LOS ANGELES (Sanctuary Press release) - As five-time Grammy� Award-winning recording artist Robert Cray awaits the release of his Sanctuary Records debut album, Time Will Tell, he and his band are preparing for a four-month U.S. tour, many of which dates (July 24 - October 17) will be co-headline shows with John Hiatt & the Goners.
The album�s initial radio track, "Back Door Slam" was penned by
Robert Cray Band drummer
Kevin Hayes and his sister, prolific songwriter Bonnie Hayes (best known for her contributions to Bonnie Raitt�s repertoire including "
Have A Heart" and "Love Letter.")
Time Will Tell marks a musical turning point for Cray. Long acclaimed for his prowess in the idioms of blues and Southern soul, Cray seizes the opportunity to explore some compelling alternate musical routes. The album marks the first co-production by himself with long time Cray Band keyboardist Jim Pugh. In a rare change of pace, Cray�s touring band was augmented on the CD by featured guest musicians including Sly & the Family Stone�s Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini on trumpet and sax respectively on "Your Pal", plus the Turtle Island String Quartet (heard on "
Up In The Sky" and "Time Makes Two.") Luis Conte (Eric Clapton,
James Taylor, Arturo Sandoval) contributes percussion. The album was engineered and mixed by Mark Needham (Fleetwood Mac, Michelle Branch, Chris Isaak, Cake.)
In addition to his Fender signature Robert Cray Strat, Cray also recorded for the first time with an electric sitar ("Up In The Sky.") And while his lyrics have heretofore focused on personal relationships, and continue to do so, Cray for the first time speaks his mind politically with powerful anti-war messages in "
Survivor" and "Distant Shore."
Mojo magazine had this to say about the album: "[Cray] moves into uncharted territory on Time Will Tell.. adding a seditious samba beat, a ringing electric sitar, and adding an agitated, serrated edge to his smooth blues/soul infusion�.4 Stars"
As Cray counts down the days �til tour time, he looks forward to a co-bill of sorts with his wife, filmmaker Sue Turner-Cray, who will be screening her film, Through Riley�s Eyes, which is a moving story about Portland jazz trumpeter Richard Burdell, who died of ALS (Lou Gehrig�s disease) on June 21, 1998. The June 27 event at Portland�s Crystal Ballroom is a benefit for the ALS Association of Oregon and SW Washington.
An acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist, Cray has been recruited to perform on recordings by Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and John Lee Hooker, among others. In addition to recording with each of those artists, he has also performed on stage with all of them as well as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keith Richards, and The Rolling Stones. As a writer, Cray's songs have been covered by Albert King, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Del McCoury, and even Tony
Bennett (whose 2003 Grammy winning CD Playing With My
Friends is named for the title song that Robert co-wrote.)
ROBERT CRAY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
DATE CITY VENUE
June 26 BOISE, ID Boise River Festival
June 27 PORTLAND, OR Crystal Ballroom
June 28 JACKSONVILLE, OR Britt Festivals
June 29 GUERNEVILLE, CA Russian River Blues Festival
July 3 EUGENE, OR McDonald Theater
July 4 COURTENAY, BC Vancouver Island
Music Festival
July 5 REDMOND, WA Marymoor Amphitheater
(w/
Etta James and Susan Tedeschi)
July 11 SANTA YNEZ, CA Gainey Vineyards
July 12 EUREKA, CA Blues By the Bay
July 19 GRASS VALLEY, CA California WorldFest
July 25 STERLING HEIGHTS, MI Freedom Hill Ampitheatre**
July 26 PITTSBURGH, PA Chevrolet Ampitheatre*
July 27 TORONTO, ONT Toronto Star Blues Festival
July 29 HAMPTON BEACH, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom**
July 31 HYANNIS, MA Cape Cod
Melody Tent*
August 1 WESTBURY, NY Westbury
Music Fair**
August 2 PHILADELPHIA, PA Mann Center*
August 3 COHASSETT, MA South Shore
Music Circus**
August 5 BALTIMORE, MD Pier Six*
August 6 PORTSMOUTH, VA Harbor Center**
August 9 CHAPEL HILL, NC Cat�s Cradle
August 8 NASHVILLE, TN Ryman Auditorium*
August 14 ALBANY, NY Hart Theatre
August 15 WARREN, VT (MONTPELIER) Vermont Festival of the Arts
August 30 BRIDGEPORT, CT Bridgeport Blues Festival
September 4 SHEBOYGAN, WI Weill Center for the Performing Arts*
September 5 HIGHLAND PARK, IL Ravinia Festival*
September 6 APPLE VALLEY, MN Minneapolis Zoo Amphitheatre*
September 27 LAS VEGAS, NV The Joint / Hard Rock Hotel & Casino*
September 28 LOS ANGELES, CA Greek Theatre**
September 29 SAN DIEGO, CA Humphrey�s*
September 30 SAN DIEGO, CA Humphrey�s*
October 3 SARATOGA, CA The Mountain Winery*
October 4 SARATOGA, CA The Mountain Winery**
October 5 W. SACRAMENTO, CA Raley Field**
October 7 DENVER, CO Paramount Theatre*
October 8 ALBUQUERQUE, NM Sunshine Theatre*
October 10 AUSTIN, TX Stubbs*
October 11 HOUSTON, TX Verizon Wireless Amph.*
October 12 MOBILE, AL Saenger Theater*
October 14 JACKSONVILLE, FL Florida Theater*
October 15 TAMPA, FL Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center*
October 16 POMPANO BEACH, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre*
October 17 ORLANDO, FL Hard Rock Live*
*Co-Bill with John Hiatt
**Robert Cray closing co-bill show
