Few artists have had a longer prime than Robert Cray. Since starting The Robert Cray Band in 1974 and releasing his first record Who’s Been Talkin’ in 1980, the five-time Grammy winner has thrilled audiences with his blues guitar slinging and fabulous soul singing. Presently kicking off another leg of his tour in the Northeast to support the That’s What I Heard album, Cray and friends were in top form at the opener at The Warehouse at FTC in Fairfield, Connecticut. Dressed in all black, Cray was razor sharp all night. He recently celebrated his 70th birthday, but the man is a marvel, sounding as good or better than he did in the ‘80s.
From the first song “Anything You Want,” the four-piece band was airtight, a result of having toured behind this pre-pandemic release since 2021 and playing a pretty similar set list to the last leg of the tour (and being super-talented). The joyful Dover “White Cliffs” Weinberg (Hammond organ, piano) is a wonderful complement to Cray’s stinging and weeping guitar leads. Drummer Les Falconer was rock solid and entertaining, going to the mallets to make the encore closer “Time Makes Two” even more epic. Bassist Richard Cousins has been a constant musical companion for Cray since the two were teenagers in the state of Washington. Cray told me in the accompanying audio interview (listen above) that Cousins is “like a brother” to him and is the impetus for what gets included in the nightly set lists. The bandleader was in good humor, joking that they were going to buy the perpetually barefoot Cousins some shoes after the show and then working in a line about not having any shoes in the traditional encore classic “Phone Booth.” Much of the crowd in Fairfield was old enough to know what a phone booth was, but it was the kind of appreciative audience that Cray deserves.
Robert Cray “Phone Booth” in Dublin, Ireland, 2023:
The band played 16 songs over an hour and 40 minutes, many from the albums of the last 15 years. They did mix in one Cray standard from the Strong Persuader album that jettisoned him into the mainstream blues and rock consciousness in 1986: “Right Next Door (Because of Me)” was an audible to replace the set-listed “I Guess I Showed Her." On that number and a couple others, the band showed its mastery by not only incorporating some jazz-like improvisational sections, but also brought the volume down from 10 to 1 in a kind-of vinyl record fade out. The emotional silver-lining tune “Bouncin’ Back” from one of his best records, 1990’s Midnight Stroll, was also a welcome inclusion.
Robert Cray “Right Next Door (Because of Me) in Rottweil, Germany, 2023:
Cray’s vocals are not talked about enough (think Otis Redding and Sam Cooke). He sparkled throughout the night hitting impossibly high notes on songs like “I Don’t Care” and imbuing his songs with many shades of blue. Unlike many rock shows these days, you could hear every word. While there were a good handful of characteristic ballads to show off those pipes, this group can bring the funk, as evidenced by numbers like “Believe in Yourself” from 2017’s Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm and the Booker T-like instrumental “Hip Tight Onions” from 2014’s In My Soul, both produced by Steve Jordan. Seeing a band this good in a room this small (capacity 640) was a true treat. Gratefully they show no signs of slowing down.
Robert Cray “Hip Tight Onions” live in Morristown, NJ, 2022:
Check out the audio interview, where we cover topics such as: the state of the blues and who will carry the torch; gospel music; his custom Fender Strat; and Cray’s interactions with legends like Albert Collins, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, and more.
Robert Cray with his hero, Albert Collins, live in Sevilla, 1991:
