Blues Hall of Fame inductee Robert Cray played Beverly Hills, California in support of his latest release 4 Nights of 40 Years Live.
The Saban Theater
Certainly an added bonus was catching him at the iconic Saban Theater, one of the grandest of old venues. Unquestionably an elder statesmen of the blues, Cray seamlessly crafts one song after another with grace and mastery. I consider Cray a bridge from the old masters to today; Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Albert Collins and other original blues greats are a direct inspiration. Not a the showman with stage antics, his fingers on the fretboard are the focal point. During the ending vamp of his celebrated hit "Right Next Door (Because of Me)”, he slowly faded the song until everyone could hear a pin drop. This was a magic moment where everyone in the house were mesmerized in a trance-like fixation hanging onto every lingering note. Pure craftsmanship.