Actor Morgan Freeman is bringing his childhood connection to the Mississippi Delta blues to a new 12-song collaborative project. The album, titled Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, is scheduled for release on Aug. 7, 2026, through Decca Records.
Freeman serves as both the narrator and producer for the collection, which traces a 100-year history of the musical genre. The tracklist spans from Blind Willie Johnson’s 1927 recording “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” to the song “I Lied to You” from the Sinners soundtrack.
The project features collaborations with prominent blues musicians and producers, including Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, and Shemekia Copeland. Several contemporary Mississippi musicians who regularly perform at Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale also contributed to the recordings.
The core blues instrumentation was recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. These recordings were paired with classical arrangements performed by the Chineke! Orchestra, an ethnically diverse European ensemble that recorded its parts at Abbey Road Studios in London. Conductor Martin Gellner served as the music director for the symphonic recordings.
The album’s first single, a reimagining of Son House’s 1965 track “Death Letter Blues,” was released today in commemoration of Juneteenth. The track features vocals and guitar by Taj Mahal and was produced by Mitchell alongside the Chineke! Orchestra. A promotional trailer featuring an introduction by Freeman has also been released alongside the single.
Click here to stream “Death Letter Blues”.
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 – Tiernii 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
Upcoming Tour Dates
August 7 – Houston Symphony Orchestra – Houston, TX
September 26 – University of Memphis – Memphis, TN
October 17 – Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphony – Gulfport, MS
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