In the realm of the art, few styles of music reach deeper into the slimy soul of America than the blues. Keeping this in mind, Kenny Wayne Shepherd took ten days and some of the greatest blues players around to host a sort of blues ooze fest.
Shepherd's CD/DVD compilation "10 Days Out," released Jan. 23, is a collection of live performances, along with the documentation of the album's creation.
The concept behind "10 Days Out" was to find some of the biggest names in blues and record their music, their legacy and their history. Shepherd plays along with these exceptional musicians and the result is unparalleled.
The documentary takes Shepherd through Southern backyards and tiny venues with the likes of B. B. King, Bryan Lee and the Muddy Waters Band.
Blues, one of the only true American forms of music, has been lately been labeled a dying genre of music. Thankfully, Shepherd revives the art with this album and accompanying DVD, if only temporarily. Many of the guitarist, harmonica players and blues-boogieing vocalists that Shepherd plays with have been playing since its incarnation.
Shepherd started playing the guitar at the age of seven, tapping into the inspiration of his father's Muddy Waters albums. In the mid '90s Shepherd strummed on the scene with his aptly named group, the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.
Shepherd narrates his journey as the essence of the blues is captured visually. Etta Baker, a Piedmont Blues guitarist, sits in her kitchen with Shepherd for their duet "Knoxville Rag." Baker, 91, tells of how she started playing at the age of three.
It's these little details that make the documentary feel more personal and heartfelt than informative. Listeners aren't learning history here, but rather experiencing history through the eyes of its pioneers.
With all of this great American history in the documentary, it is easy to forget that it's all about the music. The complimentary CD brings together the documentary with soulful, straight from the gut, live performances as seen in the DVD, solidifying the blues as a timelessly original American pastime.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
