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The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band Delivered With Passion and Precision in Tarrytown
The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band steered into The Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York on May 11th, 2012 with a passionate performance! The night was propelled by a career spanning set of signature covers and originals. The classic old theater is in the heart of the downtown, which has cafes, pubs, shops and parks just a short distance away from the venerable venue.
 The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on stage in Tarrytown, New York. Kenny Wayne Shepherd (KWS) was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1977 and he was born to play the guitar! At age seven, he met the influential Stevie Ray Vaughan and at thirteen KWS was sharing the stage with the legendary Bryan Lee. Since 1995, starting with Ledbetter Heights, Shepherd has released a canon that skillfully blends the blues and rock. The band came out strong with the punchy "Never Lookin' Back". The piece showcased quick searing solos from Shepherd who still favors his well worn Fender. The song was from his most recent release How I Go. It was one of seven new tracks performed along with fan favorites such as the sizzling "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway".
 Kenny Wanye Shepherd and his trusty road-worn Stratocaster in 2012. "Butterfly" also from How I Go was a flurry of fluid fret work and furious rhythms with fretless bassist Tony Franklin adding additional vocals to the mix. It was followed by "Come On Over" which had hard rock edges melding into a melodic hook. The tune bled into a blistering cover of The Beatles "Yer Blues". The band made the version their own as KWS took center stage for one of many stunning solos of the night. Staying with the new material the band performed the pretty "Show Me The Way Back Home". Noah Hunt added acoustic accents to the reflective piece as Riley Osbourn's poignant piano parts floated to the top of the mix. "We are going back to the very first record - hard to believe it came out so long ago - this was the first single," stated Kenny. This was a good lead in to a spellbinding "Deja Voodoo". The song was just as engaging and energizing as it was back in 1995.
 Scenes from the show: Noah Hunt, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Tony Franklin. "Ready for the blues?", asked Hunt as the band moved into the sultry "Shame, Shame, Shame". The band expanded the piece into a multiple of parts - the first featuring Noah singing and Kenny responding with call back riffs. The two walked off stage as Osbourn performed a shimmering keyboard solo. KWS strolled back on stage, mentioning to the crowd how he has been into the blues since he was a kid. Shepherd listed some of the great Kings and Robert Johnson. He thanked them for making it possible "for us to play this music." "B.B. King was like a father to me - bring it down". The pace slowed as KWS worked his way through a steady blues-based solo. He played with precision - taking his time - tapping into the right notes - the ones that penetrate - the notes people could feel. The speed picked up subtlety as the rest of the band joined in. Noah returned to sing the lyrics "Shame, Shame, Shame" and brought the sequence to a close and a standing ovation. "Dark Side of Love" a newer song was sassy and showcased more stunning solos from KWS who throughout the show made a point of playing to all sides of the stage. They returned to the past with "King's Highway" and a tantalizing and torrid rendition of "True Lies".
 Kenny thrilled with his incendiary guitar acrobatics during his two-hour concert in Westchester. "Take you down to New Orleans," stated Noah as he sat down on a amp to sing "Backwater Blues". The pace quickened as the band added bayou style blues to the tune. Kenny stepped into the spotlight to perform a clean concise guitar solo that moved into band introductions. Shepherd gave a shout out to drummer Chris Layton who the night before had won Best Instrumentalist-Drums at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. The band did not leave the stage and went straight into their power packed encore. Fans realized the transition and many surged to the front of the stage for a bold "Blue On Black", the sensuous "King Bee" that Noah dedicated to all the ladies and Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". Like SRV before him KWS has been able to make the song his own - not any easy feat - especially since the original and SRV's versions were so potent. Yet, The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band nailed it brilliantly! KWS will be touring much of the spring and summer of 2012 bringing his beguiling blend of past and present blues to the masses. That's just how he goes!
 Kenny Wanye Shepherd and his new album, How I Go. Related Links: For more information on KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - Kenny Wayne Shepherd | Tarrytown Music Hall
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