The album was conceived as a tribute to the folk and protest music popularized by Pete Seeger, though Springsteen clarified it was not a direct covers album of Seeger, but rather songs from the repertoire that Seeger had performed and spread. The recording was done spontaneously with a group of session musicians, without prior rehearsals, in just three days.
Springsteen assembled a 13-piece band, nicknamed 'The Seeger Sessions Band', which included instruments such as banjo, accordion, violin, trumpet, and tuba. The sessions were recorded live in the living room of his New Jersey home, with microphones placed in a rudimentary way, capturing the energy of a jam session.
The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. It won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2007. Springsteen later toured with the same band, documented on the DVD 'Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin'.