Consequently,
Montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo:
Montreux Jazz Festival
“Playing the blues with Bobby Rush is a way to show my gratitude”
Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Similarly, extraordinary guitarist of Louisiana, passes Wednesday by Montreux by welcoming the living legend Bobby Rush, 91 years old. Similarly, Interview show ahead.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Bobby Rush in New Orleans, Louisiana, in May 2025.
WireImage
Brothers. Similarly, sisters, here is «the real thing», As they like to say there, in this South American South where music from the past hundred montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo years was born a little. Meanwhile, Wednesday evening in Montreux. Meanwhile, scene of the lake, sunset, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 48, guy of Shreveport, Louisiana, will bring up from her guitar an old, harsh sound, whose brute force can tear tears without you understanding why. Moreover, A power. However, a crazy virtuosity, inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan, master that little Kenny Wayne discovered in concert when he was 7 years old. Nevertheless, Six years later, the young Shepherd triggered ovations standing in clubs. In addition, His modern blues manner (he turned with Stones. Similarly, Dylan), however, never forgets homage and roots (collaborations with Clarence Brown or B. Furthermore, King).
His recent disc. Furthermore, titled “Young Fashioned Ways(A reference to Muddy Waters) and which he comes to celebrate in Montreux, is an amazing opus, made in the company of the legendary singer Bobby Rush, 91, montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo surviving the whole adventure of the Chicago blues. In addition, Rush will be on stage with Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Wednesday, this is one of the events of the 2025 programming. In addition, The guitarist tells us about it.
How were this disc and this tour with Bobby Rush born?
I have known him for quite some time, he and his music. Additionally, In addition, He is 91 years old. Consequently, it is one of those who helped to shape, to create the blues as we know it today, and who have inspired people like me to become what I am. Similarly, Two. Consequently, a half years ago, I asked him to join us for a blues festival here in the United States. He was one of our special guests. It was the first time, and from the first notes, I felt an montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo alchemy. It is not simulated. Either she is there or she is not there. It was obvious that we felt something cool together. At the end of the concert, I said to him: “We should record an album together.” He replied, “This is exactly what I thought.”
Do you think there is a kind of transmission, inheritance in this project? To say the history of blues to young listeners?
Yes, make a new audience discover people like him is a part of this adventure. When I started playing blues or my music, which was actually more blues rock, I was very young. But I had a lot of young fans, because they saw someone playing this music playing. I could thus make these young blues who had inspired me who inspired me. It’s a bit like my mission. Today. playing with Bobby Rush montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo is also a way to show my gratitude, because I don’t always play pure and hard blues. But it was this music that made me want to grab a guitar. It was by playing on blues discs that I learned. By sitting with my guitar, I imagined what it would be to play this music with the “authentic” musicians. I now have the opportunity to do so. It is also a childhood dream that happens.
What touched you the most at Bobby Rush?
First, he is 91 years old. When you think of someone of this age. you often imagine a person who moves very slowly, who probably does not have much energy, who may not be very concentrated. But this man is staggering. He seems to be overflowing with energy. He works very hard. It is very concentrated, its level is very montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo high. We do this tour and, every evening, I have the chance to see it and listen to it. What he is able to do is simply incredible. I think the public in Montreux is going to be blown away when he will see him play. Many of my fans come to these concerts and discover Rush for the first time.
How does the show go?
Bobby never does the same thing twice. Each evening is different. We also had to add instruments to certain songs to enrich them for live. But especially I must see how long we will have at the Festival. It will be similar to what we have done at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, where we play. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band begins. then, in the middle of the show, we will call Bobby on stage so that montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo he joins us, and we will play several songs from our album together. Then the group and I will finish the show. At the end, every evening, people are in love with Bobby Rush.
Does this experience mark you?
It is a moment of great pride. Playing with Bobby brings me back to my childhood. when I looked at people like him with admiration by imagining what it could be to play with them. Being able to achieve this in my career brings me back to me. as a musician and as a fan of blues.
Have you tried to recreate vintage sound or modernize it?
A bit of both, but we didn’t really try to modernize it excessively. I just wanted to have a slightly different approach on certain songs, such as “Make Love To montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo You”. It is always quite stripped, but with the foot beats, handbacking and arrangement, you still feel a touch of modernity. It is literally a transposition of the traditional blues in the modern era. but without trying to do it with rock’n’roll, strictly strictly strictly strictly.
The young generations rediscover the blues thanks to artists like you or Gary Clark, Jr., for example. What makes the blues do not go out of fashion?
What always makes the blues relevant, in my eyes, is that all the forms of popular music come from it. If you go back in time to trace the history of these music. you find the blues: it gave birth to Rock’n’roll, and rock’n’roll then gave birth to popular music.
“The Blues Had a Baby. They Named It Rock and Roll”, the blues had montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo a baby whom they called Rock’n’Roll, says the song of Muddy Waters.
Yes, exactly (laughs).
Concert at Montreux Jazz Festival, lake scene, Wednesday July 16 at 8:30 pm Disc: “Young Fashioned Ways” (Deep Rush Records/Thirty Tigers).
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Montreux jazz: exceptional blues duo
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