Contemporary blues icon Robert Cray will be celebrating his 40 years of performing with an incredible live release, ‘4 Nights of 40 Years Live’ on 28th August 2015. This live album was recorded at Venture, Belly Up, Saban Theatre and his rehearsal studio in Dec 2014. Both the DVD and Blu-ray contain 90 minutes of concert footage from multiple camera angles creating an incredible perspective. It also contains personal in-depth interviews with Robert Cray, his band members and testimonials from legends as Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Jimmie Vaughan and Bonnie Raitt.

Robert Cray - 4 Nights of 40 Years Live

You gotta keep your ears open and expand your mind.
– Robert Cray

Open ears and an open mind are the essence of singer, guitarist and songwriter Robert Cray, whose career spans from the roots of the blues to the pinnacles of rock, from the 80s to this moment. He grew up listening to the gospel of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Bobby Bland’s soul, Jimi Hendrix’s rock guitar and the Beatles pop sounds. Those influences and the signature sound Cray has imprinted on modern popular music are brought together in the Robert Cray Band’s double CD and video package 4 Nights of 40 Years Live.

The set will be available in a variety of formats – 2 LPs + Mp3, 2 CDs + DVD, Blu-Ray + 2 CDs and digitally. 4 Nights of 40 Years Live will be released August 28 on the Netherlands-based Mascot Label Group.

The first CD is fresh, live recordings from four nights recently recorded at four venues in the LA area. With his current band –longtime bassist, collaborator and friend Richard Cousins, keyboardist Dover Weinberg (who was in Cray’s first band) and drummer Les Falconer (O’Jays, Keb ‘Mo) – Cray fronts a group that is solid, seasoned and vital. The playing is in the moment, and the sound is singular.

The thirteen cuts are selected from the Cray Band’s recording library of 20 releases. Among them are rock radio favorites “Bad Influence” and “Right Next Door (Because of Me),” the soul searing “Love Gone to Waste,” and “These Things,” a bluesy ballad that features one of Cray’s string-bending and mind-blowing guitar solos. The live CD is the fourth Cray Band release produced by Steve Jordan, who plays drums on several cuts. Also guesting are vocalist Kim Wilson and harmonica player Lee Oskar, tenor saxophonist Trevor Lawrence, trumpeter Steve Madaio and saxophonist Tom Scott.

Watch the album trailer for “4 Nights of 40 Years Live” here:

The bonus CD is a revealing glimpse of Cray’s early career and the promise of a future that would reward fans for decades. Selected from the band’s set at the 1982 San Francisco Blues Festival and a 1987 appearance on the Dutch TV Show “Countdown,” the music captures the band’s youthful presence and its ability to revive the blues without abandoning it. Included are favorites from the Cray’s Band 80s set lists; “Smoking Gun” and “Too Many Cooks.”

The 94 minute video in 4 Nights of 40 Years Live is a Cray Band convergence. Coming together are a mesmerizing blend of clips from the San Francisco Blues Festival, the Dutch TV show and the four concerts featured on the first CD. Between clips Cray comments on the band’s history and his personal philosophy of music. There is also behind the scenes footage of the band collaborating with producer Jordan. And putting the Cray Band in perspective are interviews with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmie Vaughan and Buddy Guy each giving their personal response to the music and the man.

It is extraordinary for musicians to thrive over four decades, and the Robert Cray Band is just that, extraordinary. The group has won five Grammy Awards, put 15 studio albums on the Billboard Charts, sold millions of records and toured the globe, playing clubs, concert halls, festivals and large arenas. Whether opening for John Lee Hooker or Eric Clapton, the band has captured audiences with music that is original, a sound that is distinctively rootsy and a performance style that keeps fans flocking back to see the Robert Cray Band headlining. 4 Nights of 40 Years Live is a testament to the band’s past success and proof that the Robert Cray Band is as live as ever.

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The Robert Cray Band – 4 Nights Of 40 Years Live

Label: Provogue
Release Date: 28 August 2015

Track List

CD 1:

1. I Shiver
2. I’ll Always Remember You
3. Poor Johnny
4. Won’t Be Coming Home
5. On The Road Down
6. Sittin’ On Top of the World
7. Wrap It Up
8. Love Gone To Waste
9. Bad Influence
10. These Things
11. Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
12. The Forecast (Calls For Pain)
13. Time Makes Two

Email Unlock from the track “Poor Johnny”:

CD 2 (bonus disc):

1. I Guess I Showed Her *
2. Right Next Door (Because of Me) *
3. Smoking Gun *
4. Still Around *
5. Too Many Cooks ^
6. T-Bone Shuffle ^

* Live at Dutch TV Show “Countdown” 1987
^ Live at SFO Blues Festival San Francisco 1982

Dvd track list:

Intro / I Shiver
T-Bone Shuffle
Love Gone To Waste
I Guess I Showed Her
I’ll Always Remember You
Your Good Thing Is About To End
Too Many Cooks
Wrap It Up
Won’t Be Coming Home
Smoking Gun
Sittin’ On Top of the World
Two Steps From The End
Bad Influence
These Things
Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
The Forecast (Calls For Pain)
Time Makes Two

Vinyl track list:

LP 1
1. Shiver
2. I’ll Always Remember You
3. Poor Johnny
4. Won’t Be Coming Home
5. The Road Down
6. Sittin’ On Top of the World
7. Wrap It Up

LP 2
1. Love Gone To Waste
2. Bad Influence
3. These Things
4. Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
5. The Forecast (Calls For Pain)
6. Times Takes Two

Website Robert Cray: http://robertcray.com/


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