A Conversation with Robert Cray (continued)

PM: What are you reading lately?

RC: Oh, I'm reading a book that's about a secret society that certain people from Yale belong to, including our president.

PM: Really?

RC: And a lot of people that he's hired in his cabinet.

PM: Get out of here!

RC: Yeah. It's by Alexandra Robbins. It's called Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power.

PM: [laughs] Oh, yeah, well we're all on that one now.

RC: [laughs]

PM: Unbelievable. And what do you find yourself listening to?

RC: What am I listening to...? I haven't been listening to too much stuff since I just got back off the road.

PM: Right. Gotta chill.

RC: Yeah, I got to chill for a bit and regroup. I got a couple weeks off, and I think I'll give myself a couple more days or so before I put on a CD. But I did get a few CDs given to me the other day. Sonny [Landreth] gave me his. I haven't listened to that yet.

PM: You know, I think it's much more fun to see Sonny play with his own band, because then he doesn't have to come out guns blazing on every number.

RC: Uh-huh.

PM: He gets to be much more the texture guy, and the coat of many colors guy. I think you'll really like that last record, it's beautiful.

RC: Yeah, cool.

PM: Do you consider yourself a spiritual guy?

RC: I think so. I mean, I never really think about it so much, but I know that inside I am, yeah.

PM: I certainly hear it in the tunes. But no particular orientation in that regard?

RC: No particular orientation.

PM: Just music.

RC: Yeah.

PM: You've been at it with great success for a quarter century. Are there things that you haven't tried that you'd like to attempt?

RC: I'm just leaving the book open. I think what happened with this record is a result of that, just leaving it open, and you never know what's going to happen. Every time we go into a recording studio, we just show up with songs. When I sit down to write something, I don't say, "I'm going to write a blues song." I just try to write what's happening.

PM: Right.

RC: And I think that's a good way to look at things.

PM: Yeah, it's a good way to live and it's a good way to write.

RC: It's like all the different kinds of food I like to eat.

[laughter]

RC: There's something good in everything, you know what I mean? There's good in Thai and there's good in Italian. There's good in Vietnamese, there's good in African. Everything's got something good in it, you know?

PM: In fact, right after this conversation I'm going to have some sushi.

RC: There you go.

PM: Thanks for taking the time. You're just as nice as I suspected you would be.

RC: Well, thanks Frank.

PM: And I hope to meet you down the line.

RC: All right, man, thank you.

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