When the David Bromberg Quintet returns to the Lehigh Valley, 8 p.m. May 7, Mauch Chunk Opera House, 14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe, expect the unexpected.

Bromberg is expected to play songs from his most recent CD, “Only Slightly Mad,” released in 2013, and may preview songs from his upcoming release, “The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But The Blues.”

Or maybe not.

”I’ve never had a set list,” says Bromberg in a phone interview. “Just before we go on stage, I talk to the band, and decide what tune to start with.

“When I finish each tune, it gives me an idea of the energy I want to use in the next tune, which leads to the choice.

“When people yell out requests, it actually confuses me as the tune I feel I can play best is almost never the one requested.”

Bromberg’s band, in addition to Bromberg, guitar, vocals, mandolin, fiddle, includes Mark Cosgrove, guitar, mandolin, vocals; Robert Amoit, bass, vocals; Nate Grower, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocals, and Josh Kanusky,: drums, vocals.

“The quintet has a repertoire of over 80 songs, and any of them might be played.”

Bromberg, born in Philadelphia in 1945 and raised in Tarrytown, N.Y., began studying guitar at the age of 13. He enrolled in Columbia University as a musicology major.

He was drawn to the Greenwich Village folk scene and frequented downtown clubs and coffeehouses where he could watch and learn from the best performers. His main source of inspiration and teacher was the Reverend Gary Davis. He soon accompanied singer-songwriters, including Tom Paxton, Jerry Jeff Walker and Rosalie Sorrels.

Bromberg’s guitar chops led him to become a “hired gun” guitarist for recording sessions. He’s played on hundreds of records by artists, including Bob Dylan, Link Wray, The Eagles, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson and Carly Simon, to name a few.

While Bromberg is back on road, in 1980, he and his wife moved to Chicago where he attended the Kenneth Warren School of Violin Making. In 2002, they moved to Wilmington, Del., where he became a part of the city’s artist-in-residence program and opened David Bromberg Fine Violins, a retail store and repair shop. Bromberg concentrated on constructing violins, However, the city’s weekly jam sessions rekindled Bromberg’s desire to perform again.

His Grammy-nominated “Try Me One More Time” solo album was released in 2007. In 2009, John Hiatt contacted Bromberg and asked him visit Hiatt’s Nashville studio to “mess around.” Bromberg came up with the idea for “Use Me,” an album featuring Bromberg with Hiatt, Los Lobos, Vince Gill, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Keb’ Mo,’ Linda Ronstadt and the late Levon Helm.

Bromberg was the subject of a documentary, “David Bromberg; Unsung Treasure,” directed by Beth Kruvant.

“Only Slightly Mad,” a mix of blues, bluegrass, gospel, folk and Celtic, was produced by Larry Campbell at Levon Helm’s Barn.

“As producer, Larry made a huge difference. Larry is familiar with all of the genres of music that I like to play. Not many people have that scope. He hears what each instrument is doing, and although my quintet had been performing most of the tunes, Larry had original and effective ideas for small changes that made big differences. I produced almost all of my previous recordings myself, and having a different, educated and sympathetic view was a huge plus.

“If I had to pick a favorite genre it would probably be the blues,” says Bromberg. “Willie Nelson once said, ‘There are only two songs: “The Star Spangled Banner” and the blues.’

“While this gives perhaps too much leeway, the blues is not really a separate genre. It is many separate genres, at least to me it is.”