A chance meeting with Blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan at the age of seven set guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd onto a career that has seen him release seven studio albums, four of which achieved platinum status; tour the world with the Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Aerosmith and Van Halen and share a stage with iconic Bluesmen BB King and Hubert Sumlin over a career stretching almost two decades, a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that Shepherd is still only 37 years old. Talk about packing a lot into a still very young life.
With a band of heavyweights including drummer Chris Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band and Tony Franklin, bassist extraordinaire whose CV reads like the who’s who of Rock notching up credits with Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Carmine Appice and even Kate Bush, Shepherd certainly built a band of sterling pedigree.
His latest album Goin’ Home pays homage to his heroes from the Three Kings (BB, Freddie and Albert) to Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters and with Shepherd promising a set leaning heavily towards his Blues side he stayed true to his word.
Spirited takes on Talk To Me Baby by Elmore James along with a heartfelt You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now by BB King combined with Shepherd originals Never Looking Back and a beautiful Blue on Black with Noah Hunt’s smouldering Bluesey voice evoking memories of a youthful Paul Rodgers
Gypsy Eyes with its colossal Funk groove laid down by a hugely impressive Franklin who more than lived up to his Fretless Monster nickname and a super cool Layton laid the cornerstone for Shepherd to really let rip. Seeing these guys in full flow is what music is all about, passion, energy, emotion and is an absolute joy to watch.
Highlights came thick and fast with Shepherd’s riotous cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s The House Is Rockin’ more than living up to its name while a closing triumvirate of Oh Well, an absolutely barnstorming I’m A King Bee and a stunning take on the Hendrix classic Voodoo Chile with Shepherd really letting fly with some serious fretboard histrionics showing beyond doubt that the Blues is in safe hands for years to come.
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