Jeff Bridges’ Major Label Debut Album Set for Summer Release

Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges, who earned the 2009 Oscar for his portrayal of a country singer in the film 'Crazy Heart,' has signed a deal with EMI's Blue Note Records, and is set to release his debut album for the label in late summer.

The project will reunite Jeff with longtime friend, and multiple-Grammy-winning songwriter, musician and producer T Bone Burnett. The pair fist met more than 30 years ago when country music icon Kris Kristofferson introduced them during the filming of 1980's 'Heaven's Gate.'

T Bone has since had a role in selecting songs that appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 film 'The Big Lebowski' and he co-wrote several songs for the 'Crazy Heart' soundtrack, including 'The Weary Kind,' for which he (and songwriter Ryan Bingham) earned the Oscar (and a Golden Globe) for Best Original Song.

The upcoming album will feature several of Jeff Bridges' own songs as well as contributions from other writers. Rosanne Cash will be among the guest vocalists on the disc. More details about the CD will be released in the coming months. In January 2011, the actor spoke about his lifelong passion for music in an episode of the PBS series, 'American Masters' (which can be viewed in full here).

Look for Jeff Bridges on the cover of Esquire magazine's May music issue, which hits newsstands April 26.