Actor Jeff Bridges’ musical talents were revealed for all to see when he played the Oscar-winning role of country musician Bad Blake in the 2009 movie Crazy Heart.
Building on this success, the actor has signed on with prestigious jazz record label Blue Note Records – home to the likes of Norah Jones and Amos Lee among others – to launch a new album.
Due out in late summer, the project will include collaborations with Rosanne Cash and Sam Phillips, and contain several original compositions, as well as a few covers of Tom Waits, Bo Ramsey and Greg Brown. To ensure the album’s musical integrity, Bridges has retained the services of one of the most respected producers in the industry, T-Bone Burnett, also producer of the Crazy Heart soundtrack.
In 2000, Bridges’ debut album, Be Here Soon flopped, however, that didn’t deter the actor from his passion for music. Last year, Bridges performed the song I Don’t Know from his film Crazy Heart on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. In his film The Contender, Bridges recorded a version of Johnny Cash’s standard Ring of Fire with Kim Carnes that played over the opening credits.
In February 2010, he was among the nearly 80 musicians to sing on the charity-single remake of We Are the World. On October 24, 2010, Bridges appeared at Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit concert and played a set with Neko Case.
On September 1 and 2, he will play his first gigs at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls.