Morgan Freeman Teams With Five-Time Grammy Winner Keb' Mo', The Ground Zero Blues Club Band And Chineke! Orchestra For Scorching Reimagining Of Delta Blues Classic 'Cadillac[...]

Collaborators Include Blues Legends And Grammy Winners: Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal, Shemekia Copeland, Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell And Many More

July 17, 2026: Oscar winner Morgan Freeman has brought together an acclaimed group of artists to celebrate the rich history of the blues, and today the project is previewed with a blistering take on Albert King's classic "Cadillac Assembly Line." Featuring lead vocals and guitar from blues legend Keb' Mo', the five-time GRAMMY winner joins the Ground Zero Blues Club Band and Chineke! Orchestra- Europe's pioneering majority-Black and ethnically diverse ensemble - to offer a bold new perspective on this vivid slice of Southern storytelling.

"Cadillac Assembly Line" arrives in advance of the full-length, twelve-song collectionMorgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience, which is outAugust 14 viaDecca Records. The album traces a 100-year cinematic journey through the blues, with "Cadillac Assembly Line" serving as a poignant snapshot of life during The Great Migration. The result, as Freeman describes, is a powerful reminder of: "the blues as 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."

Listen to "Cadillac Assembly Line" featuring Keb' Mo' here : https://morganfreeman.lnk.to/CadillacAssemblyLine

Pre-order Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience (out August 14 on Decca) here : https://morganfreeman.lnk.to/SymphonicBlues

Freeman, who serves as narrator and Producer on the project, developed a lifelong passion for the blues while growing up in the Mississippi Delta, listening to local musicians perform on his grandmother's porch. In 2001, he co-foundedGround Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS to give his beloved genre a home where it all began, and, since then, the venue has become a home base for Mississippi's finest present-day blues artists - many of whom appear throughout this new project. The club is also home to the Ground Zero Arts Foundation, dedicated to preserving the blues in Mississippi and aiding local artists through economic support, healthcare services and much more. All proceeds from Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience, which is being released in partnership with Visit Mississippi, will benefit the cause.

To learn more about the Ground Zero Arts Foundation visit: https://www.gzaf.org/

For more information on Visit Mississippi: https://visitmississippi.org/

Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience was officially announced on Juneteenth 2026, arriving alongside praise from CNN, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, Complex, The Hollywood Reporter, VIBE and many more. The project was launched alongside Taj Mahal's interpretation of the Son House standard " Death Letter Blues ." Yet-to-be-released tracks will feature Shemekia Copeland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Keith Johnson, Super Chikan, Lady Adrena, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod, Tiernii Jackson and the Stax Music Academy Choir. These musicians were recorded by multi-time GRAMMY-winning producer and engineer Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell at Memphis' hallowed Royal Studios, while Chineke! Orchestra was recorded at Abbey Road in London, under the guidance of Music Director and conductor Martin Gellner.

"The blues was born in the Mississippi Delta, but its story belongs to the world. We conceived of the Symphonic Blues Experience to do something that hadn't been done before - bring the raw, unfiltered truth of this music into the symphony hall, where it commands the gravity it has always deserved. Pair the greatest living voices in the blues with Chineke! Orchestra and something extraordinary happens: the music doesn't get dressed up, it gets amplified. Every dollar this project generates goes back to the Delta - to the emerging artists still living this music every day. It's an investment in the artists, their craft, and their ability to bring joy to those that cherish this genre." - Eric Meier, Producer

"The visceral nature of the Blues is undeniable, and it has kept me in its spell ever since my childhood. We are now bringing the heart of the Delta soul to the world stage, proving that while the Delta's fortunes may change, its soul is eternal. I invite you to sit back, relax and take in this wonderful musical experience." - Morgan Freeman, Producer & Narrator

" The blues is something that always comes back. Blues was never mainstream. I don't think it was ever meant to be mainstream. Its true significance lies in it being a part of all other popular music. It's foundational. Turn on the radio, the blues is in there just below the surface. It nurtures us in a way that new stuff can't. It's always going to have a seat at the table." - Keb' Mo'

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 - Performing Arts Houston - 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]