Springsteen unveils 'Seeger Sessions'
ASBURY PARK, N.J., April 21 (UPI) -- Bruce Springsteen went old-school with a 17-piece band as he unveiled "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" in Asbury Park, N.J.
Springsteen was backed by horns, fiddles, an accordion and pedal steel guitar, among other instruments, as he performed a range of legendary folksinger Pete Seeger songs during a benefit concert at Convention Hall Thursday night, the New York Daily News reported Friday.
Springsteen let loose with a range of styles from bluegrass to funk but did not play any of his own rock classics during the two-hour performance.
He dedicated Seeger's anti-war ballad "Mrs. McGrath" to Cindy Sheehan and revamped the lyrics of "How Can a Poor Man Stand Times Like These and Live" to relate to the suffering of New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina.
"The Seeger Sessions" will be released nationwide Tuesday.SPRINGSTEEN: No surprise his new venture wows crowd3 MORE SHOWS: Seeger Sessions band is in Asbury next week
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 04/21/06
BY KELLY-JANE COTTERMUSIC WRITER
You know the world is unstable when a Bruce Springsteen concert is filled with requests for "Froggie Went A Courtin' " instead of "Rosalita."
And — brace yourself — there were all these Jersey Girls do-si-do-ing in Asbury Park's Convention Hall.
What in the name of "Thunder Road" is going on around here?
Well, friends, I'll tell ya.
Bruce Springsteen has blown into town with a new vision, a new attitude and a small army of musicians. How often do pedal-steel guitar, accordion, banjo and fiddle share a stage with trumpet, sax and trombone? Springsteen's mixing jazz and country like that's a normal thing for a stadium-rock superstar to do.
He's covering oldies. Like real oldies, from the 1800s.
And he's wearing a red shirt — a cherry-red shirt — on stage. Patti Scialfa's still wearing basic black, presumably because someone has to stay the course. That red shirt made Springsteen seem even more cheerful than he was, chuckling and joking and cussing good-naturedly.
Now, mind you, last night's gig at Convention Hall was a rehearsal show, so there might be lots of changes before the tour begins in support of Springsteen's new disc, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions."
But let's hope not. This concert was innovative and refreshing.
A harmonious blend
While the album ostensibly pays tribute to songs popularized by folk singer Pete Seeger, it goes way beyond that goal. "The Seeger Sessions" is Springsteen's valentine to the folk tradition — hymns, spirituals and anthems, myths, tales and riddles.
On stage last night, Springsteen and company demonstrated some key principles of popular music:
Jazz, country, gospel and rock are all siblings and get along just fine.
Protest songs need not be sanctimonious.
Gloomy lyrics are most effective when paired with buoyant music.
Songs written a century or two ago can still be relevant and accessible to contemporary listeners.
In addition to material from the new album, Springsteen featured new arrangements of his own songs, including a brassy, syncopated, raggedy-guitar-driven "Johnny 99" and a jangly, fiddle-fueled "Adam Raised A Cain."
And, wow, wait 'til the crowd at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival hears Springsteen perform "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live." This version of the song, written by Blind Alfred Reed, has lyrics that reflect the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — bodies floating in the canal, insincere visits from unnamed politicians. It's a requiem and a call to arms.
Tickets to last night's show sold out at $100 each. Additional concerts are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
A bevy of beneficiaries
The four-night engagement benefits the following organizations in Asbury Park: Hope Academy Charter School, Sister's Academy, Interfaith Neighbors, Asbury Park Boot Camp, 22nd U.S. Colored Troops, Asbury Park Seniors, Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County, Epiphany House, The Center, Hispanic Affairs & Resource Center and Asbury Park Public Library.
Beneficiaries also include Family & Children's Service, Long Branch; Prevention First, Ocean; Save Tillie Inc., Silver Spring, Md.; The Stephen Crane House, Keyport; 180 Turning Lives Around,Inc., Hazlet; and Monmouth County Arts Council, Red Bank, for the proposed Asbury Park Arts Center.
The set list included the following songs: "O Mary Don't You Weep," "John Henry," "Johnny 99," "Old Dan Tucker," "Eyes On The Prize," "Jesse James," "Adam Raised A Cain," "Erie Canal," "My Oklahoma Home," "Devils & Dust," "Mrs. McGrath," "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live," and "Jacob's Ladder."
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