KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD for the Onetime Guitar Prodigy, Home Is Where the Heart—And the Blues—Are by Jeff Tamarkin
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ISSUE #37 MMUSICMAG.COM MUSICIAN KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD For the onetime guitar prodigy, home is where the heart—and the blues—are By Jeff Tamarkin WATCHING ICON STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AT JUST 7 YEARS all started, recording in his native Shreveport, La. “This is me getting old impacted Kenny Wayne Shepherd in ways he could never have back to my roots,” explains Shepherd, “and to the music that inspired imagined at the time. “I had a very early introduction to blues music,” me as a kid to play guitar and become the artist that I am.” says Shepherd, “and watching Stevie Ray altered the course of my The track list of Goin’ Home is populated entirely with vintage— life. He played with such raw emotion and passion and fire. From and sometimes obscure—tunes by such blues legends as Muddy that day forward I knew I wanted to play guitar like that.” Waters, Bo Diddley, Magic Sam and Willie Dixon. Shepherd also Now it’s Shepherd who’s inspiring youngsters. At 37, the former tapped an impressive list of guest stars for the record, including prodigy is a dynamic live performer and prolific recording artist. The Joe Walsh, Keb’ Mo’, Warren Haynes, Robert Randolph, the Rebirth five-time Grammy-nominated master guitarist has racked up more Brass Band, and Ringo Starr, who proves he can nicely keep it in than a dozen mainstream rock hits, four platinum albums and a the pocket on the Buddy Guy favorite “Cut You Loose.” Portrait and performance images by Jeff FasanoPortrait shelf-full of industry awards. “The point behind this album is to show my genuine love for Since the release of his debut album Ledbetter Heights in 1995, the blues, the artists who inspired me, and the fans who support Shepherd’s music has veered from traditional blues and more into this music,” he says. “I want to affect people the way these guys the rock and pop realm. But for his seventh studio album, the aptly affected me.” Shepherd talked with us about his musical education, titled Goin’ Home, the L.A. resident literally went back to where it his love of the blues, and the album that took him back to his roots. ‘As an artist, I want to do something different with every record, to maintain my creative integrity.’ 46 M mag 37.indd 46 3/16/15 12:30 AM ISSUE #37 MMUSICMAG.COM What attracted you to the blues? to look into producing other artists. I also HOME COOKING If you play blues the way it’s meant to be learned we have a killer facility in Shreveport played, you’re playing music that comes [Blade Studios] for making albums, which straight from your heart and soul. You’re not we never had before. I plan on making many Although Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born supposed to do a whole lot of thinking—it’s albums there in the future. in Shreveport, La., it’s one place he had never all about feeling. That’s something anyone cut an album. As he formulated ideas for at any age can identify with. That’s why I Among the guest artists, Ringo Starr Goin’ Home, Shepherd realized it was time identified with it at a very young age. I could isn’t one most think of as a blues player. that he did. “As I started digging through the feel the emotion that was put into the songs. Ringo told me a story about when he was catalogs of the blues artists I grew up on, Also, I’ve always gravitated toward guitar, really young, before he tried out for the it brought back vivid memories of sitting in and a lot of the biggest names in the blues Beatles. Like many of the other English the living room of my parents’ house playing happened to be guitar players. When I musicians of his era, he was completely guitar and learning this music,” he says. “So if listened to them, it made me think, I want to immersed in the blues. He at one point I was going to do any record in Shreveport, it be able to do that. And I wondered if I could. wanted to be in a blues band. So he has was going to be this one—it brings me back a deep understanding and appreciation for full circle.” Is this a return to the blues? blues music. I’ve never run away from the blues, but we Shepherd teamed with Brady Blade, pushed the blues into different directions. You’re also playing with Stephen Stills. proprietor of Shreveport’s state-of-the-art We do that by incorporating rock and other Stephen wanted to put together a blues Blade Studios, who co-produced the album influential elements that have affected me. So band, the Rides. He and [keyboardist] Barry with Shepherd and Bill Pfordresher. One the majority of my records are not traditional Goldberg started writing and decided they thing Shepherd insisted on was making the blues—you can call it contemporary blues or wanted another member, and my name came blues-rock or whatever. But this new one is up. I’d had it in my mind to do a side project a traditional blues record. As an artist, I want and was just waiting for the right opportunity. to do something different with every record, It’s a completely different experience from to maintain my creative integrity. what I’m used to. Everyone has their own say; there’s compromise. Stephen’s a great blues player, and he can play some real lowdown stuff that not a lot of white guys ‘This record is can. And his voice has gotten a bit raspy, and in the blues, that’s an asset. my baby from What did you listen to as a kid? beginning to end.’ I listened to popular music of the time. But when I would tell my friends I was checking out the new Stevie Ray Vaughan album, or Why so many obscure songs? I was just listening to Muddy Waters, they If I was going to do a covers album, I knew it would look at me like I was crazy. That was needed to be more than that. For most acts, a little weird, but that’s what I liked. a covers album is their final commitment to their record company, a throwaway before Your dad was a radio DJ. they move on. This is not that—this was I was surrounded by music my whole album “the old-fashioned way,” using analog done out of genuine love and appreciation. life—around the house, going to the radio equipment with the musicians playing live. I looked for songs that were a bit more station, and at every concert that came obscure with lyrics that were still relevant through town. I was attached to my dad’s “The whole point was to maintain the spirit and current and didn’t sound dated. I looked hip when I was a kid, so I spent a lot of time of the original recordings and put our own for songs that had great grooves. Subject around music industry people. That became personality into it,” he says. “Part of that, to matter was important, too—I tried to put the a comfort zone for me—and being around keep it authentic, was to record the songs emphasis on the positive side of the blues, people older than me. the way they were originally recorded. We though a couple explore the dark side. The used two-inch tape, no Auto-Tune, no click most mainstream song is [Albert King’s] Did you take guitar lessons? tracks—and if you don’t get it right, go back Portrait and performance images by Jeff FasanoPortrait “Born Under a Bad Sign.” I wasn’t going I took a guitar class in middle school, but I and do the whole thing again.” to select that song, but Keb’ Mo’ did an was already playing. I got A’s, but I would incredible job with it so I put it on. pretend because they were teaching theory The only exception was the recording of the and how to read music, and I would just guest artists. “Trying to get all those guys What was different this time? learn the song by ear, memorize it at home to Louisiana in an 11-day time frame was This is the first album I really produced on my and come back and stare at the paper and just impossible,” Shepherd continues. “But own. I had a bit of help from Brady Blade and act like I was reading the music. I also took everything else was done live. I mean, I’ve my friend Bill Pfordresher, but this record is a couple of private lessons from this guy at got a great band, really talented musicians. my baby from beginning to end. I’ve been a local music store. He would say, “What If I had my way, all of my records would be moving in that direction, so I’m starting song do you want to know how to play?” I very traditional blues-sounding.” 47 M mag 37.indd 47 3/16/15 12:31 AM ISSUE #37 MMUSICMAG.COM MUSICIAN Onstage with Stephen Stills in L.A., 2013 ‘If you play blues the way that it’s TOOLS OF THE TRADE meant to be played, you’re playing Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s primary guitar has long been a 1961 Fender Stratocaster— straight from your heart and soul.’ but for Goin’ Home, he says, “I also used a ’58 Strat, a ’59 Strat, a ’61 Strat and various versions of my signature series would say, “No, I want to know how to play to have platinum records.