Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:

Last month, Kenny Wayne Shepherd issued his eleventh studio effort overall, Dirt On My Diamonds Vol. 1 – which was recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals in Alabama (which has seen such iconic artists as Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, and Otis Redding record there previously).

And as evidenced by such standout selections as "Best Of Times" and the title track, KWS still has a knack for merging together blues and rock. Speaking to Ultimate Guitar shortly after the album's release, the singer/guitarist spoke about his latest musical offering, gear, and other assorted guitar-related topics.

An excerpt from the chat follows...

Greg Prato: What are your thoughts on modern guitarists – including prog-metal players?

Kenny Wayne Shepherd: "I grew up in a household that had a massive palette for music. My dad was a radio programmer/disc jockey. And he did country, he did rock, he did top 40. I mean, every format. So, we listened to everything. From a very early age, I always had a great appreciation for all kinds of music. So even if I might not feel compelled or inspired to go pick up my instrument and try and learn to do what they're doing, I absolutely can appreciate the talent, the commitment, the level of ability that it takes to do that kind of stuff.

"Prog stuff is interesting, because it's almost like jazz… But it's rock. It can be so complex, and sometimes, I feel like I'm the odd man out listening to that stuff, because I'm still kind of old school in my approach. But it still has the 'wow factor' for me. I can appreciate what it took for somebody to be able to do that stuff."

Prato: And what about shredder-type guitarists?

Shepherd: "The same thing. To me, it's kind of like, 'Is Michael Jordan the greatest or is LeBron James or is Kobe Bryant?' I grew up in the era of Eddie Van Halen. And he was like, the 'OG shredder' for us. I loved Van Halen, I grew up listening to Metallica, I grew up listening to Megadeth, I grew up listening to Anthrax – all of that stuff. And Nirvana. I mean when the whole grunge thing came out… I listened to all of that stuff. I just chose to make music that was heavily blues-based and blues-influenced. But I listen to and enjoy all that kind of stuff."

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