**Show Review: Morgan Freeman in St. Pete***
Photos & Write-Up: by Bailey Guinigundo
(Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL). The Mahaffey Theatre was buzzing on Thursday night as Morgan Freeman brought his Symphonic Blues concept to St. Petersburg. Billed as an orchestral-meets-Delta-blues fusion, the evening was framed as both a celebration of the genre’s Mississippi roots and an ambitious attempt to blend the raw edge of juke-joint blues with the refinement of a full symphony.
An Opening with Freeman Flair
The show began not with music, but with Morgan Freeman himself, joined by his Ground Zero Blues Club co-owner Eric Meier. Their banter set an intimate, playful tone. Freeman drew big laughs when, after hearing his career film grosses estimated at $11 billion, Freeman was asked if he’d been compensated accordingly. He quickly glanced around the room before asking if there were minors in the audience as he then quickly said, F*%# no!’ The atmosphere remained light and fun when, after hearing someone whistling fairly loudly in the audience, Freeman stated that he too could whistle loudly as the audience waited and applauded to Freeman’s powerful whistle.
After 15 minutes of this warm-up act, Freeman and Meier exited, and the house lights dimmed. The projection screen filled with imagery of Mississippi backwoods, complete with cricket sounds, setting the stage for the music to come.
The First Set: Blues Standards
The Band Behind the Sound
The lineup was formidable:
Intermission to Evolution
After intermission, narration from Freeman guided the audience into the “Blues lineage” segment. Muddy Waters’ famous line, “The blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll” served as the springboard. The band traced that lineage with: “Somebody’s Knocking at My Door” (Muddy Waters-inspired grit)
A fiery “Travellin’ Riverside Blues,” tilting the sound toward rock.
The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There,” which merged gospel warmth with funk grooves, reminding the audience of the genre’s spiritual kinship.
Anthony Sherrod added his own voice with two originals (“Tried and Tried” and “Someday”) that proved the blues is alive and evolving, not just a museum piece.
Freeman, But Not Freeman
The evening’s most striking moment came when Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” unfolded as a multimedia duet: live band and orchestra in sync with a projection of Freeman himself singing the classic. It was moving, but also underscored the evening’s central frustration: Freeman was largely absent. Beyond the brief live introduction, his presence came only via pre-recorded videos that introduced songs or offered reflections, such as his closing meditation that “the blues is not just music. It’s history, survival, a refusal to be silenced.”
For many, the allure of the show was the promise of spending an evening in Freeman’s company. Instead, after those first 15 minutes, he never reappeared. The result? Some attendees walked out feeling short-changed, wishing he had simply stayed onstage as a silent figurehead, if nothing else.
The Orchestra’s Dilemma
The Florida Orchestra, despite its world-class reputation, felt underutilized. Too often their contributions were buried beneath the amplified blues band. The concept of blending free-spirited blues improvisation with orchestral grandeur was exciting in theory, but in practice, the orchestra’s role was reduced to faint background texture. Better mic’ing, or a rearrangement giving them more breathing room, might unlock the full potential of the collaboration.
Photos & Write-Up: by Bailey Guinigundo
(Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL). The Mahaffey Theatre was buzzing on Thursday night as Morgan Freeman brought his Symphonic Blues concept to St. Petersburg. Billed as an orchestral-meets-Delta-blues fusion, the evening was framed as both a celebration of the genre’s Mississippi roots and an ambitious attempt to blend the raw edge of juke-joint blues with the refinement of a full symphony.
An Opening with Freeman Flair
The show began not with music, but with Morgan Freeman himself, joined by his Ground Zero Blues Club co-owner Eric Meier. Their banter set an intimate, playful tone. Freeman drew big laughs when, after hearing his career film grosses estimated at $11 billion, Freeman was asked if he’d been compensated accordingly. He quickly glanced around the room before asking if there were minors in the audience as he then quickly said, F*%# no!’ The atmosphere remained light and fun when, after hearing someone whistling fairly loudly in the audience, Freeman stated that he too could whistle loudly as the audience waited and applauded to Freeman’s powerful whistle.
After 15 minutes of this warm-up act, Freeman and Meier exited, and the house lights dimmed. The projection screen filled with imagery of Mississippi backwoods, complete with cricket sounds, setting the stage for the music to come.
The First Set: Blues Standards
- Members of Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Band filed in, positioned in front of The Florida Orchestra. The opening salvo was steeped in blues tradition:
- Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” and “Dust My Broom” crackled with energy, reminding the audience why these songs remain foundational.
- Albert King’s “Cadillac Assembly Line” and “Born Under a Bad Sign” brought a soulful grit, with guitarist Keith Johnson’s vocals carrying both swagger and ache.
- Jacqueline “Jaxx” Nassar delivered a heartfelt rendition of Ray Charles’ “Hard Times,” dedicating it to her mother.
- Roy Hawkins’ “The Thrill Is Gone,” made famous by B.B. King, shimmered with the moody, spacious guitar phrasing blues fans crave.
- By the time the set concluded, the audience had been treated to eight staples of the genre, with each having been played faithfully, yet with enough personality to avoid sounding like carbon copies.
The Band Behind the Sound
The lineup was formidable:
- Mark Yacovone (keyboards)
- Jacqueline “Jaxx” Nassar (guitar, vocals)
- Adrienne “Lady Adrena” Ervin (vocals)
- Keith Johnson (guitar, vocals, harmonica)
- Anthony “Bug A” Sherrod (guitar, vocals)
- Adrian “Rev Slim” Forrest (bass)
- Lee Williams (drums)
- Martin Gellner (composer, conductor, music director)
Intermission to Evolution
After intermission, narration from Freeman guided the audience into the “Blues lineage” segment. Muddy Waters’ famous line, “The blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll” served as the springboard. The band traced that lineage with: “Somebody’s Knocking at My Door” (Muddy Waters-inspired grit)
A fiery “Travellin’ Riverside Blues,” tilting the sound toward rock.
The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There,” which merged gospel warmth with funk grooves, reminding the audience of the genre’s spiritual kinship.
Anthony Sherrod added his own voice with two originals (“Tried and Tried” and “Someday”) that proved the blues is alive and evolving, not just a museum piece.
Freeman, But Not Freeman
The evening’s most striking moment came when Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” unfolded as a multimedia duet: live band and orchestra in sync with a projection of Freeman himself singing the classic. It was moving, but also underscored the evening’s central frustration: Freeman was largely absent. Beyond the brief live introduction, his presence came only via pre-recorded videos that introduced songs or offered reflections, such as his closing meditation that “the blues is not just music. It’s history, survival, a refusal to be silenced.”
For many, the allure of the show was the promise of spending an evening in Freeman’s company. Instead, after those first 15 minutes, he never reappeared. The result? Some attendees walked out feeling short-changed, wishing he had simply stayed onstage as a silent figurehead, if nothing else.
The Orchestra’s Dilemma
The Florida Orchestra, despite its world-class reputation, felt underutilized. Too often their contributions were buried beneath the amplified blues band. The concept of blending free-spirited blues improvisation with orchestral grandeur was exciting in theory, but in practice, the orchestra’s role was reduced to faint background texture. Better mic’ing, or a rearrangement giving them more breathing room, might unlock the full potential of the collaboration.
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