In a city that’s launched several young, blues-based artists to various levels of prominence over the past decade or so — the North Mississippi Allstars, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Valerie June, to name three — singer/songwriter/guitarist Jason Freeman has been a fixture, but one always just outside the spotlight.
He co-founded the string-band-based Bluff City Backsliders more than a decade ago, prepped Samuel L. Jackson for his bluesman role in Black Snake Moan, has played with local artists such as June and Amy LaVere, and fronted, briefly, another band, the Midtown Lowdowns. But this winter Freeman finally made his solo debut with the impressive album Hex & Hell, released via filmmaker Craig Brewer’s BR2 imprint. (The longtime collaborators also became brothers-in-law a few years ago.)
Tonight, Freeman celebrates the vinyl release of the album as well as the debut of a third video connected to the album, this one from local filmmaker Christopher Reyes, with a free record-release show at the Poplar Lounge.
J.D. Reager talked with Freeman for a feature in this week’s Flyer. I also talked to him for a profile in next month’s Memphis magazine, which should be out in a few weeks.
