ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 20, 1988 By Steve Newton When you're arguably the world's best female rock vocalist, you make friends easily. Tina Turner does, and a lot of those friends show up on her new double-live album, recorded last year in Britain, West Germany, and Sweden. Ms. Turner sings duets with Bryan Adams on … Continue reading Album review: Tina Turner, Tina Live in Europe (1988)
Tag: Robert Cray
Album review: Robert Cray, Strong Persuader (1986)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 26, 1986 By Steve Newton When Robert Cray joined blues giants Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland for last year's magnificent Showdown! album, it was as if the young guitarist had stepped out of nowhere to join the ranks of the blues' top veteran performers. With his new album, … Continue reading Album review: Robert Cray, Strong Persuader (1986)
Album review: Various Artists, A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 29, 1996 By Steve Newton The folks behind this latest tribute to blues-rock guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan could hardly lose when they got Vaughan’s older brother (and biggest influence) Jimmie to organize and host a one-off concert featuring Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan (1996)
My one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, who wanted to meet Clapton real bad
kirk west photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 27, 1985 By Steve Newton Musician Magazine calls him "the most powerful blues guitarist in the world." He has won awards from the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the French Academie du Jazz, and the Memphis Blues Foundation, and received three Grammy nominations. He is known as … Continue reading My one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, who wanted to meet Clapton real bad
Robert Plant calls Shemekia Copeland, 23, “the next Tina Turner”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 26, 2002 By Steve Newton There are a number of things that can boost an up-and-coming recording artist’s career; one of the most effective might be having Robert Plant call you “the next Tina Turner”. Blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland, 23, had no complaints when the shaggy-maned former Zepman … Continue reading Robert Plant calls Shemekia Copeland, 23, “the next Tina Turner”
Robert Cray isn’t gonna hold his breath until the blues gets back in vogue
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 13, 2001 By Steve Newton We’ve all heard contemporary blues-rock artists covering the works of Elmore James, whether it’s ZZ Top getting lowdown on “Dust My Broom”, or Stevie Ray Vaughan tearing it up on “The Sky is Crying”. Heck, the Black Crowes even named their first album … Continue reading Robert Cray isn’t gonna hold his breath until the blues gets back in vogue
Too Slim and the Taildraggers sample Lightnin’ Hopkins on King Size Troublemakers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 12, 2000 You’d think a band from Washington state that’s been around as long as Too Slim and the Taildraggers would have made at least a couple of runs across the border to play for blues-hungry Canucks. But as guitarist-vocalist Tim “Too Slim” Langford explains from his Spokane … Continue reading Too Slim and the Taildraggers sample Lightnin’ Hopkins on King Size Troublemakers
Robert Cray speaks on Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 20, 2000 By Steve Newton Since barging onto the North American music scene in 1986 with the double-platinum Strong Persuader album, Robert Cray has proven himself a formidable purveyor of guitar-drenched blues and soul. And with five Grammy Awards to his credit—including one for his latest CD, Take … Continue reading Robert Cray speaks on Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters
Robert Cray’s Rykodisc debut is a paean to sixties soul
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 8, 1999 By Steve Newton Robert Cray isn’t known for covering other people’s material, but on his latest CD, Take Your Shoes Off, he was happy to take on Willie Dixon’s “Tollin’ Bells”, as well as the 1964 Solomon Burke chestnut “Won’t You Give Him (One More Chance)”. … Continue reading Robert Cray’s Rykodisc debut is a paean to sixties soul
Robert Cray gets the thing happening on Some Rainy Morning
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 18, 1996 By Steve Newton You wouldn’t think bluesman Robert Cray would be musically indebted to the Beatles, but they were the band that drove him to pick up a guitar. By the age of 10 Cray had already been soaking up the gospel, jazz, soul, and blues in his parents’ … Continue reading Robert Cray gets the thing happening on Some Rainy Morning
Taj Mahal and Robert Cray deliver soulfully smokin’ blues to a sold-out Commodore crowd
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 27, 1994 By Steve Newton If there’s one thing that’s a sure cure for the sad-eyed, rain-soaked January blahs, it’s a blues show at the Commodore. And when that show’s on a Friday night (January 21), the headliner is Robert Cray, and the opener is Taj Mahal, then cryin’ time is … Continue reading Taj Mahal and Robert Cray deliver soulfully smokin’ blues to a sold-out Commodore crowd
Guitar superstar Jeff Healey steals the six-string spotlight from Robert Cray and Colin James in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 10, 1992 By Steve Newton The PNE isn’t normally the type of place you’d go to save money, but Vancouver blues-rock fans who paid just $7.50 (plus fair admission) to see guitar heroes Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, and Colin James last Thursday (September 3) got themselves a heckuva good deal. They … Continue reading Guitar superstar Jeff Healey steals the six-string spotlight from Robert Cray and Colin James in Vancouver
Eric Clapton gets shown up by Doyle Bramhall II in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 28, 2007 By Steve Newton A few days before attending last Friday's (March 23) Eric Clapton/Robert Cray show, I came across a timely TV broadcast of Taylor Hackford's 1986 concert documentary, Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll. Both Clapton and Cray are featured in it, the former performing the … Continue reading Eric Clapton gets shown up by Doyle Bramhall II in Vancouver