Venue:
The Beacon
Date: 15/06/2025
I haven’t heard anything of Robert Cray for at least 30 years. He still has the same band and, remarkably, looks exactly the same. I’m not a guitar player so I don’t feel qualified to comment on his playing in any meaningful way. Someone else can do that! Suffice to say I thought it was very good and I enjoyed it! What really impressed was his voice. Definite echoes of Sam Cooke and I’m told he’s a big admirer of O. V. Wright. Small band – drums, bass and keys – and all first class. Particularly enjoyed the Hammond solos to break up the guitar breaks. They were clearly enjoying themselves (most noticeably the very laid back Richard Cousins on bass) and that’s always good to see. All in all a really enjoyable night.
The audience:
More mixed than I expected but a preponderance of men talking about guitars
It made me think..
Is it blues or is it soul – or is it rhythm and blues? Whatever it is – it’s good!