Musician Robert Cray will walk onto the stage Sept. 16 at the Charleston Music Hall and let 50 years of the blues flow through his guitar. For five decades, Cray and his namesake band have been crisscrossing the globe, carrying on the tradition of the blues while adding modern rock ’n’ soul touches.
That sound, along with Cray’s soaring solos and blues-drenched vocals, has kept the Robert Cray Band in the public conversation since 1974 and garnered it five Grammy awards, a few gold and platinum albums, and two songs that have entered the blues canon: The hit singles “Smoking Gun” and “Right Next Door (Because Of Me).”
You’ll get a dose of all of that when the band arrives on its Out Driving Around tour. It’s called that because, well, that’s basically what a tour is, right? A lot of driving around.
“It’s always been a joke with us over the years, so we finally named a tour after it,” Cray said in a recent interview with the Charleston City Paper.
On this tour, the setlist is constantly evolving, meaning favorites like “Right Next Door (Because Of Me)” will show up, but there will be plenty of surprises. The band can cherry-pick from more than 20 albums.
“There are always a few of the favorites, but after that it changes nightly,” Cray said. “After all the years we’ve been around, and with what this particular band knows, we have quite a few songs we can pick and choose from. And then there’s always time to call for something out of the blue, as well.”
It’s interesting that Cray referenced “what this particular band knows,” because the current Robert Cray Band lineup features bassist Richard Cousins, keyboard player Dover Weinberg and drummer Les Falconer. All three are former band members who have returned to the fold.
“Richard Cousins and I started the band in ’74,” Cray said. “Dover Weinberg was with us in the late ’70s, and Les Falconer has been in and out of the band over the last 20 years.”
With all that shared time together, Cray said this version of the band has a special connection.
“It’s a great rapport, and it’s like family,” he said. “We’re all brothers. One breathes in and the other exhales; it’s that kind of relationship with everybody. And that’s very important because you’re in close quarters with everybody 24 hours a day, cruising together on the coach.”
“There’s no fighting over the TV stations or what music is being played in the front or the back lounge,” he added with a laugh. “It’s great.”
No matter who’s backing him though, Cray’s trademark soloing style rides high above the band, stinging like a bee, wailing like a human voice, and fiery as hell. And always concise. Cray can fly all over the fretboard with the best of them, but he’s a remarkably tasteful player.
“It makes the most sense,” he said of his approach. “There’s no point in playing something that doesn’t relate to the song. The music is the vehicle to carry that lyric, and the solo is part of that as well. That’s the way I’ve always looked at it.”
Cray recently turned 72, but he said this tour won’t be the last you’ll see of him. He’s enjoying himself too much to stop now.
“It’s fun,” he said. “I enjoy playing. I enjoy the camaraderie with the guys, the different food, the different people. It’s my life. I’m really fortunate to be able to do something that I enjoy as much as I do.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Doors open at 7 p.m., Sept. 16, Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St., Charleston. Tickets range from $62-$179: charlestonmusichall.com
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