Screen legend Morgan Freeman brought the Delta Blues Project to UCD's O'Reilly Hall, joined by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a some of the finest jazz and blues players in the game for a night to remember.
Freeman served as honorary MC for the event, a presenting a collaboration between the RTÉ CO and US-based Irish jazz impresario David O'Rourke, who hosted the evening.
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is in Dublin tonight to MC a special performance by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. They are performing 'The Delta Blues Project', a collaboration with leading jazz and blues musicians. pic.twitter.com/WVhyNhUJ05
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 11, 2023
Proceedings kicked off with a set from acclaimed trumpeter Jeremy Bell, mixing choice selections from his Art of Intimacy albums with works from masters like Charles Mingus and Frank Lesser, accompanied by a suitably game RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a cadre of local Irish players.
After the interval, Morgan Freeman took to the stage to a thunderous standing ovation from the sold-out house, offering his own unique insight into the blues.
Freeman is the co-owner of Ground Zero, a blues club in Clarksdale, in his native Mississippi, opened in 2021 and now celebrated as one of the foremost blues destinations in the world.
The audience were then treated to a set from blues master Anthony "Big A" Sherrod that included his own unique take on U2's collaboration with BB KIng, When Love Comes To Town.
Celebrating the truly unique nature of the collaboration, David O'Rourke acknowledged the world-class contributions of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and General Manager Joe Csibi.
The concert ended in riotous form, with "Big A" leading a lively procession into the audience, out of the hall and back again, bringing the blues to Belfield with a night anyone present won't forget anytime soon.
