Just back from two nights in Norwich, a trip based around the Robert Cray Band gig at the Theatre Royal in Norwich. One of the giants of modern day blues and R&B, we’ve only seen him once before and that was as support to Clapton at the latter’s annual Albert Hall residence.
A quick mention for Shawn Jones as support, excellent guitarist and vocalist and not a bad songwriter, if perhaps a little limited in subject matter – something he freely admitted by acknowledging his penchant for love songs, albeit most a little melancholy, as befits the blues tradition.
The Cray band appeared to be on excellent form and the man himself was in fine and expressive voice throughout; and, as you would expect, his guitar playing was exemplary all evening. He paces a show well, mixing up the new stuff with the more well known highlights from his illustrious career, including a few from his 80s breakthrough albums such as “Strong Persuader”. Cray clearly doesn’t have an established set list, so deciding what to play after each number kept bass player and long time band mate Richard Cousins on his toes as he quickly changed from one guitar to another, much to the amusement of both the audience and the rest of the band. He has of course always been more than an archetypal blues man, and his writing and playing has often encompassed classic soul and R&B along with the traditional blues licks. A very fine evening by most certainly one of the leading artists in shaping modern blues music.
A quick mention also for the Annesley Hotel in Norwich, where we had a great two night stay, excellent cooked to order breakfasts and a fine meal in the restaurant.
Well remembered – great show