Jeff Bridges Planning to Release Music Album
The Hollywood star wants to try his hand at being a musician and is working on a new album with producer T-Bone Burnett. Jeff Bridges is planning a new career, in the music business this time. The 61-year old actor has signed a record deal with jazz label Blue Note Records and will soon release an LP.
In fact, the part of a musician isn't something new for Bridges. The actor won an Oscar in 2010 for "Crazy Heart", a movie in which he played Otis "Bad" Blake, a fading country music star. It won't even be a new role in real life, as the actor has released an album before. Nevertheless, it'll probably be a challenge for the movie star to succeed in a new area of entertainment.
The album is produced by T-Bone Burnett, who has previously worked with artists such as Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Los Lobos, or The Wallflowers.
Burnett, a long-time friend of Bridges, has his own Academy Award, which he received for co-writing, with Ryan Bingham, "The Weary Kind", a song featured on the "Crazy Heart" original soundtrack. He also put together the soundtrack for "The Big Lebowski", the film in which Bridges played "The Dude", his most iconic part so far.
The album will include a few original tracks, penned by Bridges himself, as well as covers of songs by Tom Waits, Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, and Stephen Bruton. Roseanne Cash, the daughter of country legend Johnny Cash, will be featured as a guest singer. Sam Philips will also appear on the record.
The title of the album is yet unknown, but, according to Blue Note Records, a jazz label operated by EMI, it will hit music stores this summer.
It's going to be Bridges' second album, but his first on a major label. The actor's debut album "Be Here Soon", which featured American singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, was released on an independent label, in 2000.
Jeff Bridges has had a long career in Hollywood, starring in movies such as "The Last Picture Show", "The Fisher King", "Starman", and "The Big Lebowski". In 2010, he played the leading role in the Coen brother's movie "True Grit". He's been nominated for an Oscar 6 times, but has only one win (for "Crazy Heart").
It remains to be seen if his music career will be as successful as his work in the movies.
