Robert Cray Band comes to Newton
Robert Cray is a blues man. He has jammed with John Lee Hooker and Albert Collins, among many others. Plus, he is an inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame.
No, Robert Cray is a soul man. He recorded with Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson, the legendary horn section from Memphis-based labels like Stax and Hi. On his CD “In My Soul” (note the title), Cray covers songs by Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes.
Blues? Soul? What does the man himself have to say on the subject? “I’m doing what I want to do,” says Cray. “I haven’t had anybody pressure me.”
Cray explains that he did not set out to make a soul record when he went into the studio about a year ago. “It wasn’t something that was said outright,” Cray says.
“But we talked about covering ‘Your Good Thing Is About to End,’ ” he says, referring to an Isaac Hayes-David Porter song that was a hit for Lou Rawls. “It went from there.”
The songs of “In My Soul” will be the basis for much of Cray’s set list when he and his band play the Newton Theatre tonight.
Cray traces his love of soul music to his childhood. The son of a military man, he and his family moved around the country and even spent time in Germany.
“My mom was a big fan of Bobby Blue Bland, Otis Redding, and people like that,” he says. “We’d go to the PX in Germany and buy soul records because they reminded us of home.”
However, the blues also called to Cray. By the time he was 20, he had already had the chance to see Albert Collins (who played at his high school graduation in Washington State in 1971) and Muddy Waters in concert.
Cray started his own band and gradually developed a following. He started recording in the late 1970s and released a handful of critically acclaimed LPs.
Then came the 1986 album “Strong Persuader” and the song “Smokin’ Gun,” a crossover hit. Critics cite Cray as one of the key figures in the blues revival of the 1980s.
Cray sees himself less as a pioneer and more as part of a larger trend toward roots music that began in the ’80s and continues today.
“You had Stevie Ray Vaughan, who hit before we did,” he says. “The Fabulous Thunderbirds were around that time. So were the Blasters and Los Lobos. Radio was looking for something, and the public was ready.”
Over the years, Cray has had the opportunity to record and perform with a host of blues heroes. His 1985 collaboration with Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins, “Showdown” is often short-listed as one of the great blues albums of the past 30 years.
“I enjoyed working a lot with John Lee Hooker,” Cray says. “We had a great relationship. He would call me up and ask if I’d play with him.”
However, Hooker would put Cray and his band through their paces in concert. “He would come on stage and tell us what song he wanted to play. But he didn’t tell us the key, and it wouldn’t be a simple 12-bar blues,” Cray recalls with a laugh.
Cray says that he values spontaneity in live performances, but he knows how to temper it. “We used to go out with no playlists whatsoever,” he says. “But the guys would get on my case about it. Now we have a list.”
The blues scene in 2015 is different from that of 30 years ago, Cray says. “I’ve had the chance to go out and do festivals, and see young people out playing this music because they love it.”
“I think it’s great that there are different flavors of the blues being done,” Cray adds. He singles out Keb’ Mo’ and Otis Taylor for taking an acoustic solo approach that is in contrast to electric blues.
“I admire what they do, but I couldn’t do it,” Cray says. “I’m not that kind of guy. I’m a band guy.”
ROBERT CRAY BAND
WHAT: Cray, who is sometimes credited as one of the players who kickstarted the blues revival of the 1980s, has also earned a reputation for his affection for Memphis soul. In concert, he will draw heavily on his 2014 release “In My Soul,” as well as such songs as “Smokin’ Gun” and “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.”
WHEN: 8 tonight
WHERE: Newton Theatre, 234 Spring St., Newton
TICKETS: $47 to $67
INFORMATION: 973-383-3700 or www.thenewtontheatre.com.