Robert Cray Band
Friday, August 23, 2019
Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m.
Avalon Theatre $60
“Robert Cray is one of a precious few young blues-based artists with the talent and vision to successfully usher the idiom into the 21st century without resorting either to slavish imitation or simply playing rock while passing it off as blues.” Allmusic.com
Robert Cray has created a sound that rises from American roots and arrives today both fresh and familiar. In just over 40 years Cray and his band have bridged the lines between blues, soul, and R&B, with five Grammy wins and over 20 acclaimed albums, 15 of which have been on the Billboard charts.
For his most recent project, “Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm”, the Blues Hall of Famer traveled to Memphis with his friend, renowned Grammy-winning producer Steve Jordan, to make a classic soul album that “pushes outside those boundaries (and) plays to Cray’s established vocal and guitar strengths while injecting just enough grit and grease to spur him to new heights.” (American Songwriter)