Robert Cray returns to Monterey with evolved brand of the blues.

Robert Cray credits 1960s AM radio as one of the dominant sources that shaped who he is as a musician. He absorbed it all – the gospel of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, the mainstream pop of The Beatles, the soul of Bobby Bland, the Appalachian mountain music of Dolly Parton.

From there Cray says he didn’t set out to write the blues – whatever comes out, comes out. “It could be R&B or soul music,” he explains. “It’s all music just the same and it’s all part of my life.”

While Cray’s interpretation of the blues receives some flack from blues purists, his unrestrained musical exploration keeps a storied genre fresh and relevant, while inspiring new blues fans to explore the genre further.

“That’s the reason we make the music we do, and I know the rest of the guys in the band feel that way too,” Cray says.

The payoff: 15 Grammy nominations and five wins.

Over the past 40 years, the Blues Hall of Famer has released nearly 20 records, including the Double Platinum Strong Persuader. In My Soul, a distinct 2014 shoutout to Memphis soul, recreates iconic artifacts, such as Otis Redding’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” alongside some of Cray’s most inspired originals, including the empowering “Fine Yesterday.”

In the next couple months, the Georgia native and his band (bassist Richard Cousins, drummer Les Falconer and keyboardist Dover Weinberg) hit the studio to churn out more music that sizzles in a salacious coating of the blues.

Meanwhile, in June, Cray will perform a tribute to B.B. King at the renowned Playboy Jazz Festival in L.A.

“A lot is owed to [B.B.] and his style of electric guitar playing,” Cray says. “His sound, touch and phrasing – he played like he was having a conversation. It was an extension of the story of the song. B.B.’s playing was plain and simple; not a lot of wasted notes.”

Cray says Howlin Wolf is another influential bluesman and pioneer. “He had the power to raise the hairs of your arms,” says Cray, whose take on Wolf’s “Sitting On Top of the World” and “Who’s Been Talkin’” keep the legend alive.

After more than four decades, there’s no telling how long Cray will keep on.

“Having the opportunity to still be on stage and to still make records and travel, meet new fans, play for old fans – I couldn’t ask for anything more, especially since this is what I love to do,” he says. “And people are still booking us.”

ROBERT CRAY BAND 8pm Saturday, April 2. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $27-$53. 649-1070,www.goldenstatetheatre.com