Skip to content
Search

Morgan Freeman Recorded a Blues Record With Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, and Shemekia Copeland

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, out Aug. 7, includes his collaboration with
Taj Mahal of the Son House classic "Death Letter Blues"

Morgan Freeman Recorded a Blues Record With Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, and Shemekia Copeland

Morgan Freeman

Courtesy Ground Zero Blues Club Media, LLC

There’s little that Morgan Freeman hasn’t done throughout his seven decades in show business. He’s won Oscars and Golden Globe Awards, starred in countless movies and Broadway plays, narrated documentaries, championed environmental causes, and lended his star power to political campaigns. And now just one year short of his 90th birthday, he’s broadening out into music with the release of his upcoming album, Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.

The 12-song LP is a journey through 100 years of blues music, and features guest appearances by Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Shemekia Copeland, Anthony Big A Sherrod, Lady Adrena, and many others. It comes out Aug. 7, but right now you can hear Freeman and Taj Mahal team up for the Son House classic “Death Letter Blues.”


A three-date tour has been booked to support the album. It kicks off Aug. 7 in Houston, continues Sept. 26 in Memphis, and wraps up Oct. 17 in Gulfport, Mississippi.

This doesn’t mean that Freeman is giving up his day job. He continues to play the U.S. Secretary of State in the Paramount+ show Lioness, and he recently narrated the Netflix documentary series The Dinosaurs.

Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience Track List

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
12. I Lied To You – Keith Johnson

More Stories

Céline Dion Opens Up on Paris Residency

Céline Dion Opens Up on Paris Residency

In a new profile for Harper’s Bazaar, Céline Dion opens up about her rigorous physical recovery, her upcoming return to the stage, and the deeply personal journey that led her to break her silence regarding her health. Written by Kevin Mguyen, the cover story offers a rare look at the singer’s daily life as she prepares for a multi-week residency in Paris, which marks her first extended run of shows since suspending her world tour in 2023.

Mainly, Dion opens up on her long struggle with Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare autoimmune neurological condition that causes severe muscle rigidity and painful spasms. Although officially diagnosed in 2022, Dion reveals she experienced debilitating symptoms for 17 years prior, often citing routine illnesses like sinus infections when forced to cancel performances.

Keep ReadingShow less
Oasis Doc Trailer Shows Noel Gallagher Asking, ‘Will It Fall Apart Again?’

Oasis

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Oasis Doc Trailer Shows Noel Gallagher Asking, ‘Will It Fall Apart Again?’

A trailer for the upcoming Oasis doc, Don’t Look Back in Anger, shows the Brothers Gallagher working through their past issues in the run-up to their celebrated 2025 comeback tour. The two-minute clip foreshadows a sense of catharsis in the film, set to open in IMAX theaters on Sept. 11. It will also be available to stream on Hulu by the end of the year.

The trailer opens with sound bites of Liam and Noel putting each other down in interviews before cutting to their reunion announcement. But even then, with the outward appearance of rapprochement, the siblings were struggling with their legacies and each other. “I just don’t see myself onstage with Liam,” Noel says. “I don’t really want to be going back with the tension. Will it fall apart again?” There’s a lot of fretting about the stage as they work through their anger, but of course we already know there’s a happy ending — or at least one that was more sweet than bitter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fontaines D.C. Preview New Album ‘Dopamine Chamber’ With Song ‘Marianne’

Fontaines D.C.

Elizaveta Porodina*

Fontaines D.C. Preview New Album ‘Dopamine Chamber’ With Song ‘Marianne’

Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. are officially back and have announced their fifth album. Dopamine Chamber arrives on Oct. 16 via XL Recordings and the record’s lead single, “Marianne,” is out now.

“Marianne” pulls from the same post-punk chords of their last album Romance. With atmospheric drums and brooding guitar, Chatten beckons the listener to him like a snake oil salesman: “This year, you should come and stay here,” he sings. “You can follow my lead/I can help you disappear.” “Marianne” takes partial inspiration in the 2024 miniseries Ripley, which starred fellow Irishman Andrew Scott.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taylor Swift Can’t Stop Listening to Phoebe Bridgers’ New Album

Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift perform onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at MetLife Stadium on May 26, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Taylor Swift Can’t Stop Listening to Phoebe Bridgers’ New Album

Taylor Swift can’t stop listening to Phoebe Bridgers‘ new album Lost Weekend. Same, Taylor, same.

In a social media post celebrating Bridgers’ birthday, the the pop superstar praised her friend, and former collaborator, on her trip around the sun, and “triumph” of an album. “It’s her birthday but she gave us a gift,” Swift wrote of Lost Weekend. “Haven’t been able to stop listening. This album is an absolute triumph in every way. To write about grief with such vulnerability and detail, and to trust the listener with this much honesty,” she added. Swift ended her note with: “Happy bday I love you!!”

Keep ReadingShow less
Andy Shauf Returns to 'The Party' for 10th Anniversary Edition
Colin Medley

Andy Shauf Returns to 'The Party' for 10th Anniversary Edition

A decade after the release of The Party, Andy Shauf is returning to the album with an expanded anniversary edition arriving October 16.

The Party (10th Anniversary Edition) will be released as a double-vinyl set featuring the original album alongside nine bonus tracks. The additional material, including alternate versions and demos, will also be released digitally as the afterparty.

Keep ReadingShow less