Of all of Bruce’s adaptations on his We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions album, “Jesse James” is perhaps the most faithful. Which is more than a bit ironic, but we’ll get to that later.
Bruce’s 2006 album is chock full of fresh arrangements and updated lyrics for classic folks songs from “Mrs. McGrath” to “Pay Me My Money Down” to the title track.
But Bruce’s version of “Jesse James” changes very little from the original 1919 recording by Bentley Ball.
The few lyrical changes Bruce did make (relocating the song from Danville to Glendale, adding a new verse) were taken directly from Pete Seeger’s version (as was the banjo-led arrangement, obviously).
Bruce certainly had no shortage of potential sources for inspiration for his own take–“Jesse James” has been covered by many artists over the last century, from the Kingston Trio to Van Morrison to Bob Seeger.
Bruce chose to go traditional, however, and his version–the first song recorded during the original 1997 Seeger Session–holds up nicely next to Seeger’s, differentiated primarily by Bruce’s Louisianan infusion into the otherwise bluegrass instrumental.
What’s most remarkable about “Jesse James” is simply its inclusion among the Seeger Sessions recording at all. The song was originally written by Billy Gashade shortly after James was murdered by Robert Ford (more on that in a few days). Gashade’s lyrics glamorize and romanticize James as a Robin Hood figure, but history does not support that portrayal.
History tells us that James was in fact a brutal thief and murderer who didn’t share his bounty with anyone outside of his gang. Nevertheless the James-as-populist portrayal quickly took hold in popular culture, and James continued to be a larger-than-life figure certainly into and through Bruce’s childhood.
Perhaps it’s Bruce’s fascination with the old west that led him to record “Jesse James,” or perhaps it was reluctance to let go of a childhood anti-hero. (This isn’t the first time Bruce has recorded a song about Jesse James–see “The Ballad of Jesse James” on Chapter and Verse, or the unreleased “Cowboys of the Sea” or “Robert Ford.”) Or maybe Bruce simply views “Jesse James” as a musical ancestor to “Johnny 99,” an outlaw that makes for a great story if not a true one.
In any event, “Jesse James” was the first song recorded during the Seeger Sessions, one of the earliest songs on the CD, and an early and standout staple on the Seeger Sessions tour setlists.
In concert, “Jesse James” immediately became a showcase for banjoist Greg Liszt as early as the tour kick-off at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.
Liszt’s solo quickly became a fan favorite moment, and by the end of the tour in Dublin more than six months later, we can clearly see how much Liszt came to enjoy his nightly four-fingered spotlight moment.
“Jesse James” also carries the distinction of being one of the few Seeger Sessions songs to successfully (and repeatedly) translate to the E Street stage. Bruce brought it back on the High Hopes Tour shortly before he returned to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and it stayed in the set for a couple of appearances afterward.
“Jesse James” was even one of a select few of Seeger Sessions tunes that Bruce broke out at a mini-reunion at the annual Kirsten Ann Carr Fund benefit in 2015.
Bruce clearly enjoys playing “Jesse James” and since he’s found an arrangement that’s friendly to both his bands, I think we’re likely to see it in concert again soon.
Jesse James
Recorded: November 2, 1997
Released: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
First performed: April 20, 2006 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: May 16, 2015 (Asbury Park, NJ)
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