When Ledbetter Heights was first released, it quickly became a breakout success, going Gold within months and earning Platinum certification by early 1996. The album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, and Guitar World ranked Shepherd the No. 3 blues artist in the world, behind only B.B. King and Eric Clapton. He wrote or co-wrote the majority of the material, an uncommon accomplishment for a teenage blues guitarist at the time, and named the album in honor of a historic neighborhood in his hometown that pays tribute to blues legend Huddie βLead Bellyβ Ledbetter.
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The Deep Dive
Kenny Wayne Shepherd exploded the airwaves with this release, opening with Born With A Broken Heart. With this re recording and now playing raw, raucous guitar riffs and sharing vocals with Noah Hunt, this track hit hard with excellent organ work by Reese Wynans, Chris Layton on drums and Kevin McCormick on bass. Excellent opener. Slow blues, Shame, Shame, Shame is a classic modern blues with SRV style filler riffs and excellent vocals. Once cut loose, Shepherd is on fire with excellent phrasing that only years of experience can foster. WOW! Latin Flavored, Everybody Gets The Blues has a super rhythm by Layton and Shepherd lays back on key rhythm riffs as Hunt leads the way with Jessica Waltz on backing vocals. Shepherd slashes his riffs with solid confidence on this radio special but putting plenty of meat on there for the guitar lover with Joe Krown joining Wynans on keys. Excellent! Live cut, While I Cry, is a lush bluesy ballad with clean, crisp guitar phrasing, “singing the blues with only the warm caress of Wynans on organ and light bass and drums to frame the piece. Very, very nice.
Driving shuffle, (Let Me Up) I’ve Had Enough, has a strong lope and KWS really lays on the fretboard with electrifying riffs. Vocals are powerful and with the Wynans on piano and Layton on drums, another super track. Wrapping the release is fiery, title track, Ledbetter Heights, KWS brings Hendrix like excitement on guitar. His poise and punctuation is excellent and his phrasing remarkable. It’s hard to imagine conjuring this energy to close such a strong release by Shepherd does it while making me break a sweat!
Highly Recommended!