Robert Cray @ The Barbican, London
Courtesy of David Osler
Photo: Robin Little/Redferns via Getty
The contrast between Robert Cray and the thousands of bands that can be heard murdering 12 bar boogies in bars across the planet every night of the year could not be more complete.While the music is technically ‘blues’ in both cases, Cray imparts an astonishing degree of lightness and shade to a genre that too many other hands render lifeless and cliched. And right from the first note of one of this man’s shows, you know you are listening to one of the masters of the craft. His London gig this week – before a full but not quite sold out Barbican Centre audience – was no exception.
The set went from start to finish without any barnstormers, and was all the better for it. Many of the songs were taken from the new album In My Soul, which effectively showcases the affinity for 1960s Memphis sounds that has always been present in his songwriting and is nowadays increasingly evident.
The opener, “You Move Me”, is a tribute to the man’s current squeeze, built around a classic Cray minor chord sequence that sounds as good as the lady in question presumably looks. “Fine Yesterday” is a pristine chunk of mournful lost lurve soul balladry that sounds like it should have been a hit single for the Chi-Lites several decades ago.
Cray has never been a particularly political artiste. But “What Would You Say” represents one of his occasional forays into social commentary, and makes it clear he ain’t no Republican. And there are no prizes for guessing that instrumental number “Hip Tight Onions” is essentially a homage to the hey-day of Booker T and the MGs,
There were old favourites too. “Strong Persuader”, the title track of his best-known album, was thrown in early, and features guitar work in places radically transformed from the recorded version. Another standout was “The Forecast (Calls for Pain)”, a dire verbal warning of what happens when adulterers get their come-uppance.
Those who have been listening to this guy for some time may like to note that the latest incarnation of the Robert Cray Band has to be the strongest for some time. Keyboardist Dover Weinberg, who was last in the RCB between 1974 and 1979, makes it sounds like he’s never been away, while recent recruit drummer Les Falconer keeps the groove in the pocket all night long. Throw in longtime sidekick Richard Cousins on bass, and you have an outfit with which the leader is audibly at ease. On this fine evening, it showed.
