Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Dirt on My Diamonds vol.1

American guitarist and singer Kenny Wayne Shepherd brings the hard blues to life on Dirt on My Diamonds vol.1, a warm and catchy record.

After celebrating the twenty-fiveth anniversary of his emblematic album Trouble Is…, Kenny Wayne Shepherd is back with a new record under his arm. Titled Dirt on My Diamondsthis disc reviews over the course of eight tracks his vision of current America, fueled by traditional inspirations, put through a modern mill.

The result is hot hard blues, dripping with feeling, with immediately identifiable riffs. To support it, we find a brass section which gives body and a touch of grandiloquence to the original compositions. Above all this, a voice which interprets with application and spontaneity texts which sometimes evoke the daily life of Americans with modest incomes “Best of Times” without forgetting to play the lover on “You Can’t Love Me”. In the midst of these compositions anchored in American culture, Kenny Wayne Shepherd allows himself a vacation in the United Kingdom with a nice cover of “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” by Elton John, to which he remains faithful.

A true diamond in the rough, this new album presents itself as a snapshot of its time. The artist offers a personal point of view, mixing various influences and inspirations, while showing that his artistic personality is still as strong as ever. In this, Dirt on My Diamonds will delight hard blues fans and brighten up the fall season by offering a rich road trip to Louisiana.

This column on Kenny Wayne Shepherd is available in our weekly n°138, available via our online store.

Dirt on My Diamonds vol.1 is available

Here is the tracklist: