Kenny Wayne Shepard: SRV's protege?
David Spiro
heard a few things by him, not too shabby. I did notice on one of his
CD's that he thanks SRV for "letting me sit on his guitar case and watch
him play when I was a kid". Anyone haveany insights into htis kid? It
sounds as though he comes from a family connected in the music industry
somehow. Also noticed that Chris Layton plays on his albums, so I guess
he sees alot in him.
I open the floor for discussion.
--
Dave Spiro EMT-P - Liver transplant 8/1/97
RECYCLE YOURSELF! BE AN ORGAN DONOR
"Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will
avoid you."
William Blake (1757-1827)
The Judge
had SRV&DT play a show.. He took young Kenny cause he just thought SRV was
great and he wanted his son to see him.. So, he told SRV the kid dug his
music, and SRV sat the 9 yr old on his amp case < the travel ones, the big
black ones with the latches> and the kid sat mesmerized for the whole
show...says dad I gotta have a guitar.. spends the next few years of his
life in his bedroom learning licks and playing. Dad gets him into the local
club scene at 13, < hes 13 on the Ledbetter Heights album song, "while we
cry" > Gets taken in by local blues hero Bryan somebody < hes on the album>
and Dad Ken Shepherd starts building him a band, gets a record deal, and the
rest is history.
As for protege, I wouldnt say that.. SRV no more "took him under his wing"
than he did anyone that ever saw his shows. The only protege of SRV's that
really made a name for himself was Colin James. Stevie really loved this
guy, really took him under his wing and helped him alot. Colin is a monster
player.. can do SRV note for note but doesnt, jazz, swing, rock, country,
metal.. un fuckin real player. Good singer/songwriter too. Goddamn record
companies pull his deal after they jerk him around several times.. and now
he just makes records in his home of canada. Do yourselves a favor and get
his last big label record " Bad Habits". His swing album, " Colin James and
the Little Big Band" has Reece Wynans all over it, along with Room Full of
Blues horns. He does a lead on there that sounds like SRV , dead on..
unreal. Jeff Healey, probably the best living blues guitarist today, was
also a SRV protege of sorts.. SRV was really blown away with his stuff, but
I dont know how much he did for him in terms of getting a big deal. Jeff is
one of the few I would say that had the chops to go toe to toe with anyone
on any night.. I saw Clapton once actually walk away from him he scared him
so bad on stage...
Double Trouble < Chris and Tommy> do play alot with KWS, and are on his
albums. The kid is so SRV like I am sure hes the closest saccarin to srv's
sugar they can get these days. If you had spent all those years with this
god of a musician, would you not want to relive it somehow? And.. at the
same time.. this kid is an up and comer.. Storyville isnt exactly knockin
the billboard charts down.. so who knows how long they will be around.. KWS
could jump ship and do a tribute tour kinda thing with DT and we are talking
major money now.. After the thrill is gone, money talks the loudest.
The Judge
ast...@pacbell.net
heard the CD and even enjoy the licks he plays on the 'GAP' commercial, but
it just seems like the kid might want to fashion his own unique style like
SRV did rather than just assuming someone else's style. I dont think he would
be as succesful today if we didn't all miss SRV so much.
Gregg
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The Judge
Watertone6
hey, interesting thread! I'd like to agree, that yes, kws, doesn't sound to
me, nearly as good as SRV, but if there were some guy who could capture some of
the essence of SRV, like SRV did with Albert King, then we'd have something to
be excited about! Albert King had such a special magic sound, and SRV was
the only one I ever heard get it right, and that's saying a lot since
practically every blues guitar player tries to cop albert -- even Buddy Guy,
for example, who is awesome, but his Albert King was never convincing.
Rather, it is exciting in its own way.
Anyway, peace!
s
The Judge
dont think anyone will ever take stevie's stuff to the next level.. simply
because thats a plane I dont think exists. Buddy Guy is too out there for
me.. I never cared for his tone or style.. He is the wildman of the Blues,
and hes so sedate of stage its amazing compared to his stage persona.
The Judge
While Kenny Wayne has said that he is very flattered by comparisons to
SRV, he has also said that he would never cover a SRV song since he
couldn't pull it off well enough to due Stevie proper tribute. >>>
Hmm.. would you care to hazard a guess as to why he covered " I'm leavin you
(commit a crime) " ??
Sure, you can say it wasnt a stevie WRITTEN tune, but KWS' sure as hell
covers it note for note style for style from "Live Alive" of SRV. KWS IS a
good player, and growing VERY fast. I think hes downplaying what we all know
to be true... hes doing his best to be just like his hero, ALL of our
heroes, Stevie.
Judge
Matthew Wheeler
Anthony Volk <av...@chat.carleton.ca> wrote in article
<01bdeaf4$04ce7140$010200c0@volk>...
> While Kenny Wayne has said that he is very flattered by comparisons
to
> SRV, he has also said that he would never cover a SRV song since he
> couldn't pull it off well enough to due Stevie proper tribute. Still a
> darn fine bluesman in my opinion. Nice to see new players coming up.
Have
> a good one,
I bought my first KWS Cd at the weekend. To be honest, he reminds me a lot
more of Walter Trout than Stevie.
However, there is a live cover of "Leaving you - Commit a crime", which is
totally copied from Stevies cover of the song - even to the extent that he
still quotes the "Smokestack Lightning" riff at the end of the song, as
Stevie did.
KWS is good, but still doesn't get me going like SRV does.
Matthew
Lennart & Anne
rest of the show.
David Spiro skrev i meddelandet <35FC07...@ix.netcom.com>...