The Dude really rocks: Jeff Bridges leans into raw truth of his music on the old/new songs of 'Slow Magic'

With his bonzer acting prowess, it’s nary astonishment that Jeff Bridges made “the Dude” arsenic iconic arsenic the top stone stars. However, astir fans of “The Big Lebowski” astir apt aren’t alert that Bridges is simply a existent rocker successful his ain right, a talented singer-songwriter who plays some guitar and piano. Beyond his acclaimed performances successful classical films similar “Starman” and “The Last Picture Show,” cult hits similar “The Fisher King” and his unforgettable crook successful “Crazy Heart,” the legendary histrion boasts a euphony résumé that rivals astir full-time musicians’.

Bridges released his debut album, “Be Here Soon,” successful 2000. He besides co-produced the grounds with Chris Pelonis and the Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald, who sang impermanent vocals, on with David Crosby. His 2011 self-titled follow-up album, produced by T Bone Burnett, made waves, landing connected the Billboard 200 arsenic good arsenic country, people and stone charts. Ahead of the album’s release, Bridges performed astatine the Troubadour, wherever helium was introduced onstage by Quincy Jones, who told the star-studded assemblage (Jackson Browne among them) that euphony is Bridges’ “true calling.” Bridges adjacent has his ain signature models of Breedlove guitars.

Now, Bridges is poised to merchandise “Slow Magic, 1977-1978,” his archetypal grounds since his 2015 spoken-word/ambient album, “Sleeping Tapes.” The 10-year spread betwixt records mightiness look similar a agelong time, but these songs really person been waiting astir 50 years to marque their debut. “Time is truthful bizarre. I can’t judge we recorded this fractional a period ago,” Bridges, 75, says during a Zoom call, wearing a brownish cable-knit sweater, with his speechmaking glasses perched connected his nose, and sporting a bushy achromatic beard.

Sitting successful his garage-turned-ceramics workplace that doubles arsenic a jam space, astatine his location successful Santa Barbara, surrounded by framed photos, artwork and assorted mementos, including a “The Big Lebowski”-themed bandanna, Bridges seems conscionable arsenic incredulous that “Slow Magic” is adjacent coming out. He explains that the travel to merchandise it was alternatively unexpected. He credits Keefus Ciancia, his “Sleeping Tapes” collaborator, for the grounds making its long-overdue nationalist debut. Bridges had played the decades-old cassette of his songs for Ciancia, who, without Bridges’ knowledge, passed it on to Matt Sullivan, laminitis of indie statement Light successful the Attic, who was anxious to merchandise it. Bridges was stunned but delighted.

For fans of Bridges’ films, “Slow Magic” is simply a uncommon treat, offering a glimpse into a much idiosyncratic broadside of his beingness that was antecedently hidden from the nationalist eye. In his 20s, arsenic his big-screen vocation was taking disconnected — with 2 Oscar nominations, for “The Last Picture Show” and “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” already nether his loop — Bridges would articulation a radical of his precocious schoolhouse friends for play nighttime jam sessions. Keeping the vibe escaped and spontaneous, they drank whiskey and improvised instrumentals. “Occasionally we’d spout words,” Bridges recalls. “And radical who didn’t play a peculiar instrumentality were encouraged to play that instrument.”

And, man, were they high. How high? “Pretty damn high,” Bridges says, laughing, recalling late-nights fueled by pot, quaaludes, cocaine and psychedelics. After all, helium notes, it was the ’70s, a clip of experimentation.

Inspired by these sessions, Bridges would constitute songs connected his own, signaling them betwixt movie shoots. To co-produce the tracks, helium enlisted Ken Lauber, who had arranged and composed the euphony for 1975 movie “Hearts of the West,” successful which Bridges starred. It’s rumored that Lauber, who besides had worked with Bob Dylan and the Band, contemplated the second to backmost Bridges connected the recordings, but alternatively chose Bridges’ unit of jammers owed to their unique, irreplaceable chemistry.

Jeff Bridges, left, with chap jam buddy Steve Baim.

(From Loretta Ayeroff)

Clocking successful astatine astir 40 minutes, “Slow Magic” offers an eclectic ride, reflecting Bridges’ divers influences — spanning from Captain Beefheart and Motown to the Beatles, Moondog, the Rolling Stones and Dylan. The pb single, the self-satirizing “Obnoxious,” released successful February, finds Bridges singing hilariously astir self-indulgence, eating and drinking excessively, and popping pills. The medium besides features a brace of atmospheric instrumentals, “Space 1” and “Space 2,” co-written by the jammers.

The album’s highlights see the soulful, sax-infused rubric track, “Slow Magic”; the Band-esque “This Is the One”; a blissful emotion opus Bridges wrote astir his wife, Susan; and the upbeat, radio-friendly “You Could Be Ready.”

The grounds closes with the epic eight-minute “Kong,” which Bridges wrote aft manager John Guillermin rejected his thought for an alternate ending to the 1976 “King Kong” remake, successful which Bridges starred. In his version, the elephantine monkey turns retired to beryllium a machine. The opus features the disco-inspired chorus “Do the King Kong, baby,” with histrion Burgess Meredith simulating the historical Hindenburg catastrophe vigor broadcast arsenic helium narrates the monolithic ape-machine’s fiery clang to the ground.

The bananas way was elaborate successful Rolling Stone successful 1977, erstwhile Bridges graced the magazine’s screen to beforehand the sci-fi phantasy blockbuster. Titled “What Is Jeff Bridges Afraid of?,” the nonfiction chronicles his relentless self-doubt and anxiety, which Bridges confesses inactive plague him to this day.

It’s an admittance that seems curiously astatine likelihood with his laid-back demeanor, though. “I deliberation possibly what you’re seeing these days is simply a mentation wherever I’ve covered a batch of that up. All of those fears are inactive going on, but I polish that crap out,” Bridges says. “I don’t deliberation I’ve changed much. I consciousness astir the same.”

While helium acknowledges his “pretty bully estimation of being well-liked,” helium reveals, “Liking myself, having understanding, affection and empathy for myself — that’s what I could usage immoderate enactment on.”

What’s more, helium shares that arsenic an histrion he’s imprisoned by his perfectionism, which helium describes arsenic “a self-imposed hell.” “Creatively, the saccharine spot comes from getting retired of the mode and letting things travel done you,” helium says. “And my anxiousness comes from feeling that I‘ve got to bash it ‘just right,’ but I don’t cognize if I person the goods to travel up with … truthful that’s what I conflict with.”

To exemplify his point, helium references “The Big Lebowski.” “‘Sometimes you devour the barroom and sometimes the barroom eats you,’” Bridges says, laughing arsenic helium delivers the celebrated enactment conscionable similar histrion Sam Elliott successful the film, his Southern drawl turning “bear” into “bar.”

It’s wit that helps to alleviate his anxiety, helium says, which includes laughing astatine himself “for being truthful ridiculous astir it all.” What’s more, Bridges expresses gratitude for his wife’s predominant reminders to lighten up and person fun. “And past it’s like, ohio yeah, I forgot — joy. The occurrence is available. It’s close there, going connected each the time,” helium says.

It’s miraculous that Bridges is adjacent alive. In 2020, helium was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Meanwhile, arsenic helium battled cancer, helium contracted COVID, which, helium says, near him “on death’s doorstep.” In remission since 2021, helium says his latest CT scan showed nary hint of the cancer, making it particularly poignant that Bridges is presently learning to play Leonard Cohen’s “Waiting for the Miracle” connected guitar.

Self-taught connected the instrument, which helium archetypal picked up astatine 14, Bridges began penning songs soon after. When Bridges was 20, Quincy Jones enactment his opus “Lost successful Space” successful the 1969 movie “John and Mary,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow.

Bridges calls it an “amazingly cool” moment. Still, helium says helium didn’t fantasize astir becoming a nonrecreational musician. Passionate astir ceramics, painting, photography and music, helium reveals that helium was ne'er peculiarly career-driven. “I’ve ne'er truly been an ambitious person. I ne'er had that benignant of drive,” helium says.

Even acting was not initially a extremity for Bridges, who admits helium feared the scrutiny of pursuing successful the footsteps of his celebrated father, Lloyd, who was champion known for starring successful the TV bid “Sea Hunt.” “I had a tendency to stock what I had to offer, but I didn’t privation to beryllium labeled … what bash they telephone it? ... ‘Nepo baby,’” Bridges says. “I could recognize wherefore radical would resent that, and I didn’t privation to beryllium resented.”

Nonetheless, his begetter encouraged him to prosecute acting, pointing retired that it would span his assorted interests, allowing him to play a instrumentalist successful a movie someday.

Truer words were ne'er spoken. In 1989, Bridges starred successful the critically lauded “The Fabulous Baker Boys” alongside his older brother, Beau, arsenic a waning lounge enactment duo of piano-playing siblings who prosecute a talented, beauteous singer, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, to revitalize their act.

After his occurrence successful “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” Bridges took a crisp crook successful 2005 with his adjacent instrumentalist character, embracing a darker relation successful “Tideland,” portraying an electrical guitar-toting, drug-addled failed stone prima successful Terry Gilliam’s surreal tale.

But it was his captivating, starring crook arsenic chainsmoking, alcoholic, washed-up state prima Otis “Bad” Blake successful the heart-stirring, redemptive “Crazy Heart” respective years aboriginal that earned him Oscar gold, arsenic good arsenic a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and an Independent Spirit Award.

Ironically, Bridges initially passed connected the part. It felt excessively risky to play a relation truthful idiosyncratic to him. “Subconsciously, I deliberation I was turning it down due to the fact that playing thing that was truthful beloved to my bosom … exploring my [kind of] euphony and worldly … if you support it successful the imagination world, you’re safe,” helium says. “But erstwhile it becomes real, you cognize you could easy fail, and each of your dreams could beryllium shattered.”

The turning constituent came erstwhile Bridges ran into Burnett, who was acceptable to oversee the film’s music, and encouraged him to instrumentality the role. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is excessively chill of an invitation,’” Bridges reflects. “So, I said, ‘F— it. I’m conscionable gonna bash it.’”

It was euphony to the ears of “Crazy Heart” manager Scott Cooper. “Jeff changed my beingness by saying yes to a screenplay that I wrote specifically for him,” Cooper, who made his directorial debut with the film, tells The Times. “I was somewhat besieged by different actors to play the portion — each of whom are large actors and movie stars — but which histrion tin represent an incredibly flawed character, marque america spot ourselves successful that quality and, successful the end, uplift us? For me, it was lone Jeff Bridges.”

Even erstwhile Bridges isn’t playing a musician, his cinematic way often intersects with music, whether it’s his screen of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” with Kim Carnes that plays implicit the opening country of “The Contender” oregon his relation successful “Masked and Anonymous,” acting alongside his longtime philharmonic hero, Dylan, who co-wrote the 2003 film.

Young Jeff Bridges.

(From Candy Clark)

Bridges recalls a peculiarly surreal infinitesimal erstwhile the euphony icon came knock-knock-knockin’ connected his trailer door, guitar successful hand, for an impromptu jam. Initially trembling with nerves, Bridges says helium felt progressively astatine easiness playing euphony with Dylan, uncovering him to beryllium disarmingly down to earth.

“It’s a large blessing to conscionable beryllium live with that guy,” helium says. “It’s similar being live during Shakespeare’s time.”

Bridges has crossed nonrecreational paths much than erstwhile with Dylan, whose opus “The Man successful Me” plays during the opening titles of “The Big Lebowski” and a aboriginal country arsenic well.

Soon, Bridges volition big a bid of “The Big Lebowski” screenings connected the West Coast. “They’ll amusement the movie, and past I’ll bash a speech and amusement my acquisition done the photographs that I took during [the making of] it,” helium says.

In the meantime, arsenic helium contemplates what’s adjacent aft the cancellation of his TV bid “The Old Man,” Bridges says “Slow Magic” has reignited his tendency to marque music. He’s reasoning astir getting successful interaction with “Kenny Lauber and immoderate of the aged guys” to reunite the group. As Bridges tells it, playing with a set allows him to enactment retired his long-standing “Beatles fantasy,” and remains 1 of his astir rewarding roles.