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Inspired and Inspiring at Morristown's Mayo Center A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch "Got any blues fans in the house tonight?" asked Kenny Wayne Shepherd (KWS) from the stage during his concert at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown, New Jersey on July 10th, 2009. "I am a big fan of the blues, it spoke to me as a kid - honest - straightforward - from the heart."
 Kenny Wayne Shepherd during his inspiring performance in Morristown, New Jersey. "I got my first guitar and sounded out some songs," explained the self taught Shepherd. Kenny then cited some of the guitar greats who inspired him - B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Albert King and his biggest influence Stevie Ray Vaughn (SRV) - and played a lead section, slowly in each player's style - demonstrating exactly how he honed his skills at a young age, before adding, "I put all these things together and I turned into Kenny Wayne." By his teens, KWS was jamming with the best and building his music career on the album Trouble Is and six singles that hit the top ten. KWS has been nominated for four Grammy's and has won awards from Billboard and Orville Gibson. Kenny Wayne Shepherd (guitar, vocals, composer) and his inspiring band (Noah Hunt - Lead Vocals; Denny Seiwell - Drums; Riley Osbourn - Keyboards/B3 and Scott Nelson - Bass) played an engaging and exhilarating concert that was hot and fiery from the first lick. The set opened strong with "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway" as Kenny - clad in mostly black and armed with a black Fender axe - smoked on his solo complimenting Noah's deep and dramatic vocals. Bob Dylan's "Everything Is Broken" was brazen with beguiling leads and bold rhythms. "We will be playing something from each record," mentioned Kenny after performing two songs from their second album Trouble Is. The next tune was from their third album Live On. "Last Goodbye" was a potent yet pretty piece with the keys floating to the top of the mix punctuating points. Noah was playing an acoustic and KWS used a capo to craft his lush leads. The teen phenom has come into his own since his first record was released in the mid-nineties. Shepherd stalked the stage, spoke to his fans, soared on solos and had a number of confident guitar stances. Kenny played with passion occasionally leaning into his instrument. The intensity of the music was frequently seen in Shepherd's face but he avoided looking as pained as SRV often did. Their version of "Come On" was vibrant with funky grooves and feisty guitar work transtioning into intricate instrumentation and intense vocals from Noah - who was bashing the tambourine which could be heard in the jam.
 Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah Hunt on stage at The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts. "Shame, Shame, Shame" from their first record Ledbetter Heights was soulful yet sizzling with Riley Osbourn blistering on his B3 with the guitar secondary in the soundscape. Scott Nelson was strong and steady on his low slung bass all night. Drummer Denny Seiwell - who played with Paul McCartney in Wings - was daunting and determined. KWS and the band were tight and even more impressive was finding out during the band introductions that Seiwell only recently joined the tour and there had been little rehearsal with Denny before the shows. Also from the first album was their version of Booker T' s "Aberdeen". It featured rousing rhythms, sassy slide and tangible tambourine from Noah. The jam blended down-home blues with blistering rock. "Blue On Black" was colorful and colossal with the crowd clapping along. The hit was loaded with lush, lyrical leads. Kenny's reverence and respect for the blues was apparent in his approach and arrangements of covers and his originals. The KWS band brought flair and flavor to the music especially during effusive jams filled with emotion. KWS closed the set with "While We Cry" which ranged from subtle to soaring incorporating Kenny's past inspirations into his inspired present. The encore included a sexy, sassy interpretation of "King Bee" and ended with a hypnotic Hendrix cover. "Voodoo Chile" was massive and mystical with spellbinding solos. Kenny played the guitar behind his head and then strummed the strings as one arm pointed to the sky for a sizzling set closer. Shepherd's most recent release is 10 Days Out...Blues From The Backroads. It is a documentary following Kenny Wayne Shepherd as he traveled the country to jam with, interview and generally pay homage to the last of the authentic blues greats. It is a respectful and relevant film that is interesting and illuminating. Opening for Kenny Wayne Shepherd was a power trio led by Rhett Tyler. They played an spirited set that was earthy and edged with the blues. Rhett was able to chat and connect with the crowd at the Mayo Center. The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts is a classic old theater with modern features. Upcoming shows include a wide array of contemporary, classical, jazz and world music including Shepherd's idol B.B. King, The Smithereens, Bernie Williams, Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes, Peter Frampton, Brian Wilson and Bela Fleck and The Flecktones. The Mayo Center is in historical Morristown, New Jersey which has lots of cafes, historical monuments and old stone churches. Behind one chapel we visited is a graveyard where Revolutionary soldiers and American patriots are buried -- thus there are many things to do before and after a Mayo Center concert.
 Kenny Wayne Shepherd hails from Shreveport, Louisiana. Related Links: For more information on KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Kenny Wayne Shepherd | Buy 10 Days Out | MayoArts.org | Search "KWS"
 (Originally Published on July 11, 2009) |
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