Famed Blues Guitarist Robert Cray brings his band to Raue Center

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. – May 30, 2023 – The Robert Cray Band will be touring the US and UK for the first time since the 2020 release of his album, “That’s What I Heard.” and they’re coming to Raue Center September 8, 2023, @ 8 p.m.

“Funky, cool and bad,” is how Cray describes the Grammy-nominated album, produced by longtime collaborator, Steve Jordan, who adds, “I thought, if we could get this thing that Sam Cooke used to have, the kind of sound that early Sam Cooke records had, that we could pull this off.”

 

“Robert Cray is not only making music, he’s making history,” writes Guitar Player Magazine. Over the past four decades, Cray has created a sound that rises from American roots, blues, soul, and R&B, with five Grammy wins, 20 acclaimed studio, and live albums that punctuate the Blues Hall of Famer’s career. On That’s What I Heard, Robert celebrates the music of Curtis

   

Mayfield, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Sensational Nightingales, and more, alongside Cray’s own songs. Cray and Jordan go way back, having met during the making of the Chuck Berry documentary Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll, in 1987. They started working together in 1999, when Jordan produced the Grammy-winning Take Your Shoes Off, and the recent Grammy-nominated LP, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm. That’s What I Heard is their sixth album. “Once you start working with Steve, it’s kind of hard to get away from him,” said Robert.

 

“Robert is just a great person besides being extraordinary talent,” adds Jordan. “People gravitate to his guitar playing first, but I think he’s one of the best singers I’ve heard in my life. Not only because of his singing ability but his interpretations. He’s such an honest soul in my opinion.”

Robert’s band features Richard Cousins (bass), Dover Weinberg (keyboards), Terence F. Clark (drums), and Steve Jordan (drums, percussion).

Tickets for Robert Cray start at $50* ($35* for RaueNOW Members) Purchase tickets online at rauecenter.org or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake. Become a RaueNOW Member and get 30% Off Tickets and early access to upcoming shows. 

About Raue Center For The Arts

Raue Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 20 years, they have provided quality programming – striving to make it pertinent, available, and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional showcase theatre named for its benefactor—Lucile Raue—Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois, is a gathering place for our region’s citizens and has become a true destination. 

 

For additional information, visit rauecenter.org, facebook.com/RaueCenter, and twitter.com/RaueCenter. 

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BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY SWINGS INTO RAUE CENTER CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF CHART-TOPPING MUSIC. 

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL – MAY 29, 2023 – Raue Center For The Arts is excited to announce the return of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to downtown Crystal Lake. Join Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for a swinging good time at 8 p.m. on July 1, 2023 @ 8 p.m!

 

Since its formation in the early ‘90s in Ventura, California, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has toured virtually non-stop, performing an average of over 150 shows per year. It has also produced a sizable catalog of recorded music, with sales of over 2 million albums to date.

 

Early on, during its legendary residency at the Derby nightclub in Los Angeles, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy reminded the world, in the midst of the grunge era no less, that it was still cool to swing. The band, co-founded by singer Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren, was at the forefront of the swing revival of that time, blending a vibrant fusion of the classic American sounds of jazz, swing, and Dixieland with the energy and spirit of contemporary culture.

 

Together for 30 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – famously named after an autograph from blues legend Albert Collins – has appeared in concert venues across the world, sold millions of records, and had its music appear in hundreds of movies and television shows.

 

With sold-out concerts from the Hollywood Bowl to the Lincoln Center, appearances with many of the country’s finest symphony orchestras, and television appearances ranging from “Dancing with the Stars” to Super Bowl XXXIII, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy continues its decades-long mission to celebrate and revitalize jazz and swing music – America’s original musical art form – and bring joy to audiences around the world.

 

“We love having Big Bad Voodoo Daddy back at Raue Center,” says Raue Center Board President, Tim Paul. “Their music speaks for itself and will leave the audience unable to sit still in their seats!” 

 

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s all-original core line-up includes Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (double bass and vocals), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone and vocals), Glen “The Kid” Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophone and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano and arranger). 

 

Tickets to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy start at $45* ($31.50* for RaueNOW Members) and may be purchased online at rauecenter.org or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake. 

 

About Raue Center For The Arts

Raue Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 20 years, they have provided quality programming – striving to make it pertinent, available, and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional showcase theatre named for its benefactor—Lucile Raue—Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois, is a gathering place for our region’s citizens and has become a true destination. 

 

For additional information, visit rauecenter.org, facebook.com/RaueCenter, and twitter.com/RaueCenter. 

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The JAZZ AMBASSADORS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY FIELD BAND at Raue Center for Free Concert!

<Crystal Lake>, IL –October 24, 2022 – Raue Center For The Arts proudly announces a free concert performed by the Jazz Ambassadors of the United States Army Field Band, on November 16, 2022, @ 7 pm. 

 

The Jazz Ambassadors is the official touring big band of the United States Army. From the big band sounds of the 1940s to the contemporary hits of today, the members of the Jazz Ambassadors present a versatile musical program that has earned them international recognition and appeals to all ages. 

 

One of the finest big bands in the world today, the Jazz Ambassadors of Washington, DC, tours thousands of miles each year to promote patriotism and goodwill for the U.S. Army through free public concerts. The Army’s official touring big band has appeared in a variety of high-profile contexts, including performances with the Columbus (OH) Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Syracuse Symphony. During a joint performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, conductor Marvin Hamlisch declared, “I can’t think of better ambassadors for our country.” This unique collaboration with Maestro Hamlisch has included the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Pops, the Colorado Pops Orchestra, and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.

 

Other recent, notable performances include appearances at the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Richmond Jazz Festival at Maymont, the Jazz Education Network Conference in Louisville, KY, the Kennedy Center Honors, and The Colbert Report.

 

A highly competitive audition process draws candidates from leading conservatories, universities, and the professional ranks. Many members of the Jazz Ambassadors have extensive civilian performance experience. Alumni have gone on to careers in university teaching, studio recording, and performance. In 1969, Army Field Band Commander Major Hal Gibson formed the Studio Band in response to an increased demand for jazz performances. The Studio Band became the Army’s premier touring jazz ensemble and was renamed the Jazz Ambassadors in 1979. The band has appeared in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, and throughout Europe. Whether at a world-renowned venue or playing in the grassroots of America, the Jazz Ambassadors impress audiences with their virtuosity. The ability to connect with their audience has attracted the attention of Gordon Goodwin, Bobby Shew, Ernie Watts, and the Dave Brubeck All-Star Quintet, just a few of the outstanding jazz artists who have shared the stage with America’s Big Band. 

 

Concerts by the Jazz Ambassadors are programmed to entertain all types of audiences. Many of the ensemble’s members arrange and compose music highlighting the group’s creative talent and gifted soloists. Their diverse repertoire includes big band swing, Latin music, contemporary jazz, bebop, standards, popular tunes, Dixieland, and patriotic selections. Wherever they travel, the Jazz Ambassadors proudly carry the message of patriotism and goodwill to audiences worldwide.

 

This is a free-ticketed event. To claim your tickets visit Raue Center Box Office at 26 N. Williams Street, Crystal Lake 60014  or email boxoffice@rauecenter.org.

 

About Raue Center For The Arts

Raue Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 20 years, they have provided quality programming – striving to make it pertinent, available, and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional showcase theatre named for its benefactor—Lucile Raue—Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois, is a gathering place for our region’s citizens and has become a true destination. 

 

For additional information, visit rauecenter.org, facebook.com/RaueCenter, and twitter.com/RaueCenter.