Detroit. In fact, when I moved to New York, really my eyes were set on playing jazz. And I played jazz for 10 years. I feel like now I'm kind of going back to something that I liked. I came back to playing songs, basically."
Bronston sprang forward by getting over his reluctance for singing. With other bands, he was content to play guitar. Now he feels the best person to express his music is Derek Lee Bronston.
"I was too shy to sing. I just got over it," he said. "The comment I get from a lot of friends is this seems to be the most natural thing I've ever done. To some, it seems like a big shift from playing in rock and jazz bands, but it seems like a natural progression for me."
Producer Dennis Martin helped him craft an organic, languid CD that benefits from occasional splashes of dobro, pedal steel, piano, organ, and female backing vocals. But they're employed judiciously; the CD breathes. There's not a false note nor made-up story on it.
"Quite a few songs are based on my girlfriend," Bronston said. 'Some people think it's a sad record, but I think a lot of it is actually happy -- 'You Thrill Me,' 'Woman Like You,' 'All I Need.' I'm not hugely like Dylan, who writes about other characters. I haven't done a lot of writing about fictionalized characters, though I've been starting to think about stories that are diary entries."
Americana stations have embraced "Empty River," and so have a few country ones. He knows this isn't the type of music that'll ever hit Top 40 but could care less. He's singing and playing what he wants, and to his surprise, people are responding.
"To be honest, I have never done something that this many people liked," he said. "I'm just getting a really nice response. People seem to like the record. I'm sure someone doesn't, but I've been in some weird bands over the years, eclectic ones that were not mass appeal. Getting a nice response is kind of heartening."
Derek Lee Bronston will perform Friday at 5 p.m. at Eclectic Etceteras, 118 Erie St., in Edinboro. Admission is free. For more information, see www.myspace.com / eecoffeehouse.com.
Dave Richards can be reached at 870-1703 or by e-mail at dave.richards@ timesnews.com
They like him, they really like him
BY DAVE RICHARDS
Published: March 29. 2007 7:00AM
'I've been in some weird bands,' Derek Lee Bronston admits. 'I've never done something that this many people liked.'
When Americana artist Derek Lee Bronston read what Performing Songwriter wrote about him, he darn-near blushed. He "growls and moans like a male Lucinda Williams," the magazine wrote.
Praise could not get any loftier than that, he says.
"That's about the nicest thing you can say to me," said Bronston, a Detroit native who'll perform Friday at Eclectic Etceteras in Edinboro.
"I love Lucinda Williams. I have every single Lucinda Williams record, and I listen to her all the time. As far as that quote goes, if that was true, that'd be great."
On "Empty River," he does veer into an occasional Lucinda-like drawl. He adopts her trademark halting / hesitant phrasing, too. But other influences abound: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, and Townes Van Zandt, whom he covers in "No Place to Fall."
It's a low-key, hushed, intimate, occasionally gorgeous CD, filled with evocative, open-hearted songs. It's also a far cry from the post-punk rock he played in New York's Great Shakes, or the jazz he favored for years, playing sideman with Cecil Taylor and Tom Harrell.
"I have pretty wide musical tastes," Bronston said. "I love Motown, and there's a lot of great jazz in Detroit. In fact, when I moved to New York, really my eyes were set on playing jazz. And I played jazz for 10 years. I feel like now I'm kind of going back to something that I liked. I came back to playing songs, basically."
Bronston sprang forward by getting over his reluctance for singing. With other bands, he was content to play guitar. Now he feels the best person to express his music is Derek Lee Bronston.
"I was too shy to sing. I just got over it," he said. "The comment I get from a lot of friends is this seems to be the most natural thing I've ever done. To some, it seems like a big shift from playing in rock and jazz bands, but it seems like a natural progression for me."
Producer Dennis Martin helped him craft an organic, languid CD that benefits from occasional splashes of dobro, pedal steel, piano, organ, and female backing vocals. But they're employed judiciously; the CD breathes. There's not a false note nor made-up story on it.
"Quite a few songs are based on my girlfriend," Bronston said. 'Some people think it's a sad record, but I think a lot of it is actually happy -- 'You Thrill Me,' 'Woman Like You,' 'All I Need.' I'm not hugely like Dylan, who writes about other characters. I haven't done a lot of writing about fictionalized characters, though I've been starting to think about stories that are diary entries."
Americana stations have embraced "Empty River," and so have a few country ones. He knows this isn't the type of music that'll ever hit Top 40 but could care less. He's singing and playing what he wants, and to his surprise, people are responding.
"To be honest, I have never done something that this many people liked," he said. "I'm just getting a really nice response. People seem to like the record. I'm sure someone doesn't, but I've been in some weird bands over the years, eclectic ones that were not mass appeal. Getting a nice response is kind of heartening."
Derek Lee Bronston will perform Friday at 5 p.m. at Eclectic Etceteras, 118 Erie St., in Edinboro. Admission is free. For more information, see www.myspace.com / eecoffeehouse.com.
Dave Richards can be reached at 870-1703 or by e-mail at dave.richards@ timesnews.com
