Overview
- Freeman unveiled Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience and released the lead single, a Taj Mahal reworking of Son House’s “Death Letter Blues,” on Juneteenth, June 19, 2026.
- The full 12-track album is scheduled for release on Aug. 7, 2026 via Decca Records, with Freeman credited as narrator and producer.
- The record pairs established and contemporary blues artists such as Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Shemekia Copeland and Anthony “Big A” Sherrod with the Chineke! Orchestra.
- Recording took place largely at Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell’s Royal Studios in Memphis with orchestral sessions tracked at Abbey Road Studios in London, and a short run of orchestral-backed live dates is planned for Aug. 7 (Houston), Sept. 26 (Memphis) and Oct. 17 (Gulfport, Miss.).
- Freeman frames the project as both tribute and education tied to his Mississippi Delta roots and Ground Zero Blues Club work, aiming to preserve the music’s history and introduce the blues to new audiences through symphonic arrangements.