I thought I would shift gears within the members review and submit a 3-way. Not a 3-way starring myself (collective sigh of relief), not a 3-way of computing hardware, but instead a 3-way featuring a concert, a CD, and a DVD.

THE CONCERT

Last night I had the good fortune to attend one of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “10 Days Out: Blues From the Backroads” concerts in Kansas City, and I consider myself and my boyz among the lucky ones who were able to view this important event in person.

The concert was held at the historic Uptown Theater which has been a nighttime staple here since 1928. Ahh, those were the good old days. The theater is small and intimate and there isnÂ’t a bad seat in the house. I was about halfway between the stage and the back of the room and was still close enough that I could make out the shape of the inlays in the guitar fret boards. The acoustics arenÂ’t the greatest but the whole experience is designed to be up close, personal, and real. I was rather surprised by the demographics I saw; I would say the average age of the crowd was close to 50 with my two boyz being among the 5 teenagers I saw. Kenny himself at 29 years was one of the younger people in attendance.

The 10 Days Out tourÂ’s intent is not to promote Kenny himself, but to showcase some of the blues greats who influenced and created some of the greatest music ever performed. He doesnÂ’t want to show what rock and roll is, he shows the roots of the music to give us a glimpse of where rock and roll came from before all the original artists are gone forever. His show provides the public a glimpse into why there are certain names in the industry that will always be spoken with reverence.
Kenny came out backed up by most of Stevie Ray VaughnÂ’s Double Trouble band and proceeded to show why he is considered one of the guitar greats, very reminiscent of Stevie himself. He played about 5 songs that went back to his first album (when he was 17) and blew everybody away with his skill, but then it was time to turn the spotlight to his guests. Kenny had brought along 4 friends, and the first up was the legend Hubert Sumlin.

Hubert Sumlin is a legend who has influenced guitar greats like Santana, Clapton, Richards, and Page. At 75 years he played with the enthusiasm of a much younger man, and you could tell from the smile on his face that he was having a blast in front of an audience.

Next was Bryan Lee, the famous “Braille Blues” guitarist from New Orleans. Bryan met Kenny when Kenny was only 13 years old and invited him to play onstage which pretty much decided what Kenny wanted to do for the rest of his life. Although blind and unable to walk, Mr. Lee’s incredible skill and great vocals got the crowd going. It was a real pleasure to watch him perform.

After Bryan it was Pinetop PerkinÂ’s turn to show how the blues is supposed to be played. Seated in a low lawn chair with a small electronic keyboard in front of him, the 94 year old Pinetop took command of the stage and although his singing wasnÂ’t always clear, there was no doubt about his skill on the ivory. I really enjoyed how he would use his left hand to direct the rest of the band members, a finger to point to who should take the lead, a finger when he was ready to show his stuff, and a slashing motion when it was time to wrap a song up. Amazing to watch living history like that.

The last of KennyÂ’s guests was Buddy Flett, one of KennyÂ’s homeboys from Shreveport whoÂ’s Gibson sang some of the cleanest and pure notes IÂ’ve ever heard. He isnÂ’t the quickest guitarist, or even the most skilled guitarist, but his ability to use the slide while simultaneously pulling off great leads was incredible. He came across as a genuinely nice guy who had no problem pulling back his lead to allow another to shine.

The reason I mention the pulling back of his lead is because when each of the guests played, it was all improvised. Kenny was quite happy to step back and allow the guests to have the entire spotlight and only stepped in when needed. This happened frequently during Hubert SumlinÂ’s playing, he seemed to get crossed up sometimes but Kenny was sitting back and staring intently at HubertÂ’s playing, and when Hubert started to falter a bit, Kenny would step up and continue the lead so there didnÂ’t ever seem like there was a break in the music. During BuddyÂ’s stint in the spotlight, both Kenny and Buddy would nod their heads or point at each other quite often so the other could take the lead. It came across as very classy.

The greatest part was towards the end when all of the artists were brought back on stage for a jam session that lasted at least 30 minutes. They all took their turns and everyone had a huge smile on their face. It was entirely off the cuff and unrehearsed, and entirely wonderful.

At the end of the concert the crowd was wound up, so the chants ensued until Kenny and Double Trouble came back out and did Blue on Black. Of course, the entire crowd sang the song. The second encore was Voodoo Child and lasted at least 20 minutes and was the best showcase possible for the skill that Kenny has. Again, you could tell that after the rest of the band left the stage, Kenny was just up there playing for fun. He continued the lead doing things with his Fender that shouldnÂ’t be possible.

It was an amazing concert that lasted 3 hours without any real break at all. There wasnÂ’t even time to run for a beer between songs. I had never gone through an entire concert with a big dopey **** eating grin on my face like the one I had Friday night.

THE CD

Kenny went on the road in 2004 with two tour buses, one filled with recording equipment and another filled with video equipment. The purpose of this high tech road trip was to go out and locate some of the greatest known (and unknown) blues performers out there that were still alive and jam with them. The wonderful thing about all the cuts on this CD is that none of them are overdubbed or altered from the original. You hear it as Kenny and the featured artist sat down to play it.

Some of the standouts on the CD are “Knoxville Rag” featuring Etta Baker, “Tears Came Rollin’ Down” with Henry Townsend, “Potato Patch” with Jerry McCain, and “Honky Tonk” featuring Buddy Flett. All of the songs are great and have such a true sound and realism that you will never hear in a studio CD. If you are a blues or rock fan, get it because this is where it all started from.

THE DVD

Here is the diamond in the rough of the “10 Days Out: Blues From the Backroads” CD/DVD combo; a 1 hour 46 minute DVD that chronicles Kenny’s time on the road meeting with all these legends. There are so many stories and so much insight into our past that this shouldn’t have been compressed into a less than two hour DVD; it should go on for days.

One of my favorite clips is of 90+ year old Etta Baker talking about her upbringing and how she started to play guitar. During the concert Kenny mentioned her, and said something like “I went to hear her play guitar, and she ended up showing me how to play a guitar.” That’s only one of the gems that are included in this documentary.

Throughout the meetings with the various legends and groundbreaking musicians, Kenny stays well in the background and allows all of these artists to shine on their own. Unfortunately, since the DVD was made six of the artists have passed away. There are very few of the original blues folks left so if you are any kind of fan of great guitar music, blues, rock, or American history, this DVD is a must-have in your collection. It is that good.

SUMMARY

If you have a chance to catch this concert tour, do soÂ… you wonÂ’t be disappointed and will have a chance to see some legends in person. Even though Kenny has ample opportunity to show his skill, the show isnÂ’t so much about Kenny as it is about his guests. Kenny really comes across as a class act who has no problem allowing the spotlight to shine on those who influenced several generations of music.

The CD/DVD combo “10 Days Out: Blues From the Backroads” is one of those releases you must have in your collection. The music is great, but the DVD is excellent. Definitely receives 10 out of 10 BigAkita Barks and is a recipient of the Big Dog Big Lick award. Get it.