Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s Goin’ Home doesn’t refer to Shreveport. Yes, the record was made in his hometown, but it is a metaphor for the record’s direction. The multi-Grammy nominee goes back to his record collection and remerges with classic blues cuts—some well-remembered, some forgotten—that crafted the musician he is today. Along the way, similar minded blues fans join in, including Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Randolph and the Rebirth Brass Band.

Each track is a different blues avenue, with Shepherd switching styles as he cycles through the list of legends that includes Albert King (“Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” and “Born Under a Bad Sign”), B.B. King (“You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now,” “You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover”), Freddie King (“Boogie Man”), Muddy Waters (“I Love the Life I Live”) and Stevie Ray Vaughan (“The House is Rockin’”).

For example, Freddie King’s Texas-meets-Chicago blues on “Palace of the King” and “Looking Back” by Johnny “Guitar” Watson offer distinctly different takes on the genre. The cuts are redone with respect to their original sound yet bent to Shepherd’s style. Keenly, he puts his own touches on each track without losing the source material in smudges.

The vibe of each original comes through—“Cut You Loose” still sounds like Guy but includes a guitar solo reflecting Jimi Hendrix’s bluesy side; “Looking Back” is polished up and with more of Chuck Berry feel; Waters’ “Still a Fool” has the same pace but with distorted voice and updated guitar licks.

Goin’ Home shows how Shepherd became the ace he is today. Even for those unfamiliar with his heroes, it’s a worthy entry point to 12 classics. For those well-versed in the blues, Goin’ Home’s careful finessing provides an interesting take on these influential artists.