Shepherd Wins Blues Award
Kenny Wayne Shepherd is a renowned blues and rock guitarist who needs no introduction. His work in the music industry is phenomenal and it easily reaches the minds and hearts of his fans. So it came as little surprise, then, when Shepherd was handed a Best DVD Blues Music Award for his most recent DVD “10 Days Out: Blues From the Backroads.”
The DVD/CD was released by Reprise Records at the beginning of last year. The DVD has since garnered critical acclaim and has grown steadily in popularity. “10 Days Out” takes the viewpoint of a historical documentary in which the viewer is taken on a 10-day journey by Shepherd. Along the way you are able to meet a variety of Blues pioneers such as Etta Baker, Neal Pattman, Cootie Stark, BB King, Henry Townsend, Gatemouth Brown, Honeyboy Edwards, Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins. Six of these artists have since passed away and this is really what gives the DVD immense historic value. Though the DVD was created by Shepherd and he is present throughout it, it is clear that his goal in making the movie was to cast the spotlight on these veterans. Fans are able to enjoy visits to the artists’ homes and watch stunning acoustic and electric pairings performed by these masters in a way that has never quite been seen before. The entire DVD ends with a live concert that features the surviving members of the bands Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolfs. It all makes for a most memorable journey into the rich history of blues.
Shepherd received the award at a ceremony in Burbank, California. The proceeds generated by the sale of this remarkable DVD/CD are to be donated to the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to help the forgotten heroes and pioneers of Southern music meet their day-to-day needs and also to be recognized once more. Many of these musicians are currently living in rather squalid conditions and are in dire need of assistance. The foundation sees to it that they receive as much of the aid that they need as possible and that the quality of their lives is greatly improved.
