After choosing to emulate Stevie Ray Vaughn a bit too closely and developing a fondness for Stratocasters, Texas blues, drugs and alcohol, Kenny Wayne Shepherd disappeared from the music scene sometime around 2000 until his “comebackâ€? in late 2004.

Now Shepherd has released an album documenting his travels to historical blues landmarks in the southern United States – kind of like the Ralph Macchio film “Crossroads,â€? except instead of searching for Robert Johnson’s lost blues song, Shepherd is searching for his career. On paper, Shepherd’s idea to record with cult blues legends isn’t a bad idea, but the recording comes off as a pretentious schmooze session with Shepherd playing the role of supporting guitarist to the likes of Henry Townsend and Pinetop Perkins (similar to when G.E. Smith used to try and sit in with the musical guests on “Saturday Night Liveâ€? – awkward).

Not surprisingly, Shepherd doesn’t sound too shabby on the album. No one will debate his ability to play guitar, but Shepherd has never had anything new to say with his guitar parts; he’s just rehashing the licks that Hendrix and Vaughn have made famous – a scheme that far too many players have gotten rich from. Wisely, Shepherd chooses not to soil the album’s blues collaborations with heavy guitar solos or slashing rhythm work, allowing his musical guests to breathe instead of trampling over them.

“10 Days Outâ€? is far from a bad recording, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Keith Beebe is a music critic for the Northern Star.