Review: Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd ‘Young Fashioned Ways’
By Hal Horowitz
“There might be snow on the mountain but it’s fire down under the hill,” sings Bobby Rush with barely contained lasciviousness as he channels the great Muddy Waters. This album proves those lyrics to still be true.
The fittingly titled ‘Young Fashioned Ways’ finds blues rocking superstar Shepherd teaming with the legendary Rush, 44 years his senior, for a collaboration reminiscent of ‘Fathers & Sons.’ That 1960 recording featured established bluesmen Muddy Waters and his longtime pianist Otis Spann joining disciples in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band featuring Mike Bloomfield on a set of electrified Waters’ material. As if to acknowledge that predecessor, this release’s title references Muddy’s rendition of Willie Dixon’s classic song.
Those following Shepherd’s career remember he worked with older blues players on 2007s ’10 Days Out.’ That CD/DVD documented a road trip the young guitarist took to support and bring attention to some unheralded seniors of the genre such as Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Etta Baker, both of whom passed before the set was released.
Still, this alliance between the 90 year old Rush (who remains very much active, having won 4 Grammys since 2017), with the productive, guitar slinger Shepherd, exudes genuine chemistry. It’s created when playing toe-to-toe, sometimes without additional backing. Kenny Wayne’s solos are kept to a minimum, coloring Rush’s earthy singing and vivacious harp with sharp, terse accompaniment.
In deference to Rush’s organic, gruffer, roots oriented style, Shepherd gives him all the lead vocals on these 10 tracks. The approach stays closer to the country blues, funk and R&B the elder musician has crafted during his extensive career as opposed to Shepherd’s rock oriented bravura.
The twosome holed up in Memphis’ famous Royal Studios, employed owner Boo Mitchell (son of the renowned producer Willie Mitchell) to engineer, and turned out a relatively stripped-down set highlighting both artist’s talents.
The natural camaraderie between Shepherd and Rush sizzles and crackles as the twosome cover four of the latter’s tunes, co-pen five others, and tackle the aforementioned Dixon track. A full band joins on a few selections such as the jittery New Orleans second line stomp of “Uncle Essau,” the fizzing title track and the grinding Chicago shuffle infused into the opening “Who Was That.”
But it’s the sparer offerings with just Rush, Shepherd, and some subtle yet effective overdubs, that are the most authentic and stirring examples of each influencing the other.
On “40 Acres (How Long)” Shepherd rips into stark acoustic chords, fabled keyboardist Charles Hodges provides gospel B3, and Rush sings “Sometimes I wonder what’s going to happen to me when I get too old,” with the swaggering commitment of someone convinced he isn’t ready to stop performing anytime soon.
Shepherd turns up the distortion for “Hey Baby (What Are We Gonna Do)” tearing into a solo as raw as anything Howlin’ Wolf’s guitarist Hubert Sumlin cranked out as Rush blows harp with James Cotton intensity, all over clomping, stomping percussion. Rugged and real.
Those familiar with Rush know how sexually suggestive he can be. That side is in full display on “G String” as Shepherd supports him on crisp acoustic while the elder musician recounts one of the stories he’s known for; this about advising his lover that “..the less you wear, the less I have to take off” in this album’s most overtly raunchy and ribald moment.
All that is needed on “Make Love to You” is Shepherd tackling his wah-wah pedal, some ghostly piano and chain gang stomping to push the performance into the red. It proves that these guys excel by following the “less is more” formula.
Rush sings like someone half his age, Shepherd is undoubtedly inspired by his partner’s enthusiasm, and the result is one of the finest, if maybe more unlikely, combinations of younger and veteran blues talent since Canned Heat revitalized John Lee Hooker.
Hopefully both can carve out another few days from their busy schedules to gift us with a follow-up.
Watch “Hey Baby”
Pre-save the album HERE
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