Westhampton Beach - Five-time Grammy Award winning blues singer/songwriter/guitarist, Robert Cray and his Band will perform at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. in the Mollie Parnis Auditorium.

Never content with playing the blues the same way twice, Cray's daring innovations have wooed critics and fans alike. A gifted storyteller and guitarist extraordinaire Cray has defined contemporary blues, drawing on R&B, rock, pop, and jazz with equal insight and authority. He is often compared to Ray Charles for his ability to cross blues, soul and pop barriers.

Cray's "This Time" (2009), the first studio album on Cray's own imprint Nozzle Records, arrives at a vital juncture in the musician's career, marked by creative renewal and a key reunion with an old performing partner. Cray brings his old friend and former bandmember, bassist Richard Cousins, on board along with veteran blues drummer Tony Braunagel to join long-time Cray keyboardist Jim Pugh for this recording. The songwriting on "This Time" is a true collaborative effort, with Cray and his band members all contributing to the pot.

A follow up to the widely praised debut Nozzle release, "Live From Across the Pond" (2006) - the electrifying two-CD concert set drawn from a series of shows (opening for Eric Clapton) at London's Royal Albert Hall - Cray views "This Time" as an opportunity to move his sound in other directions.

As ever with Cray's undefinable sound, the music on "This Time" remains beyond category. The torchbearer for gritty, Southern-style blues, Cray has been internationally admired as a stylist whose innovations have brought new life to the blues. For more information on this artist go to www.robertcray.com.

Tickets are $85, $70, $55. You can purchase tickets online at www.whbpac.org, by phone at 631-288-1500, or by visiting 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach, (Wednesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m. and later on show nights).