Oscar-Winner Morgan Freeman Brings Lifelong Love Of The Delta Blues To A 12-Song Celebration Of Its Rich History - Coming August 7 On Decca Records

'MORGAN FREEMAN'S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE' TO FEATURE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM LEGENDS AND GRAMMY WINNERS (TAJ MAHAL, KEB' MO', SHEMEKIA COPELAND, LAWRENCE "BOO" MITCHELL, ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART) AND MANY MORE REMARKABLE ARTISTS - ALONGSIDE CHINEKE! ORCHESTRA, RECORDED AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS

LISTEN TO "DEATH LETTER BLUES" TODAY - A REIMAGINING OF SON HOUSE'S SIGNATURE SONG - FEATURING FIVE-TIME GRAMMY-WINNER TAJ MAHAL: https://morganfreeman.lnk.to/SymphonicBlues

WATCH A TRAILER FOR THE ALBUM - FEATURING AN INTRODUCTION BY FREEMAN, WHO SERVES AS NARRATOR AND PRODUCER ON THE PROJECT - HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDHLSikx46U

June 19, 2026: "Rooted in stories carried from West Africa to the American South, the Blues became a testament to the unbroken human spirit, the sound of America's past and present, and the heartbeat of a culture that refused to be forgotten." This is how Morgan Freeman describes the power of a music that has captivated him since his own Mississippi Delta childhood, and one that has led him to now collaborate with a truly remarkable group of artists who share that same passion.

Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience , out August 7 via Decca Records, is a 12-song collection tracing an 100-year cinematic journey through the blues, from Blind Willie Johnson's 1927 masterpiece "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" to "I Lied to You" from the Sinners soundtrack. Joining Freeman (who serves as narrator and Producer) for this one-of-a-kind project are blues luminaries Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, and Shemekia Copeland - four musicians and producers with 42 GRAMMY nominations, and 12 wins, between them. Also featured on Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience are some of Mississippi's finest present-day players - many of whom are regulars at Ground Zero Blues Club, which Freeman opened 25 years ago in Clarksdale - as a way to provide the blues a home where it all began. Joining all together at Mitchell's hallowed Royal Studios in Memphis, their sound is complimented by the orchestral sweep of Chineke! Orchestra - Europe's pioneering majority-Black and ethnically diverse ensemble - who recorded their contributions to this project at Abbey Road Studios in London. Together, they unite for a collection that, as Freeman describes: "proves that while the Delta's fortunes may change, its soul is eternal."

Today - in commemoration of Juneteenth - the first preview of this upcoming collection is released, "Death Letter Blues" features five-time GRAMMY-winner Taj Mahal on lead vocals and guitar. Originally recorded in 1965 by Delta blues legend Son House after his rediscovery in New York, "Death Letter Blues" is one of the most viscerally powerful laments in blues history - a raw, grief-stricken narrative of loss, driven by slide guitar and gospel-inflected vocals. This new recording brings that foundation into conversation with the help of bonafide blues legend Taj Mahal, alongside producer and engineer "Boo" Mitchell in Memphis - teaming with Chineke! Orchestra in London, under the guidance of Music Director and conductor Martin Gellner. It's a collaboration that preserves the raw emotional core of Son House's original, while expanding it to symphonic scale.

Listen to "Death Letter Blues" featuring Taj Mahal here : https://MorganFreeman.lnk.to/SymphonicBlues

Watch the trailer for Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDHLSikx46U

Pre-order for Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience will be available on July 10.

"Juneteenth felt like the only right date to introduce this powerful single. This music was born from the same history that Juneteenth commemorates. 'Death Letter Blues' is one of the rawest, most honest pieces in the American songbook, and hearing Taj Mahal inhabit it with a full symphony behind him - recorded between the hallowed walls of Royal Studios and Abbey Road - is something that is groundbreaking and unique. We're incredibly proud to introduce our album with this track." - Eric Meier, Producer, Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience

"I heard the blues for the first time on my grandmother's porch in the Mississippi Delta, and it has never left me. Having Taj Mahal kick off this album with a cover of Son House's classic "Death Letter Blues" strikes the perfect tone for the introduction of this album. Releasing this on Juneteenth is not just symbolic - it is the truth of where this music comes from and who made it. I hope people listen and remember." - Morgan Freeman, Producer & Narrator

"Symphonic Blues is a celebration of one of the world's most influential musical traditions and the enduring legacy of the artists who shaped it. The blues has always been a profound expression of resilience, humanity, and truth, and bringing this music into conversation with a symphony orchestra creates something both deeply respectful of its roots and boldly expansive in its possibilities. But the deep connection that Chineke! Orchestra, as a majority Black and ethnically diverse ensemble made, created an especially unique perspective bringing their artistry, passion, and cultural understanding to this project, illuminating the emotional depth and universality of these songs. It has been a privilege to help bring this vision to life, and I hope listeners hear not only the history within this music, but also its continuing power to inspire, connect, and transcend boundaries." -Jonathon Heyward, Interim Artistic Director, Chineke! Orchestra

"Royal Studios has been making blues records for over sixty years - Al Green, Ann Peebles, Little Milton - and when Taj Mahal walked in and started working on this classic Son House song, the room just knew. That's the thing about this music: it's still alive. We captured something here that connects directly to what my father Hi started in 1956. I'm proud to put this under the Royal roof." - Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, Producer & Recording Engineer, Royal Studios, Memphis

"Arranging Son House for a symphony orchestra is not a task you approach without humility. The challenge - and the joy - was to let the orchestra amplify the grief and the beauty without softening it. The Chineke! Orchestra brought something extraordinary to Abbey Road: a shared cultural understanding of what this music means that you simply cannot manufacture. I believe we found something real." - Martin Gellner, Music Director, Conductor, Arranger & Producer

"From the very beginning of this project, the question was: how do you take music that is so deeply rooted in one place and one people and bring it to the world stage without losing its soul? "Death Letter Blues" is our introduction and this album is our complete answer. The blues crossed the Atlantic long ago - this record honors that journey and brings it full circle." - V.G. Jairam, V.G. Jaishankar & Neale Murray, Producers, Hyperlink Brand Solutions

"It's rare that a project blending multiple musical genres achieves something far greater than the sum of its parts. In this case, Morgan Freeman's vision proved exactly right, and contributing to this recording has been one of the highlights of my career." - David Lai, Producer, Park Avenue Artists

"Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience brings together three powerful elements; a rich musical history, an exciting new reimagining and creative excellence. We are honoured to bring this culturally important work to a global audience through the extraordinary collective of artists involved, including the pioneering Chineke! Orchestra." - Laura Monks, President, Decca

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

FOR PRESS INQUIRIES:

Matt Hanks - [email protected]

Max Lefkowitz - [email protected]

Anna DeNelsky - [email protected]