Jeff Bridges on Emotions & Music
- In Santa Barbara, on a rainy day, Jeff Bridges ponders the whereabouts of his spectacles.
- Bridges' garage serves multiple purposes: a jam space and a ceramics workshop.
- bridges possesses a remarkable ability to see the positive side of things.When discussing the loss of his Malibu home in the Los Angeles fires, he remains optimistic.
Jeff Bridges: Unearthing “Slow Magic” and Embracing Life’s Twists
Table of Contents
In Santa Barbara, on a rainy day, Jeff Bridges ponders the whereabouts of his spectacles. A video call unfolds into a wide-ranging conversation, touching on subjects from Bob Dylan to the behavior of bees, and iconic films like crazy Heart, Cutter’s Way, and The Big Lebowski. The discussion takes many turns, with Bridges occasionally being handed pairs of glasses by an assistant, none of which seem to be the right fit. “Were was I?” he asks, a testament to the free-flowing nature of the dialog.
Bridges’ garage serves multiple purposes: a jam space and a ceramics workshop. A drum set awaits his grandson, and a Captain Beefheart picture adorns the wall. Following the cancellation of his FX series, The Old Man, in December, the 75-year-old actor has found himself spending more time in this creative haven. “Now I’ve got some time for letting some other things bubble up and I’m really happy about that,” he shares. “A lot of music, some more art stuff.”
Finding the Silver Lining
bridges possesses a remarkable ability to see the positive side of things.When discussing the loss of his Malibu home in the Los Angeles fires, he remains optimistic. “We’ve lost five homes to fires, earthquakes, floods.We’re waiting for the locusts,” he quips. His 2020 diagnosis and treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma,referred to as “some real health issues,” is mentioned briefly as the impetus for releasing more music. “Hey,” he reasons,”if you’ve got some stuff that you want to share,now’s the time,man!” When complimented on his cheerful demeanor,he responds,”Absolutely. I’m happy.”
The Rediscovery of “Slow Magic”
The main topic of conversation is Slow Magic, a collection of Jeff Bridges songs recorded nearly 50 years ago, slated for release on Record Store Day on April 12. The story of how this release came about is, in his words, “so mysterious and splendid to me. Shall I give you a little history?” He recounts a tale involving musicians Keefus Ciancia and T Bone Burnett, a Squarespace Super Bowl advertisement, the 1975 comedy Hearts of the West, the new Age music charts, and a cassette tape labeled “July 1978” containing tunes recorded with high school friends. Bridges’ life seems to unfold through moments of serendipity and connection.
Early Influences and Family Ties
Born into a Hollywood family, with actors Dorothy and Lloyd Bridges as his parents, and Beau Bridges as his older brother, Jeff was encouraged by his father to pursue acting. “I had questions about what I was going to do, and my dad would say: ‘jeff, don’t be ridiculous, that’s the wonderful thing about acting, it’s going to call upon all of your interests.’”
Music was a central part of their family life. They would gather around the piano, singing show tunes. One of Bridges’ earliest memories involves Broadway composer Meredith Willson visiting their home to persuade his father to take the lead in The Music Man.”His wife, Rini, was playing the piano and Meredith Willson was coming up to me singing: ‘You got trouble! Right here in River City!’”
Growing up in the 1960s, Bridges witnessed the evolution of music. “I mean every day, can you imagine, waking up going to school and here are the new Beatles songs?” he says.”And that happened over and over! You take it for granted, kind of, but it’s amazing!”
High School Days and Musical Beginnings
Bridges’ high school was filled with children from the entertainment industry. He spent time with an artsy crowd, starting each day by listening to the radio in his Buick. “[There was] a lot of drug experimentation you know, during those times.”
Every Wednesday, they would gather for jam sessions at his friend Steve Baim’s home. “There was a main rule that there were no songs allowed,” Bridges explains.”Singing was encouraged, and making up songs, but nothing that would be played on the radio or anything like that. just a big jam session.” These Wednesday Night Jams continued as they moved through life, grounding them in friendship and creativity. Around 1977,Bridges invited his friends to record some of his music. “And the album is a result of that.”
Despite his father’s advice, music remained a viable path.In the late 1960s, he sold two songs to Quincy Jones. As time passed, the indecision lingered. “I’d done 10 movies, I’d been nominated for an Academy Award[bestsupportingactorfor[bestsupportingactorforThe Last Picture Show, 1971], and I still wasn’t…”
A Shift After “The Last American Hero”
A change occurred after making the 1973 motor sports movie The Last American Hero. “I had a grate time making it, but usually after a movie your pretend muscle gets exhausted,” Bridges says. “You don’t want to pretend any more, you just want to be who you really are and not be in character.”
Shortly after, he was offered a role in John Frankenheimer’s adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh. Despite the remarkable cast, Bridges was hesitant. He initially declined the role, but a call from Lamont Johnson, director of The Last American Hero, changed his mind. “He said: ‘I heard you turned down The Iceman Cometh?’ I said ‘Yeah Monty, I’m bushed, man.’ And he says, ‘You’re bushed? You’re an ass!’ And he hung up on me!”
Bridges decided “to do a little experiment on myself and go kind of against what my intuition is telling me.” He accepted the role, enjoyed the movie, and committed to acting.
embracing Resistance
This was an early example of Bridges exploring his resistant nature. “I find I have a lot of resistance, that’s kind of how I roll,” he says. “To do a movie, to bring me to the party, I resist, I resist. And there’s such satisfaction in exploring that resistance and getting on the other side,not being afraid of it.”
Lately, he has been confronting his resistance to cold. “I’m getting into the cold-plunging, I’ve been doing that for a while, and my relationship with cold has shifted a bit,” he says. “Normally you think of cold as an enemy,but it’s just a feeling. All of those different emotions that come up,they’re no big thing man! Come on!” He describes himself as always resistant. “I don’t think I’ve changed much since I was a little kid. I feel basically the same.” When asked to describe his essence, he pauses, then smiles. “Frightened, and game.”
He is hesitant to compare his relationship with music to his relationship with acting. “It’s a facet of myself,” he says. “I don’t think we ultimately know who we really are all the time. The task for all these different things, weather it’s acting, music, painting, ceramics, the main task is getting out of the way, letting the thing come through you.And it can be frightening sometimes. But sometimes it just has its way with you, and when that happens, man it’s a gas! And when it happens with a bunch of other artists and you’re all doing it together, it’s real magic.It’s the magic of trees and flowers.”
the Harmonizing Power of Music
Music has often connected the various aspects of his life.”Whether it’s making a movie or music, you’re harmonising,” he says. “You’re saying: let’s combine our strengths here and see what we can come up with and make it stunning and real.”
He frequently enough creates playlists for his characters. “then you play them in the makeup trailer,” he says. “You get made up with all the guys in the show,you make that transition from who you are back into your characters. you get painted, you share music.”
He recalls shooting Against All Odds in Mexico with Taylor Hackford, and how on their first night “we split a bottle of tequila, and went through the whole Beatles catalogue.” He also remembers being stuck on the set of Heaven’s Gate in Montana, where Kris Kristofferson and T Bone Burnett invited musical friends to join them. “And we would just jam all the time. When we weren’t working, we were playing.” Later, he took the lead in Crazy Heart because Burnett signed on to write the score.
In 2003, Bridges appeared alongside Bob Dylan in Masked and Anonymous. The director,Larry Charles,suggested that Bridges teach Dylan some acting. “He was so great to work with,” he says. “He’s such an incredible actor. I mean his presence, right?”
Shortly after, Dylan appeared in Bridges’ trailer. “He said ‘Hey man, you want to jam?’” Bridges still seems amazed. When asked if he saw A Complete Unknown, he says, “Yeah, yeah.They all did such a great job but …” He seems puzzled by the film’s existence.”You know, you got the real thing …”
The “Song Mine” and Emergent Behavior
lately, Bridges has been exploring his “song mine,” considering what to do with his written tunes. He continues to write, filling notebooks and GarageBand files. Sometimes he records with Cianca in their band, the Abiders. Other times, he releases rough sketches on his website under the banner emergent Behavior, asking for donations to no Kid Hungry and the Amazon Conservation Team. “Let’s create beautifully together,” the website suggests.
“I wrote a song recently about my old buddy John Goodwin,” bridges shares. Goodwin,who grew up in the same neighborhood,became a professional songwriter,contributing to the Crazy Heart soundtrack and Bridges’ self-titled 2011 album.
Bridges calls his Goodwin tribute song We Know That One. “I don’t know what style you’d call it. it’s my own style, kind of. let me see if I can find it …” He picks up a tablet, peers at the screen. “All right. Let’s see here. Scrolling, scrolling, music, lyrics, my lyrics, my chorus, lyrics …”
In the quiet of his garage, Bridges leans back in his chair and begins to sing. His voice is warm and kind, and as he sings, he seems to glow. The music is having its way with him, embodying the magic of trees and flowers.
Here is a sample of the lyrics from Slow Magic:
From the top it looks deep, from the bottom it looks high,
Dive into the lake through the reflection of the sky.
No need feeling lonely Johnny, on this road heading home,
We’re all heading that way, no one’s really alone.
Can’t you hear us laughing as we cover our gold with the ashes,
Our freedom, yeah we’re ditching our souls.
Johnny can’t you see we use hilarity to numb.
I think we’re just too damn sensitive Johnny, we couldn’t be that dumb.
Do we need some kind of friction? Do we need some kind of brakes?
Something dragging in the dirt, is that what it takes to get us home Johnny, get us home safe?
In that case, maybe laughing ain’t too bad while we wait.
I can feel my soul waiting for me up ahead,tapping his foot,he’s covered all bets.
He’s waiting with yours Johnny, they’re playing in the sun,
Hear that tune they’re playing, we know that one …
Slow Magic, 1977-78 will be released on Light in the Attic on April 12.
Jeff bridges: A Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| New Album release | Slow Magic, 1977-78 on light in the Attic, April 12 |
| Key Themes | Music, acting, resistance, serendipity, family |
| Musical Collaborations | Quincy Jones, T Bone Burnett, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Keefus ciancia, John Goodwin |
| Philanthropy | Supports No Kid Hungry and the Amazon Conservation Team |
Jeff Bridges: Unearthing ”Slow Magic” and Embracing Life’s Twists
In Santa Barbara, on a rainy day, Jeff Bridges ponders the whereabouts of his spectacles. A video call unfolds into a wide-ranging conversation, touching on subjects from Bob Dylan to the behavior of bees, and iconic films like crazy Heart, Cutter’s Way, and The Big Lebowski. The discussion takes many turns, with Bridges occasionally being handed pairs of glasses by an assistant, none of which seem to be the right fit. “Were was I?” he asks, a testament to the free-flowing nature of the dialog.
Bridges’ garage serves multiple purposes: a jam space and a ceramics workshop. A drum set awaits his grandson, and a Captain Beefheart picture adorns the wall.Following the cancellation of his FX series, The Old Man, in December, the 75-year-old actor has found himself spending more time in this creative haven. “Now I’ve got some time for letting some other things bubble up and I’m really happy about that,” he shares. “A lot of music, some more art stuff.”
Finding the Silver Lining
Bridges possesses a remarkable ability to see the positive side of things.When discussing the loss of his Malibu home in the Los Angeles fires, he remains optimistic.”We’ve lost five homes to fires, earthquakes, floods. We’re waiting for the locusts,” he quips. His 2020 diagnosis and treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, referred to as “some real health issues,” is mentioned briefly as the impetus for releasing more music. “Hey,” he reasons, “if you’ve got some stuff that you want to share, now’s the time, man!” When complimented on his cheerful demeanor, he responds, “Absolutely. I’m happy.”
The Rediscovery of “Slow Magic”
The main topic of conversation is Slow Magic, a collection of Jeff Bridges songs recorded nearly 50 years ago, slated for release on Record Store Day on April 12. The story of how this release came about is,in his words,”so mysterious and splendid to me. Shall I give you a little history?” He recounts a tale involving musicians Keefus Ciancia and T Bone Burnett, a Squarespace Super Bowl advertisement, the 1975 comedy Hearts of the West, the new Age music charts, and a cassette tape labeled “July 1978” containing tunes recorded with high school friends. Bridges’ life seems to unfold through moments of serendipity and connection.
Early Influences and Family Ties
Born into a Hollywood family, with actors Dorothy and Lloyd Bridges as his parents, and Beau Bridges as his older brother, Jeff was encouraged by his father to pursue acting. “I had questions about what I was going to do, and my dad would say: ‘Jeff, don’t be ridiculous, that’s the splendid thing about acting, it’s going to call upon all of your interests.’”
Music was a central part of their family life. They would gather around the piano, singing show tunes. One of Bridges’ earliest memories involves Broadway composer Meredith Willson visiting their home to persuade his father to take the lead in The Music Man. “His wife, Rini, was playing the piano and Meredith Willson was coming up to me singing: ‘You got trouble! Right here in River City!’”
Growing up in the 1960s, Bridges witnessed the evolution of music. “I mean every day, can you imagine, waking up going to school and here are the new Beatles songs?” he says. ”And that happened over and over! You take it for granted, kind of, but it’s amazing!”
High School Days and Musical Beginnings
Bridges’ high school was filled with children from the entertainment industry. He spent time with an artsy crowd, starting each day by listening to the radio in his Buick. “[There was] a lot of drug experimentation you know, during those times.”
Every Wednesday, they would gather for jam sessions at his friend Steve Baim’s home. “There was a main rule that there were no songs allowed,” Bridges explains. “Singing was encouraged, and making up songs, but nothing that would be played on the radio or anything like that. just a big jam session.” These Wednesday Night Jams continued as they moved through life, grounding them in friendship and creativity. Around 1977,Bridges invited his friends to record some of his music. “And the album is a result of that.”
Despite his father’s advice, music remained a viable path.In the late 1960s,he sold two songs to Quincy Jones. As time passed, the indecision lingered. “I’d done 10 movies, I’d been nominated for an Academy Award[for[forThe Last Picture Show, 1971], and I still wasn’t…”
A Shift After “The Last American Hero”
A change occurred after making the 1973 motor sports movie The Last American Hero. “I had a grate time making it, but usually after a movie your pretend muscle gets exhausted,” Bridges says.”you don’t want to pretend any more, you just want to be who you really are and not be in character.”
Shortly after, he was offered a role in John Frankenheimer’s adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s The iceman Cometh. despite the remarkable cast, Bridges was hesitant. He initially declined the role, but a call from Lamont Johnson, director of The Last American Hero, changed his mind. “He said: ‘I heard you turned down The Iceman Cometh?’ I said ‘Yeah Monty,I’m bushed,man.’ And he says,‘You’re bushed? You’re an ass!’ And he hung up on me!”
Bridges decided ”to do a little experiment on myself and go kind of against what my intuition is telling me.” He accepted the role, enjoyed the movie, and committed to acting.
Embracing Resistance
This was an early example of Bridges exploring his resistant nature. “I find I have a lot of resistance, that’s kind of how I roll,” he says. “To do a movie, to bring me to the party, I resist, I resist. And there’s such satisfaction in exploring that resistance and getting on the other side, not being afraid of it.”
Lately,he has been confronting his resistance to cold. “I’m getting into cold-plunging, I’ve been doing that for a while, and my relationship with cold has shifted a bit,” he says. “Normally you think of cold as an enemy, but it’s just a feeling. All of those different emotions that come up, they’re no big thing man! Come on!” He describes himself as always resistant. “I don’t think I’ve changed much since I was a little kid. I feel basically the same.” When asked to describe his essence, he pauses, then smiles. “Frightened, and game.”
He is hesitant to compare his relationship with music to his relationship with acting. “It’s a facet of myself,” he says. “I don’t think we ultimately know who we really are all the time. The task for all these different things, weather it’s acting, music, painting, ceramics, the main task is getting out of the way, letting the thing come through you. And it can be frightening sometimes. But sometimes it just has it’s way with you, and when that happens, man it’s a gas! And when it happens with a bunch of other artists and you’re all doing it together, it’s real magic. It’s the magic of trees and flowers.”
The Harmonizing Power of Music
Music has often connected the various aspects of his life. “Whether it’s making a movie or music,you’re harmonizing,” he says. “You’re saying: let’s combine our strengths here and see what we can come up with and make it stunning and real.”
He frequently enough creates playlists for his characters. “then you play them in the makeup trailer,” he says. “You get made up with all the guys in the show,you make that transition from who you are back into your characters. you get painted, you share music.”
He recalls shooting Against All Odds in Mexico with Taylor Hackford, and how on their first night ”we split a bottle of tequila, and went through the whole Beatles catalogue.” He also remembers being stuck on the set of heaven’s Gate in Montana,where Kris Kristofferson and T Bone Burnett invited musical friends to join them.”And we would just jam all the time. When we weren’t working, we were playing.” Later, he took the lead in Crazy Heart as Burnett signed on to write the score.
In 2003,bridges appeared alongside Bob Dylan in Masked and Anonymous. The director, Larry Charles, suggested that Bridges teach Dylan some acting. “He was so great to work with,” he says. “he’s such an remarkable actor. I mean his presence, right?”
Shortly after, Dylan appeared in Bridges’ trailer. “He said ‘Hey man, you want to jam?’” Bridges still seems amazed. When asked if he saw A Complete Unknown, he says, “Yeah, yeah. They all did such a great job but…” He seems puzzled by the film’s existence. “You know, you got the real thing …”
The “Song Mine” and Emergent Behavior
Lately, Bridges has been exploring his “song mine,” considering what to do with his written tunes. He continues to write, filling notebooks and GarageBand files. Sometimes he records with Ciancia in their band,the Abiders. Other times, he releases rough sketches on his website under the banner emergent Behavior, asking for donations to no Kid Hungry and the Amazon Conservation Team. “Let’s create beautifully together,” the website suggests.
“I wrote a song recently about my old buddy John Goodwin,” Bridges shares. Goodwin, who grew up in the same neighborhood, became a professional songwriter, contributing to the Crazy Heart soundtrack and bridges’ self-titled 2011 album.
Bridges calls his Goodwin tribute song We Know That One. “I don’t know what style you’d call it. it’s my own style, kind of. let me see if I can find it …” He picks up a tablet, peers at the screen.”all right. Let’s see here. scrolling, scrolling, music, lyrics, my lyrics, my chorus, lyrics …”
In the quiet of his garage, Bridges leans back in his chair and begins to sing. His voice is warm and kind, and as he sings, he seems to glow. The music is having its way with him, embodying the magic of trees and flowers.
Here is a sample of the lyrics from Slow Magic:
From the top it looks deep, from the bottom it looks high, Dive into the lake through the reflection of the sky.
No need feeling lonely Johnny, on this road heading home,
We’re all heading that way, no one’s really alone.
can’t you hear us laughing as we cover our gold with the ashes,
Our freedom, yeah we’re ditching our souls.
Johnny can’t you see we use hilarity to numb.
I think we’re just too damn sensitive Johnny, we couldn’t be that dumb.
Do we need some kind of friction? Do we need some kind of brakes?
Something dragging in the dirt, is that what it takes to get us home Johnny, get us home safe?
In that case, maybe laughing ain’t too bad while we wait.
I can feel my soul waiting for me up ahead, tapping his foot, he’s covered all bets.
He’s waiting with yours Johnny, they’re playing in the sun,
Hear that tune they’re playing, we know that one …
Slow Magic, 1977-78 will be released on Light in the attic on April 12.
Jeff Bridges: A Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| New Album release | Slow Magic, 1977-78 on Light in the Attic, April 12 |
| Key Themes | Music, acting, resistance, serendipity, family |
| Musical Collaborations | Quincy jones, T Bone Burnett, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Keefus Ciancia, John Goodwin |
| Philanthropy | Supports No Kid Hungry and the Amazon Conservation Team |