Recommendations of the Editorial team
There’s hardly anything Morgan Freeman hasn’t done in his seven decades in show business. He has won Oscars and Golden Globes, starred in countless films and Broadway plays, commented on documentaries, advocated for environmental protection and used his influence for political campaigns. And now, almost a year before his 90th birthday, he is taking the step into music – with his upcoming album “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.”
The twelve-song work is a journey through 100 years of blues history and brings together guest appearances from Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Lady Adrena, Shemekia Copeland, Anthony Big A Sherrod and many others. It will be released on August 7th – you can already listen to how Freeman and Taj Mahal interpret the Son House classic “Death Letter Blues” together.
“I first heard the blues on my grandmother’s porch in the Mississippi Delta, and it has never left me since,” Freeman said in a statement. “Having Taj Mahal open this album with a version of Son House’s classic ‘Death Letter Blues’ hits just the right tone for the introduction to this album. Releasing it on Juneteenth isn’t just symbolic – it’s the truth about where this music comes from and who made it. I hope people listen and remember.”
Juneteenth as a conscious decision
It’s no coincidence that the album is announced on Juneteenth of all days. “This music comes from the same story that Juneteenth celebrates,” explained album producer Eric Meier. “‘Death Letter Blues’ is one of the rawest, most sincere pieces in the American songbook – and to experience Taj Mahal with a full symphony orchestra behind you, recorded between the venerable walls of Royal Studios and Abbey Road, is something groundbreaking and unique. We are incredibly proud to launch our album with this track.”
Three concert dates are planned to support the album. The tour begins August 7th in Houston, stops in Memphis on September 26th and ends October 17th in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Freeman doesn’t give up his day job. He continues to play the US Secretary of State in the Paramount+ series Lioness and most recently narrated the Netflix documentary series The Dinosaurs.
Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience tracklist
- 1. “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” – Morgan Freeman ft. Keith Johnson
- 2. “Crossroads” – Super Chikan
- 3. “Death Letter Blues” – Taj Mahal
- 4. “Dust My Broom” – Lady Adrena
- 5. “The Thrill Is Gone” – Alvin Youngblood Hart
- 6. “Cadillac Assembly Line” – Keb’ Mo’
- 7. “Somebody’s Knockin'” – Anthony Big A Sherrod
- 8. “Traveling Riverside Blues” – Shemekia Copeland
- 9. “I’ll Take You There” – Tierinii Jackson ft. Stax Music Academy Choir
- 10. “Love Me or Leave Me” – Anthony Big A Sherrod
- 11. “Someday” – Anthony Big A Sherrod