Blues-rock guitar whiz Kenny Wayne Shepherd and 91-year-old blues legend Bobby Rush teamed up recently to record an album titled Young Fashioned Ways, which was released on March 21. The 10-track collaborative collection includes reimagined versions of four older Rush songs, including the 2004 tune “Uncle Esau.”
Videos by American Songwriter
American Songwriter is now hosting the premiere of an official music video for Shepherd and Rush’s new take on “Uncle Esau.”
The updated rendition of the song features Shepherd’s blazing guitar lines along with horn-driven New Orleans-style musical accompaniment and an infectious Bo Diddley beat.
“Uncle Esau” tells a story, reminiscent of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” about an old man from rural Arkansas who’s such a talented singer and guitarist that he should be “in Hollywood.” As the tune explains, Esau heads into town with a billy goat and a hound. After the goat gets loose, Esau spends the evening playing his guitar around the town, as people throw money at him.
About the “Uncle Esau” Video
The video, which was directed by Hannah Hall, presents a different scenario than the song. In the clip, a young actor portrays Uncle Esau, who we see on the side of a country road after his truck has broken down. When the character can’t get a signal on his cellphone, he grabs a guitar from his front seat and begins walking, trying to get some help.
Interspersed with scenes of Esau is footage of Rush and Shepherd performing the song in a juke joint.
Esau soon sees a mysterious blonde woman in a white dress walking in the woods, and he follows her. After losing track of the woman, Esau stumbles on the juke joint where Bobby and Kenny are playing.
After entering the club, Esau is approached by three alluring women wearing black dresses, who dance and flirt with him. At one point, Esau is drinking a beer at the bar, and he notices that one of the women has a demonic face.
Esau stumbles out of the juke joint and encounters a German shepherd, who approaches him and lick his face. As the man and the dog sit facing each other, the German shepherd suddenly becomes the mysterious blonde woman. Esau begins playing his guitar as he and the woman stare at each other, then walk away in separate directions.
Rush and Shepherd Comment About the Song and the Video
Rush issued a statement reflecting on the meaning behind the song and the enigmatic music video.
“What I would like people to know is that this video and song are symbolic of the change I have seen and we have seen in America in the last 60 years or so,” Bobby explained. “The director of this video Hannah Hall did a great job representing that change by taking the story from this song and showing that progression that I’ve experienced.”
He continued, “It’s a modification of my story. In my story of the song, you have a black man living in the segregated south who was down on his luck and had no ride to town. She created it where he’s able to escape and go to a bar. A black man at that time couldn’t go to a bar. The video represents the change. It shows time has passed and some things have changed.”
Rush also noted, “Aside from the deeper meaning and symbolism, I think it’s an uplifting song and video that will bring joy to people.”
Shepherd also commented about the video, as well as about collaborating with Rush.
“Working with Bobby Rush on this album, and in particular this video, has been nothing short of inspiring,” he said. “Bobby is a force to be reckoned with both musically and professionally and he brought ‘Uncle Esau’ to this project. The director, Hannah Hall, connected with this song and her visual interpretation feels poignant and moving.”
More About the Young Fashioned Ways Album
Rush and Shepherd recorded Young Fashioned Ways at the famed Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The 91-year-old Rush contributed lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and harmonica to the tracks. Shepherd, 47, played lead guitar on the album.
Besides the reworked older Rush songs, Bobby and Kenny co-wrote most of the other tunes. The original songs came together either by Shepherd creating guitar licks and melodies to go along with Rush’s lyrics, or by 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.
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 a 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
Just before the start of his tour with Shepherd, Rush will play a two-night stand in St. Louis on April 23 and 24. He also will be performing on May 2 at the Riverbeat Festival in Memphis, Tennessee.
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.
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Shepherd also has some separate European shows scheduled in July in addition to his joint gigs with Rush.
(Photo by David McClister)
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