Some blues purists never forgave Robert Cray for his 1986 breakthrough album, Strong Persuader, an ultra-smooth crossover blues record that briefly made Cray a sex symbol. Those purists, however, have missed out on the great albums...

Born of a Dire Straits song, named for a Robert Cray song, and obviously inspired by guitar slingers like John Mayall and Eric Clapton, the blues-rock power trio Back Door Slam proudly wear their influences on their sleeve. Riding some residual buzz from their 2007 debut album, Roll Away, the group plays an 8 p.m. show . . .

Fans who have seen the current edition of the Robert Cray Band know that one of the real attractions is listening to how the four band members play together, support each individual instrument and serve each song.

Robert Cray, one of the true greats of modern blues, vexed purists in the '80s by smuggling traces of pop and soul music into his records, but Cray ultimately won over most critics with his adroit songwriting and emotive guitar work.