Bruce in the land of Romeo and Juliet
The October 5th Verona show had a few tour debuts in store. “Samson & Delilah” (which I was familiar with from the Dead’s version), “Fire”, and “Valerie” (from wife Patti Scialfa’s first album and sung by Patti). Verona… “Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah”. Get it? Got it? Good!
Here’s a couple of those, as well as Oct. 4th’s “Growin’ Up”.
The Italian crowds are a very spirited bunch, and believe in full crowd participation, as you’ll hear….
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band:
Samson & Delilah(mp3) – October 5th, Verona
Fire(mp3) – October 5th, Verona
Growin’ Up(mp3) – October 4th, UdineThis Little Light of Mine, Live from Torino
With the new European tour under way, the Seeger Sessions Band has thrown another classic traditional tune into the mix: the gospel standard “This Little Light of Mine”. Perfect choice, in my opinion. The show as a whole has a spiritual revival quality to it, and the addition of this song only enhances the experience. It’s hard not to be moved when you have almost 20 musicians on stage playing this great music.
While a lot of Bruce fans ache for another E Street album and tour, I’m hoping Bruce takes his Seeger Sessions show through the U.S. just one more time. I want to experience it again, and I want my almost 3-year old to experience it this time. Such pure, unbridled M-U-S-I-C.
Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band: This Little Light of Mine (mp3) – live from Torino, Italy, Oct 2, 2006 – pick up We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions – American Land Edition
Here’s another great version of the song, with Sam Cooke tweaking it with a little soul / R&B flavor…
Sam Cooke: This Little Light of Mine (mp3) – from Sam Cooke at the Copa
Bologna Boss: A Trip Down the River
Sunday night was the European tour opener of Bruce and the Seeger Sessions Band. The song selections didn’t stray too far from this spring and summer’s Seeger Sessions offerings. There were, however, two additions to the set list: the traditional gospel song “This Little Light of Mine”, and a reworked version of “The River”. The Seeger Sessions treatment gives it the feel of an Irish drinking song. I picture an Irish pub with pint glasses raised high, swaying from side to side.
Bruce has definitely played around with “The River” over the years, and though I can enjoy and appreciate the different arrangements, nothing beats the original in my opinion. Here’s a little trip down the river…
The River (The Seeger Sessions Band – Oct. 1st, 2006 – Bologna, IT)
The River (The E Street Band – May 27, 2000 – Las Vegas, NV) Hey, I was there!
The River (The E Street Band – Nov. 5, 1980 – Tempe, AZ)
Released Today: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Band – American Land Edition was released today. Go on and buy it now.
The pic up top is from this Flickr photostream.
Update: Found this YouTube video of Bruce doing “The River” in Verona the other night.
Seeger Sessions: American Land Edition
The latest Springsteen / Seeger Sessions news is an October 3rd re-issue of ‘We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions”. It’s called the “American Land Edition”, and will include – you guessed it – “American Land”, which I guess we can finally confirm is a Springsteen original.
Also featured are studio versions of Blind Alfred Reed’s “How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live” and Pete Seeger’s “Bring ‘Em Home” with modified lyrics by Springsteen, as well as “Buffalo Gals” and “How Can I Keep From Singing,” which were previously included only on the DVD side of the original DualDisc edition. – – from this Yahoo article
Hmm, is this a calculated ploy to get more money from the Springsteen faithful? Or is it a semi-spontaneous, good-will gesture of getting these songs “officially” released? To be fair, the extra songs will be available as individual downloads on iTunes, but like many Boss freaks, I need to hold it in my hands. So, I’ll be shelling out a few more bucks for this edition. *sigh*
Here’s “American Land” from the US tour finale…
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band:
American Land(mp3) – live, June 25, 2006 in Holmdel, NJLyrics can be found at this previous post.
Crooked Still
I have some bluegrass to get out of my system. A few of my coming posts will lean toward the bluegrass / traditional side as I showcase some cool artists I’ve come across. First off is Crooked Still.
For those who had the pleasure of seeing Bruce’s Seeger Sessions tour, you undoubtedly noticed the banjo player with the bushy ‘do. His name is Greg Listz (Dr. Gregory Liszt actually, he has a Ph.D. in Biology from M.I.T.), and his full time gig is banjo man for Boston bluegrass outfit Crooked Still. Joining Greg are sweet singin’ Aoife O’Donovan (it’s pronounced “EEf-uh”), Rushad Eggleston on cello, and Corey DiMario on bass.
One of the free mp3’s offered on their web site is this forlorn bluegrass ballad. I like the dynamic of the instruments. The cello and banjo trading off riffs is a cool touch. And Aofie’s soft & sweet vocals add a lot to the tune as well. As you’ll hear, there’s some serious folkybluegrass goin’ down in Beantown. If you like what you hear, pick up one of their CD’s.
Crooked Still:
Look on and Cry(mp3) – from their debut CD, ‘Hop High’. You can check it out here.- Their new CD, ‘Shaken by a Low Sound’ will be released August 22nd on Signature Sounds, You can buy an advance copy here.
- Crooked Still’s Official Site | MySpace Site
Bruce in Amsterdam, part two
Get yer Seeger Sessions Boss on…
May 16, 2006 in Amsterdam
Part Two
Intro to How Can a…
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?
Jacob’s Ladder
We Shall Overcome
Open All Night
Pay Me My Money Down
My City Of Ruins
Ramrod
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Band Intro
When The Saints Go Marching In
Buffalo GalsThe Boss: AmsterDAM!
As Bruce and his Seeger Sessions Band recharge their batteries for another barnstorming fall tour of Europe, it’s time to revisit a couple of the Boss’s finer moments from the last couple of years.
Courtesy of Jefitoblog, we get ‘Love, Tears, & Mystery’, a compilation of tunes from Bruce’s solo Devils & Dust Tour (every song performed, apparently). The first volume is posted now, and keep an eye on Jeff’s site for the follow-ups. Everybody say “Thank you Jeff.” Thank – you – Jeff! Very good.
So it makes sense that I complement his post with some Seeger Sessions sounds – Amsterdam style. After the Seeger Sessions debut at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30th, it was time to cross the Atlantic for a few weeks. On May 16th, the traveling troupe hit Amsterdam. I’m very curious to know how the logistics of this tour worked out behind the scenes. Over the course of the European and U.S. Tour, the Seeger Sessions Band consisted of, on average, about 17 people. Seventeen! The amount of coordination and planning involved is staggering to even think about. Planes, buses, hotels, food, equipment, road crew… I know they have this down to a science these days, but to an outsider like me, it’s pretty damn impressive.
Here are the scheduled tour dates for the next European leg, kicking off October 1st in Bologna, Italy, and wrapping up in Belfast on November 21st (right after a 3 night stand in Dublin). Ah, the luck of the Irish!
By the way, if anyone in Bruce’s camp wants to hire a music blogger to document this upcoming European tour, I’m available! Forget ’18 Nights of AOL’, I’ll give the world 2 months of ‘Ickmusic: The Seeger Sessions Tour’! I only ask for a decent wage, luxury accomodations, a bowl of peanut M&M’s refreshed bi-hourly (with the green ones removed), and an ample supply of Guiness stout. Is that too much to ask? Oh, and a 22 year old Swedish nanny for my two girls.
What changes await us? Will the band have some new or replaced members? What other songs will be given that Seeger Sessions twist? How many new Bruce fans will emerge? I can’t count the number of emails I’ve received from people who had never seen Bruce until this tour, and came out having witnessed one of the best musical experiences of their lives. The show is a remarkable and pure American musical journey, and I’m glad to see it’s not over yet.
So enjoy this flashback to May. Part one is coming at you tonight. Stay tuned for part two.
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band
Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam
May 16th, 2006Part One
Intro
O Mary Don’t You Weep
John Henry
Johnny 99
Old Dan Tucker
Eyes On The Prize
Jesse James
Cadillac Ranch (w Mystery Train)
Long Black Veil
Erie Canal
My Oklahoma Home
Mrs. McGrathWoes is Me
Led by singer, songwriter, and banjoman extraordinaire Osei Essed, the Woes have been a staple of the NYC music scene since they formed in 2002. Described by Essed as “post-apocalyptic traditional music”, the Woes employ a number of unique instruments to lay down their brand of folk / blues: banjo, banjo-mandolin, french horn, accordion, melodica, and Fender Rhodes keyboard, among others.
So the instrumentation alone is a reason to dig their tunes. But it’s Osei’s voice – low, guttural, heartfelt and pure – that really pulls me in. Listen to this song for a taste. It’s available as a free mp3 download on the Woes official site. They have some other songs streaming on their site as well. I recommend “That’s All, Good Night”. You can also check out their MySpace site here. MySpace: for bands, teens, and the Dateline NBC-featured perverts who chase them.
The Woes: The Best is Yet to Come (mp3) – from their latest release, That Coke Oven March (available on their site here).
Bruce wraps it up with the greatest of Ease
Well, Sunday night wrapped up the Seeger Sessions U.S. tour with a rousing performance at Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center (wrapping up a two night stand there). A highlight of the show was the closer, “The Man on the Flying Trapeze”, which was played only once prior at one of the Asbury Park rehearsal shows. So the tour ends, but worry not, folkmeisters, the tour is rumored to be resuming in the fall over across the pond.
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band:
The Man on the Flying Trapeze(mp3) – Live, June 25, 2006 at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, New JerseyAN ICKMUSIC GIVEAWAY! To celebrate these last few weeks of Bruce and the band barnstorming across Europe and the U.S., I’d like to offer three Boss fans (or future Boss fans) the full final show on CD (actually, three CD’s). At the end of the day Thursday, I’ll pick 3 winners from the Comments section. Make sure you leave your email address when you leave a comment. As it says next to the Email Address field, it’s not published, so no worries.
The set list from Sunday night was: American Land/John Henry/O Mary Don’t You Weep/Old Dan Tucker/Atlantic City/Long Black Veil/Jesse James/Long Time Comin’/Erie Canal/My Oklahoma Home/If I Should Fall Behind/Mrs. McGrath/Devils & Dust/How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?/Jacob’s Ladder/We Shall Overcome/Open All Night/Pay Me My Money Down
Encore: My City of Ruins/Ramrod/You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)/When the Saints Go Marching In/The Man on the Flying Trapeze
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June 29 UPDATE – THE WINNERS!: Well, after reading all the great comments, I decided to choose 5 winners instead of the 3 I mentioned. Indeed, “I wish I was Mr. Gates”, so I could treat you all to the show, but I am most definitely not Mr. Gates. Good news for everybody though: all 26 folks who left comments will be getting a downloadable treat or two in their Inbox very soon.So the winners are: Eric, Kay in the U.K., Joe (fellow music blogger), “No Luck” Chuck (now known as Lucky Chuck), and Steven. Congrats you five!
Bruce’s American Land
Another tour debut the other night at Madison Square Garden. The working title we’re going with is “American Land”. It’s not really known yet whether this is a new Bruce tune, but according to Backstreets, “More likely a traditional song with some new Springsteen lyrics.”
“This is an immigrant song for New York City,” Springsteen said before tonight’s new opening number — no, not a song off Led Zeppelin III, but at the moment we can’t tell you exactly what it was, either. A new Springsteen song? More likely a traditional song with some new Springsteen lyrics. On the setlist as “American Land,” it had a recurring refrain of “home in the American land,” but it wasn’t “He Lies in the American Land,” despite that song’s association with Pete Seeger and the similarity in title. Watch this space for more as we know it…. In any case, it was certainly a world premiere, an Irish reel with a Clancy Brothers/Tommy Makem feel to it; lyrically, a vivid portrait of the immigrant experience in the vein of Ry Cooder’s “Across the Borderline.” At the end, Bruce had one more dedication for it: “for all you travelers out there.” – – from Backstreets
If anyone out there has any more information on this song, please do tell (in the comments section below).
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band:
American Land(mp3) – working title for now until more info surfaces – live from Madison Square Garden, NYC, 06/22/2006.- Here’s video of Bruce being interviewed on CNN yesterday morning. You tell ’em, Boss.
- My friend Charlie unleashes a steamy workplace photo upon the world, of me and his M&M man. Just keep it filled Charlie, just keep it filled. And yes, I work in a sea of cubicles.
- UPDATE: See Bruce and the Band perform “Bring ‘Em Home” and “Pay Me My Money Down“, from Thursday’s Conan O’Brien show, including Conan on guitar and Jimmy Fallon rockin’ the spoons!
UPDATE: Here are the lyrics , with a gap or two (when he starts reeling off names)…. any edits / updates are welcome!
AMERICAN LAND
What is this land of America?
So many travel there, I’m goin’ now while I’m still young
My darlin’ meet me there
Wish me luck my lovely Alison
free you when I can
And we’ll make our home in the American landOver there the women wear silk and satin to their knees
And children near, the sweets I hear are growin’ on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the river straight into your hands
If you make your home in the American landThere’s diamonds in the sidewalks
There’s gutters lined in song
Dear I hear the beer flows from the faucets all night long
There’s treasure for the takin’ for any hard working man
Who’ll make his home in the American landI docked at Ellis Island in a city of light and spire
I wandered to the valley of red hot steel and fire
We made the steel that built the cities
With the sweat of our two hands
I made my home in the American landThere’s diamonds in the sidewalks
There’s gutters lined in song
Dear I hear the beer flows from the faucets all night long
There’s treasure for the takin’ for any hard working man
Who’ll make his home in the American landThe [..], the Smiths are [..]too
The Blacks, the Irish, the Italians, the Germans and the Jews
The [..], the [..], the Asians, the Arabs miles from homeCome across the water with the fire down below
They died building the railroads
Worked their bones and skin
They died in the fields and factories
And they’ve scattered in the wind
They died to get here a hundred years ago,
They’re dying now
The hands that built the country we’re always trying to keep downThere’s diamonds in the sidewalks
There’s gutters lined in song
Dear I hear the beer flows from the faucets all night long
There’s treasure for the takin’ for any hard working man
Who’ll make his home in the American land
Who’ll make his home in the American land
Who’ll make his home in the American land