There may be a 44-year age gap between them, but Bobby Rush and Kenny Wayne Shepherd have more than a little in common when it comes to a passion for the blues. Rush, 91, and Shepherd, 47, have teamed up to write and record Young Fashioned Ways, a 10-track collection of blues tunes that’s due out on March 21.
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Rush and Shepherd recorded the album at the famed Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Rush, a three-time Grammy Award winner, contributed lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and harmonica to the tracks. Shepherd, who has been nominated for five Grammys, played lead guitar on the album.
Young Fashioned Ways was named after the 1955 Willie Dixon-penned Muddy Waters song of the same name. Bobby and Kenny collaborated on a new version of the tune, retitled “Young Ways,” for their album.
The record also includes reworked renditions of four classic Rush songs—“40 Acres (How Long),” “G String,” “Make Love to You,” and “Uncle Esau.”
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As for the original songs on Young Fashioned Ways, they came together either by Shepherd creating guitar licks and melodies to go along with Rush’s lyrics, or Bobby putting lyrics he wrote to a new riff or melody Kenny presented to him.
On some tracks, Rush and Shepherd were accompanied by a full band made up of veteran blues and R&B musicians. They were drummer Steve Potts, keyboardist Charles Hodges, bassist Darryl “DJ” Pruitt, trumpet player Doug Wolverton, and saxophonist Charlie Di Puma.
You can pre-order the album now.
Comments About the Project from Rush and Shepherd
In a statement, Shepherd reflected on getting to work with Rush on the project.
“You don’t find albums this 100 percent, real deal authentic every day,” he said. “With me and Bobby collaborating on a project, our age difference is of course going to be part of the initial conversation and makes for good headlines, but at the end of the day, he’s an incredibly talented musician and amazing human being who loves the same kind of music I do.”
Kenny continued, “We start playing together and all of a sudden, age has nothing to do with us. We were speaking the same language and there was a level of acceptance about truly joining together on the same page with the blues, coming from the same place, spiritually, musically and of course, geographically.”
Rush added, “I think we both had something to prove to each other with Young Fashioned Ways. There was a moment where I was walking in the hallways at Royal and broke down in tears because as an older man who has spent many years trying to keep up with trends, I so appreciated [Kenny] letting me in this door to do what I knew I could do. Just as music keeps me young, so does learning something new every day. … Nobody who is my age is still doing it like this, and no one Kenny’s age can do old-style blues better.”
Advance Tracks from the Album
So far, two advance tracks have been released digitally from Young Fashioned Ways—“Who Was That” and “Hey Baby.”
A video Rush and Shepherd discussing how “Hey Baby” came together has been posted on Kenny’s official YouTube channel.
Rush and Shepherd’s Joint 2025 Tour Plans
Rush and Shepherd will be touring together in 2025 to promote Young Fashioned Ways. The trek kicks off with a 17-date run of shows scheduled from an April 25 concert in Kansas City, Missouri, through a June 7 performance in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The two respected blues artists then will head to Europe for series of concerts in July.
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Bobby and Kenny then will team up for more U.S. shows, beginning August 15 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and plotted out through a September 8 gig in Napa, California.
Rush and Shepherd’s Other 2025 Performance Plans
Rush currently is winding down some U.S. headlining shows in the Northeast. He also will be playing a pair two-night stand in St. Louis on April 23 and 24.
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Shepherd currently is taking part in the 2025 edition of the star-studded Experience Hendrix Tour. The trek, which celebrates the music of Jimi Hendrix, wraps up with an April 12 performance in Atlanta.
Shepherd also has some separate European shows scheduled in July in addition to his joint gigs with Rush.
Young Fashioned Ways Track List:
- “Who Was That”
- “40 Acres (How Long)”
- “Hey Baby (What Are We Gonna Do)”
- “Uncle Esau”
- “Make Love to You”
- “Long Way from Home”
- “G String”
- “You So Fine”
- “Young Ways”
- “What She Said”
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