{"id":149739,"date":"2025-06-04T10:22:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T15:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=149739"},"modified":"2025-06-04T10:22:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T15:22:21","slug":"where-the-blues-began-morgan-freemans-symphonic-blues-experience-set-to-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/where-the-blues-began-morgan-freemans-symphonic-blues-experience-set-to-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the Blues Began: Morgan Freeman\u2019s Symphonic Blues Experience Set to Launch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A first-of-its-kind orchestral concert series celebrating Mississippi\u2019s unmatched blues legacy\u2014benefiting the Ground Zero Arts Foundation and presented in partnership with Visit Mississippi<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mississippi<\/strong>\u2019s storied blues tradition takes center stage with the launch of\u00a0Morgan Freeman\u2019s Symphonic Blues Experience<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, <\/em>a first-of-its-kind national concert series that merges the emotional depth of Delta blues with the power of a live symphony orchestra. Presented in partnership with Visit Mississippi<\/strong>, Visit Clarksdale<\/strong>, and Memphis Tourism, the inaugural 20-city tour celebrates the state\u2019s unmatched cultural legacy and brings its music to new audiences across the country. Performances will be held in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Kansas City, Nashville, Louisville, Durham, Palo Alto, Portland, and Scottsdale, as well as other locations in the 2025 and 2026 seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This landmark concert series transcends the stage, serving as a powerful tribute to the birthplace of America\u2019s music. With cinematic narration by Mississippi native and Academy Award\u00ae-winner Morgan Freeman<\/strong>, the performance guides audiences through the story of the blues from its origins through its evolution, revealing its enduring soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freeman, co-founder of Clarksdale\u2019s legendary Ground Zero Blues Club<\/strong>, lends his voice and personal connection to the Delta, anchoring the concert performances with cinematic narrations of stories, vignettes, and reflections that connect deeply with Mississippi\u2019s past, present, and future. The show also features acclaimed musicians from Ground Zero including Anthony \u2018Big A\u2019 Sherrod<\/strong>, and surprise acclaimed guests performing orchestrally reimagined blues classics and originals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlues is the soul of Mississippi\u2014the rhythm of its history, its heartache, and its hope,\u201d said Freeman. \u201cThis experience gives the blues its rightful place on the world\u2019s stage and ensures its legacy continues to echo through future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tour was developed in collaboration with Park Avenue Artists<\/strong>, a creative management firm known for producing culturally resonant, genre-defying experiences that elevate both artistry and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Park Avenue Artists, we believe in creating performances that entertain and move people,\u201d said Ross Michaels<\/strong>, Partner at Park Avenue Artists. \u201cThis collaboration honors Mississippi\u2019s legacy while building something entirely new and unforgettable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to honoring the music, the series will directly benefit the Ground Zero Arts Foundation<\/strong>, which is dedicated to preserving Mississippi\u2019s blues tradition and supporting the next generation of musicians through education, mentorship and live performance opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As presenting partner, Visit Mississippi will use the series to highlight the state\u2019s deep connection to American music and inspire travelers to explore the region through its authentic cultural lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMusic has always been one of Mississippi\u2019s greatest storytellers,\u201d said Rochelle Hicks<\/strong>, Director of Visit Mississippi. \u201cThis tour allows us to share that story across the country and invite people to discover the place where it all began, from Clarksdale\u2019s crossroads to concert halls nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Morgan Freeman (L) with Charlie Worsham (R)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A first-of-its-kind orchestral concert series celebrating Mississippi\u2019s unmatched blues legacy\u2014benefiting the Ground Zero Arts Foundation and presented in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":149741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17316],"tags":[7491,17115,5,966,642,31959,31957,18380],"class_list":["post-149739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mississippi","tag-ground-zero-blues-club","tag-memphis-tourism","tag-mississippi","tag-morgan-freeman","tag-ms","tag-ross-michaels","tag-symphonic-blues-experience","tag-visit-clarksdale"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MFSBE_Logo.jpg?fit=1400%2C1400&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149739"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149742,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149739\/revisions\/149742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}