From: "Doug Bright" <75366.2463@compuserve.com> To: Subject: Article: February, 1982 Date: Monday, June 20, 2005 8:27 PM THE ROBERT CRAY BAND: A SOUND ARGUMENT FOR INTERSTATE COMMERCE The Robert Cray Band: A Sound Argument for Interstate Commerce By Doug Bright From HERITAGE MUSIC REVIEW: February, 1982 In the last few years Oregon's musical status ham been growing by leaps and bounds, and most of the action seems to center around Portland, Corvallis, and Eugene. Unfortunate- ly, however, we in Seattle see very few of the products of this revival of traditional music. The only samples we ever seem to get are visits from a few good bluegrass bands who come up for the Folklife Festival in May. But since this festival tends to discourage electric music, we generally can't discover very much about the status of post- war blues in the neighboring state. In spite of all this there's one thing I DO know: If Robert Cray's band is any reliable indicator, the Oregon blues scene must be formidable indeed.' The action seems to have started in earnest about 1975 with the advent of an annual blues festival in Eugene. Apparently one of the prime movers in the organization of this event was a brilliant young blues-harpist, singer, record collector and self- styled historian named Curtis Selgado. One of the main attractions was an equally bril- liant young guitarist and singer by the name of Robert Cray. Robert Cray is something of a legend in his time. While most black musicians of his age are openly scornful of their American musical heritage, Cray puts his time and energy into preserving it. Regarding his origins, Robert describes himself as an "Army brat" who grew up everywhere in general and nowhere in particular. About the time of his adolescence he became keenly aware of rhythm and blues in its many and varied forms. Now at age 2~ he lives in Portland and is launching an exciting career with some very competent musicians. I first heard the Robert Cray Band last month on a memorable Friday night at the Rainbow. The evening seemed to be developing normally, and the crowd, though not enormous, was beginning to grow. Then the band opened up with an easy-going but rhythmic blues shuffle, "My Kind of Woman", and everything went up from there. The first thing Z noticed about this group was its superb command of harmony, and the person who seems to be the most responsible for it is Curtis Selgado. Most blues harmonica players are much more noticeable on their solos than at any other time, but the amazing thing about Selgado is that his back-up work is just as remarkable as his lead. More than any blues-harpist I've heard including the legendary ones, Curtis Selgado has an uncanny aptitude for hearing horn harmonies. In fact, the harmony between saxophone and harmonica is at times so well blended that it's impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. When Cray is doing chord fills on guitar, Curtis is right there to complement every phrase. The instrumental harmonies, whether improvised or meticulously arranged, are so flawlessly strong that you think you're listening to a big band with a full wind section. Am a soloist, Curtis is equally impressive on blues-harp and chromatic, playfully interjec- ting comic relief by slipping an occasional antique TV theme into a break just when you least expect it. As for the supporting cast, the saxophonist seems to have been influenced more by the later rhythm and blues styles, and there'm just a touch of jazz thrown in to keep things interesting. The rhythm section contributes further to the solidity of the Robert Cray sound, executing intricate breaks with the precision of a finely tuned machine. Besides being able to lay down a solid beat, the bassist and drummer are also fine soloists in their own right. There isn't a single weak link in this band! As a lead guitarist, Robert Cray seems to prefer a more full and mellow tone to the sharp and biting sound that blues guitarists commonly use. With this exception, he sounds more like B.B. KIng than anyone else, especially on tunes like "Buzz Me Baby", in which he makes a conscious effort of imitation. He is properly sensitive to the stylistic diversity of his material, switching easily from the simple sixth intervals of rural blues to the sophisticated chords and rhythcs of urban blues and soul. One of the most astonishing things about this band is their interpretation of the slow and mellow side of Southern soul. A superlative example is the breath-taking two-part harmony of Robert and Curtis o~ a tuzne called "Got ?o Make a Come- back". "That was the flip side of "knock On Wood"," Curtis explains. The Robert Cray Band has one album to its credit which, I'm told, is out of print and nearly impossible to find. However, there are plans for a future album, possibly a reissue of this one, with another company. One more thing: You can bet your last set of strings that when that album comes out, the first place it's going is right into my personal collection. The second place it's going is the Heritage Music Service record catalog. After that, I'll be surprised in- deed if it doesn't wind up in your collec- tion, too. ----------------------------------------