No grit shortage with Robert Cray

One of the coolest souvenirs you can get from a concert is the set list that’s taped to the stage, but don’t go looking for one after a Robert Cray show. He doesn’t use set lists because every time he walks on stage he’s open to any possibility.

“We know the first song and that’s it,” said Cray in a phone interview during a tour stop in Santa Barbara last week.

“We just go out there and have fun. We can change the topic of conversation,” he said. “If we put down a set list, then people become complacent.”

Primarily a bluesman, Cray rocketed to stardom in 1986 with his “Strong Persuader” album and its hit single, “Smoking Gun.”

Soon he was opening for and playing with such legends as B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Eric Clapton, and earning rave reviews for his soulful voice and guitar skills.

Yet Cray has more than technical brilliance working for him, and his artistry ventures beyond blues. His songs include elements of pop, soul and gospel; some even have reggae rhythms or Caribbean inflections.

On his new album, “Nothin but Love,” released last week, Cray was joined by bassist Richard Cousins, a founding member of Cray’s bands in the 1970s and ’80s.

A highlight of the new album is “Won’t be Coming Home,” which combines the intensity Cray showed on his hit ’80s albums with a more knowing view of the world.