Jazz/Blues
Robert Cray Band
Robert Cray is an artist of considerable scope, and one of the most expressive vocalists and impressive guitarists on the rhythm and Blues scene drawing from R&B, rock, pop, and jazz with equal insight and authority. The Robert Cray Band has achieved no less than six Grammy nominations and three awards. The band's debut, “Who's Been Talking,” was released in 1980 and with it, Cray's sound began to spread. The 1985 release “False Accusations” made Newsweek's Top 10 LP picks and reigned as No. 1 on the US and UK charts. 1985 also saw the release of SHOWDOWN! on which Cray performed alongside guitarists Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. The sucess of this record yielded all three a Grammy. The following five Robert Cray Band releases were either Grammy winners or nominees. 1986 saw the release of Strong Persuader, which took the band platinum and put Robert Cray's face on the cover of Rolling Stone. Cray continued to experiment within his two presiding genres, blues and soul, on sets such as Midnight Stroll in 1990, I Was Warned in 1992, and Shame + a Sin in 1993. Cray released Take Your Shoes Off in 1999 and Shoulda Been Home in 2001. Touring regularly with the likes of Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Cray stayed active in the studio as well, releasing Time Will Tell in 2003, Twenty in 2005, Live from Across the Pond in 2006, Live at the BBC in 2008 and This Time, a year later. Cray released Cookin' in Mobile in 2010. Nothin But Love appeared in 2012. He continues to tour the globe.