Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??

Subject: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Sep 03 - 02:41 PM

With a voice as singular as Geoff Muldauer, Bruno Wolf was a big part of the original LP made by JIM KWESKIN and the jugband on Vanguard. And then he was gone. Where did he go? Is he still doing music??

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: RangerSteve
Date: 21 Sep 03 - 05:55 PM

He was the lead singer in the group whose name escapes me that did "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". Later on as Norman Greenbaum, he did "Spirit in the Sky". Really. They are all the same guy. I have know idea what he's doing now, but a friend who I trust not to give me false information claimed years ago that Mr. Wolf was living in NYC and working for the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign. I hope you're not one to let that sway your opinion of his music, although I think that leaving music for any kind of politics is a waste of talent, Republican or Democrat. I agree, along with the Muldaurs, he was the best part of that group. A great harmonica player and singer.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: okthen
Date: 22 Sep 03 - 06:54 AM

Didn't Norman Greenbaum invest all the money from "Spirit in the sky" in a goat farm? Or is that another urban myth?

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Sep 03 - 03:13 PM

Well, thanks I think. "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago" was my infant son's favorite song back around 1975. I had no idea that was Bruno singing. "I'm Goin' To German--Be Back Some Old Day" was a "unique", if not gorgeous vocalizing attempt. There was at least one more by him on that first Vanguard LP but can't recall what right now. Got to go and dig it out one of these days.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST,Rockaday Johnny
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 08:53 AM

The Eggplant that ate Chicago - hit #52 in 1966 - by Dr West Medicine show and Junkband (Bruno Wolfe) they put a whole lp out and it was reissued with unreleased trax by rhino records. Bruno was great on that first Kweskin lp - but it was G. Muldaur that sang "Germany" ...
I think he did the vocals on Ukelele Lady on the second lp, but could be wrong....

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 04:37 PM

Art,

There may be some information in my PermaThread "Where are they Now"

Walking Eagle

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 04:40 PM

Art, I remember seeing the Kweskin Jug Band (with Bill Kieth) in (maybe) '67 in some club on Welles down from Mother Blues that was a converted church. We sat in old pews on the second floor - what was that place?? I remember more band members and kids than audience!! Maria did that great version of "I 'm a Woman."
Only in America - Wolf becomes a Republican, and Kweskin a real estate developer.
Chris in Wheaton

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST,Norman Greenbaum
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 01:44 PM

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 12:23 PM

Brunos real name is David Simons. I worked with himat Bailey's Ice Cream in Chestnut Hill, MA in 1968.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 11:31 PM

Tangled webs we've woven!

Just fascinating. And fantastic--------as in pure fantasy.

Art

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 12:44 AM

Bruno Wolf and Norman Greenbaum were both in Boston in the late 60s and there is no report of anyone seeing them together. So they must be the same guy.

_The Sound of Our Town: a History of Boston Rock & Roll_ by Brett Milano includes brief sections about both Jim Kweskin and Norman Greenbaum with no overlap.

Art's right, it's an internet myth.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 03:00 AM

Bruno Wolf's real name is indeed David Simon (not Norman Greenbaum!). David was in NYC in the '70s and '80s. He did do the vocal on Ukulele Lady and other songs on the Kweskin albums. A great vocalist.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST,tom, northern california
Date: 18 Feb 11 - 07:59 PM

and Norman Greenbaum did own a chicken farm in Petaluma Ca. As of 2005 he was off the farm and out of music, but living off his royalties from 'spirit in the sky' in santa rosa, ca.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST,jimboque
Date: 29 Mar 11 - 10:23 PM

Bruno Wolfe sang lead on Overseas Stomp and Hawaii in the first album.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to BRUNO WOLF??
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 03:13 PM

To Art Thieme, I have it from the guy who sang on The Eggplant That Ate Chicago that he ain't Bruno. I also feel Bruno was a wondrous product of his time, and his several solos on the J.K. Jug Band stand out for their funky sublimity. Goeff Muldahr answered an email of mine to say Bruno was a friend of Kweskin's named David Simon, and that Simon became a Scientologist. Whether the same Simon worked for Reagan is a maybe I can't answer. but the Jug Band replaced Bruno with Mel Lyman, a pathological mystic shaman who thought he was God, and convinced Jim Kweskin he just might be. Lyman died; Kweskin has now returned to music and tours with Muldahr, and hopefully Jim is still married to Marilyn. Dunno,    Rick Zollo, an early fan of the Jug Band

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 12 - 01:36 PM

This is old news now, isn't it? Heard David Simon/Bruno Wolf perform in Chicago-style blues band in NYC at a time where best information has Norman Greenbaum in California. Corresponded with Greenbaum about this issue. Greenbaum stated that Simon/Wolf was indeed a member of Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band for a short time but that they were not the same person and that Simon/Wolf did not appear on the album (although that harmonica playing is eerily similar to Wolf's work with Kweskin). I hope this either clears things up or makes things more muddy.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,ANOTHER GUEST - Southern Calif.
Date: 01 Jan 13 - 12:44 PM

I was friendly with David Simons (I think his name had an s at the end) on Martha's Vineyard Island, MA in the summer of 1964. He was living with the Kushi family, a macrobiotic commune. He played as a solo act at my coffee house, the Cafe Moska, fairly frequently. He was a unique talent. I think he was no longer in the Kweskin Jug Band at that time. I remember him fondly. Lost track of him after that summer. I also saw Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band in Boston in the mid-sixties. He was not playing with them at the time, but that is not to say he didn't join them later -- that's possible. Norman Greenbaum was definitely a different person.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,mustang sally
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 09:02 PM

In 1972, I dated the David Simon (aka Bruno Wolf)who sang Ukelele lady and was an original member of the the Jim Kweskin's jug band.

I have just gone through Norman Greenbaum's website looking at old pictures and although there is a resemblance I do not think Norman Greenbaum and David Simon are the same person.

For one thing, David was selling jewelry, tacos, kosher hot dogs and chinese rolls in NYC in 1971-73. He used to sing Ukelele Lady at some local poetry by candlelight gigs and was quite the character. He never mentioned having written the hit nor was he into dairy farming as was Norman Greenbaum.

So although they look a little bit similar, and were around at the same time in Boston and at least one article mentions that NOrman Greeanbaum was a David Simon alias. I do not think they could possibly be the same person

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,steffo1
Date: 19 Jun 14 - 09:20 PM

I was friends with Dave Simon/Bruno Wolf in the mid '70's...he was working for Erewhon Natural Foods at the time...fun guy for sure...and NOT Norman Greenbaum for sure. I was looking for Dave and came upon the info that he could be Norman Greenbaum and so I emailed Norman Greenbaum who was nice enough to say he knew of Dave, but they were not the same person. Interesting little mystery though!

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,gemtea
Date: 28 May 15 - 11:44 PM

Bruno Wolfe sang lead on two songs on each of 1st two Kweskin Jug Band albums: First album he sang Hawaii and Overseas Stomp and on the 2nd, Ukulele Lady and Morning Blues.For some reason I thought he sang lead on Mobile Line but that was Bob Siggins. Morning Blues also shows him (Dave Simon) as composer on Morning Blues. I had to do a bit of research to find this since I couldn't find my original vinyl releases but they are here somewhere. Been collecting a long time. Notice info I found shows his name with an "e" at the end. Not the greatest voice but one of the most memorable. There was an odd but captivating timbre to his vocals. I loved to listen to him and always wished he's been featured more. I was happy to see others who were like me and wondered what happened to him.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 12 Jul 15 - 04:27 PM

Bruno Wolf and Mel Lyman must have overlapped in the Kweskin jug band because on the second Vanguard album Wolf sings "Morning Blues" and "Ukelele Lady", but on "I'm a Woman" Maria says "c'mon Mel" to introduce a harmonica break.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Sep 15 - 02:54 PM

It was in 1964 or '65 that the Kweskin Jug Band came to Denver and sold out the Phipps Auditorium at City Park. This was an accomplishment for the time because Judy Collins etc. were stuck at the Exodus Club, which I could not enter because I was 12 or 13 years old. As I recall (memory fades), the Band had been on the Steve Allen Show on TV, when somehow I was up late enough to see them. (Frank Zappa was on around that same time, playing a bicycle as an instrument, as I recall.) Anyway, the Band's concert itself was unforgettable, including them passing out kazoos to the entire audience so we could join in. Bruno Wolfe was magical in his funkiness, dragging up soul from way inside, in a high nasal voice that was squeaky, bleeting, and sliding around in and out of key. I believe (oh, could I be wrong?) that he was the one who sang "Going to Germany" and I know he was lead kazoo along with harmonica. Maria Mauldaur was not there that night, at least in the band.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,jsm
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 12:30 AM

"Going to Germany" was surely a Geoff Muldaur vocal. Yet, I agree with all of the above about the individuality and commitment of the Bruno Wolfe vocals - and I love the mysteriousness of his various presences.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 05:57 AM

Guest two posts up mentioned Frank Zappa on the Steve Allen Show. It's on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MewcnFl_6Y

Apologies for the thread drift.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Oct 15 - 12:56 AM

GUEST, jsm from 04 Sep 15, gets the prize for being the first person in the whole long thread to actually spell "Muldaur" correctly. Ya don't have to be a poor speller to love the Kweskin Jug Band.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 15 - 09:26 PM

His real name is David Simon. He enjoyed taking on various pseudonyms including Bruno Wolf, Hugh Bialy and Rex Rakish just to name a few. Norman Greenbaum (aka Dr. West) and David Simon are two completely different people. I knew them both. David was a friend of mine before I started The Jug Band. When I was asked by Vanguard Records to form a band, he was one of the 1st people I asked to be in it. He had a unique and very creative style of singing and playing the harmonica. The original members of The Jim Kweskin Jug Band were David Simon, Fritz Richmond, Geoff Muldaur, Bob Siggins and me. This is the group that recorded the very 1st Jug Band LP, "Unblushing Brassiness". On it, David (Bruno) plays the harmonica and sings "Overseas Stomp", "Hawaii" and "Newport News Blues". On our 2nd album, "Jug Band Music", he sings "Morning Blues", "K.C. Moan" and "Ukulele Lady". By the time that 2nd album was released he was no longer in the band. He left the band at my request because he had become difficult to deal with and he had acquired a drug habit. We tried to get him help but you can only do that if someone accepts that they have a problem and wants the help. In the band, his harmonica playing duties were taken over by Mel Lyman. I have not seen David Simon nor heard from him in almost 50 years. I do know that in 1975 (seven years after The Jug Band broke up) Geoff Muldaur had him play on "Jailbird Love Song" on his album "Having A Wonderful Time". That's the last time I heard anything about him except for a few unsubstantiated sightings. He was into macrobiotics. At one point I did hear that after he left The Jug Band he ran some macrobiotic food store or restaurant, possibly Erewhon. I also heard rumors that he had a food cart on the streets of New York City. Geoff and I don't even know if he is still alive. If you or anyone knows of his whereabouts I would love to know.
Jim Kweskin

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Dec 15 - 12:13 AM

Yes, he did play and sing on my album "Having a Wonderful Time" in 1975. The only other bit I can add to all of this is that he got involved in Scientology, and it was he who got members of The Incredible String Band to check it out. Joe Boyd - producer for The String Band "credits" Simon with destroying the group.

I haven't seen David since the "Having a Wonderful Time" recording period. After the album came out I did a promo tour with a 9-piece group which included Stephen Bruton, Billy Mundi, Bill Rich and Howard Johnson leading the horns. David showed up at our gig at The Bottom Line in NYC, made his way to Howard's dressing room where he made some tasteless, racist comments in front of the mostly black horn section. "Get him out of here before he gets killed," said Howard. He left and I never saw him again.

He was trouble, but I loved his singing style. Hope he's alive and doing well.

Geoff Muldaur

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,Dr JD
Date: 27 Dec 15 - 09:38 PM

Bruno, aka David Simon maintained his love for bluegrass, jazz, classical music, and blues. He also played music for decades after the Jug Band days.
On another note, his early interest in macrobiotics led him to training and research as a naturopathic herbalist. He was my first herbal teacher.
As an herbalist, he helped literally thousands and thousands of individuals, some critically ill, to regain their health. I have always known him to be extraordinarily generous with his time and knowlege, often spending hours on the telephone with someone in need. He also frequently visited those who were in need. He went on to lecture and herbal and medical colleges, as well as libraries and other public forums. While his fervent personality always remained, I never heard him utter a racist or cruel word about anyone. Further, the size of his heart and magnanimous spirit outweighed his intensity by lightyears.
David transitioned into eternity about a year ago but I will always carry our friendship of close to thirty years with me. What I learned from David helped carry me through Chinese Medical College as well as Naturopathic Medical College. I treasure our many conversations, which ran the spectrum from clinical to cultural to historical to philosophical to religious to musical to culinary.
David was an herbal father, a big brother, and a sage mentor to me. My dear friend remains close, for as we often discussed, the veil between this dimension and the next dimension is very thin, and those who have preceded us on the journey are ever near. I'm certain the music is sweet and the herbs and plants are divinely beautiful on his side of the line. Enjoy in great peace and joy Brother Dave.
Dr Brother JD

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,David Barry
Date: 12 Sep 19 - 10:35 AM

David Simon and I were room-mates in the very early ‘60s when we shared a dish-washing gig at the Cafe Figaro. David was the proud owner of two non-running Indian motorcycles then and survived severe head injuries in a motorcycle crash shortly before I met him. He was a fun guy to be with. Fine singer, diligent blues guy and always somewhat wacko. We hitch-hiked to the Newport Folk Festival one year and snuck in as prone passengers in the black hearse which brought Joan Baez through security. He passionately declared that he would obtain Bhutan license plates if he ever got one of the Indians running. We both liked our dishwashing gig because it guarante clean fingernails.

David Barry
September, 2019

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,Gail Miller
Date: 05 Oct 20 - 02:46 PM

Dr.JD, can you provide information about David's passing? We met in May 2014 after a 50 year hiatus. He seemed in good health. What happened?
Gail Miller

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 10:49 AM

Bruno Wolf + Rex Rakish + David Simon = Norman Greenbaum

If you don't receive an answer, Gail Miller, there are a few names you could Google.

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST
Date: 01 May 21 - 09:49 PM

I was just having a conversation with a fellow jug band afficionado about David Simon, whose alias was Bruno Wolf. We were nostalging about his amazing vocals on some of the Jim Kweskin cuts. We both agreed he is one of the few from that era who disappeared into the ether. I knew Greenbaum quite well and he is NOT David Simon. I was around Simon a few times as a teen, when Kweskin did the Bitter End (Greenwich Village) and they are not the same person. My friend said he had heard Simon had a dim sum truck in 70's or 80's. Otherwise I do not think Geoff Muldaur or Kweskin himself know where he went, as the subject has come up a lot of times. I would repeat that his singing was a wonder, like Geoff Muldaur's is a wonder, but had a different flavour of authenticity. I wonder where he is, I pray he is alive, but I fear not...

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,Guest-Mark Sebastian
Date: 01 May 21 - 10:17 PM

I might add, since I wrote the above post, I knew the Kweskin band well since I had gone to Kweskin rehearsals and gigs, as well as those of the Even Dozen Jug Band, which my brother was in. Therw was a lot of cross-pollination between the bands, the most obvious, of course, being Maria D'amato (Muldaur) having joined the Kweskin band after her participation in the Even Dozen. I was in roughly 7th grade at the time and sometimes had to sneak into gigs or cut classes. David struck me as a very charismatic, mysterious guy. He played a character in many of his vocals, and I had the sense he was living that life. As Steven Stills sang, " To sing the blues you have go to live them, too." From what I could see as a teen, he was living them, to the point of self-injury. Nonetheless, he was always so kind to me and made me feel welcome despite our distance in age.
It's weird how many folk aficionados awant to talk about David Simon. He is a subject that intrigues many of us who lived so much to those records, and cuts like " Ukulele Lady." You couldn't help wonder about someone who got so into character in those vocals.
Years ago I had the delight of discovering that Vince Martin was still alive ( of Martin & Neil.) He has since left us, but I had a delightful reunion with him, even made a documentary on him. I had hoped maybe to discover that Simon, chameleon that he was, had simply transmogrified into some new character and was with us still. Alas, not, but we have those magical vocals...
Mark Sebastian

Subject: RE: Whatever happened to Bruno Wolf??
From: GUEST,Jim Coleman
Date: 01 Jul 22 - 04:57 PM

David Simon , who I graduated from Mineola ( Long Island ) HS with in 1959 , was indeed
The Legendary Bruno Wolf in the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. I was in touch with him throughout his life. He passed several years ago in NJ where he lived with his sons . He turned out to be a very good harmonica player. His main direction ( aside from music ) was health food and nutritional supplement marketing. He was involved with Scientology but didn't practice it.