The life of a Hollywood star has imitated art once again as veteran actor and six time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges announces a release date for his country album.
Following in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges adds another string to his already impressive bow with the release of his self titled album on September 5th which he recorded with Grammy winner T Bone Burnett.
Bridges, who portrayed the role of a fading country music legend going through tough times in Crazy Heart, had already won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film when major record labels began to fight for his signature.
Parlophone Records won the battle and now Bridges is ready to release his second studio album with the help of good friend T Bone Burnett.
The transformation from thespian to musician follows in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow who also made a country music inspired film and has since performed with Cee-Lo Green and Jay-Z.
Burnett and Bridges have been friends for over 30 years but this is the first time that they have collaborated on an album together in what Bridges describes as a culmination of their personal, professional, and now musical friendship.
T Bone is no stranger to success and picked up a Grammy for the song The Weary Kind which was sung by two time Oscar winner Bridges in the film Crazy Heart.
The Weary Kind became a internet hit after a video emerged of Horrible Bosses star Colin Farrell and Jeff Bridges doing a duet on stage a year before the film was officially released.
The self titled album will be Bridges second attempt at career in music after his first album Be Here Soon was released in February 2000.
This new album features tracks written by world class songwriters including the late Stephen Bruton, John Goodwin , Greg Brown, and Bo Ramsay.
T Bone, who worked with Bridges on Crazy Heart, produced the album and helped the True Grit star pen some original songs including ‘Falling Short,’ ‘Tumbling Vine,’ ‘I Will Wait’ (which he wrote with Burnett and John Goodwin), and ‘Slow Boat’ (which he wrote with Burnett and Thomas Cobb).
To perform the songs, Burnett assembled a number of his key repertory players, including keyboardist Keefus Ciancia, guitarist Mark Ribot, bassist Dennis Crouch, pedal-steel guitarist Russ Pahl, and drummer Jay Bellerose, as well as guest vocalists Rosanne Cash, Ryan Bingham, Sam Phillips, and Benji Hughes.
Bridges and Burnett, who is also known for his work with Allison Krauss and Robert Plant, Elton John and Leon Russell, met in 1980 when Kris Kristofferson introduced them during the filming of the motion picture Heaven’s Gate.
The relationship has continued over the years as Burnett selected the songs that appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, starring Bridges.
JEFF BRIDGES’S ALBUM TRACKLISTING
1. What A Little Bit Of Love Can Do
2. Will Wait
3. Falling Short
4. Maybe I Missed The Point
5. Tumbling Vine
6. Nothing Yet
7. Blue Car
8. Slow Boat
9. Either Way
10. Everything But Love
11. The Quest
by Wallace McTavish
