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Robert Cray: Take Your Shoes Off

By AAJ STAFF
July 1, 1999
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If ever a title captured the mood of an album, this is it. Take Your Shoes Off, Cray's latest release from Ryko, is a bit of a departure from what we might expect from Robert and his band. The album flows effortlessly from beginning to end, allowing us to listen to it in it's entirety; a true phenomenon these days. The track list here, as the title suggests, is composed mostly of bright melodic tunes, but that's not to say Cray's guitarwork should be taken lightly. His playing is, in fact, superior to past recordings. Perhaps most impressive, however, is Cray's voice, and the exuding confidence felt throughout. His lyrics, while they may not be profound, display a subtle sensitivity that doesn't conflict with that gutsy groove which, over the years, we've come to expect from Cray and his band. The standout tracks are too numerous to mention, so I'll just say that Cray's latest release is a big breath of fresh air and not to be missed. This one really shines.

Title: Take Your Shoes Off | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Rykodisc

About Robert Cray

slideshow

Album Reviews

Shoulda Been Home by Al Rearick
Take Your Shoes Off by AAJ Staff

Date	Detail	Price
Mar8Fri	Robert Cray Band McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL
Mar11Mon	Robert Cray Band Rams Head On Stage Annapolis, MD	$72
Jun11Tue	The Blind Boys of Alabama, Robert Cray, Marc Cohn,... The Paramount Huntington, NY

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I love jazz because it's an area of music where I am free to incorporate everything I've experienced in music, including multiple genres and global cultures, and creatively express myself as a composer and improviser
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I love jazz because it's an area of music where I am free to incorporate everything I've experienced in music, including multiple genres and global cultures, and creatively express myself as a composer and improviser. I see jazz as a “big tent” music, and have tried to avoid worrying about what of style of music I play so much as do I express the various styles I've absorbed in a way that is honest and personal. As a guitarist, it means I cover a lot of different sounds, and as a composer it means I draw on a lot of different influences quite freely.
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Date	Detail	Price
Mar8Fri	Robert Cray Band McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL
Mar11Mon	Robert Cray Band Rams Head On Stage Annapolis, MD	$72
Jun11Tue	The Blind Boys of Alabama, Robert Cray, Marc Cohn,... The Paramount Huntington, NY

Robert Cray: Take Your Shoes Off

Album Reviews

Imaginary Friends by Ralph Alessi

Crosswinds by Christoph Irniger

East Of The Sun by Michael Kocour

Swallows & Swans by Florian Ross

Trio Tapestry by Joe Lovano