Book Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Shepherd released his first in a string of platinum albums while still in high school, but the Shreveport, Louisiana born guitarist / singer / songwriter has never forgotten his roots nor his influences. Placed behind only B.B. King and Eric Clapton in a Guitar World list of blues guitarists, and a guy who also specializes in rock, Shepherd has graciously utilized his own stature, acting as a gateway for younger fans, to shine a spotlight on the great bluesmen of the past most notably on Live In Chicago, the penultimate culmination of a multi-faceted, unprecedented project.

The landmark concert was part of a nationwide tour Shepherd put together in support of the award-winning 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads project. The DVD / CD documentary shows Shepherd, whose own Trouble Is… album boasts the longest run in Billboard Blues Chart history (hitting the 2 year mark), traveling around the country on a ten day trek interviewing and jamming with icons from the blues scene, including the surviving members of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf’s bands. ‘We played with these guys on their front porches, in their backyards, stuff like that,’ Shepherd, now 33, explains. Directed by Noble Jones, 10 Days Out was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Live in Chicago features well-known staples from the Kenny Wayne Shepherd catalog alongside a batch of classic material chosen specially for these onstage collaborations. ‘The music we played with these special guests actually isn’t even the music from the 10 Days Out project,’ Kenny says. ‘It’s a good balance. With Kenny’s strongest tunes from his best loved albums, his scorching band, that pedigree of guests and one of the most noteworthy performances in any genre in recent memory, Live in Chicago is truly something special. ‘Usually a live record is just live versions of all of your old stuff,’ Shepherd rightly points out. ‘This collection is a great, diverse combination for the fans.’