Attempts to pin a single label on guitarist and singer Robert Cray are pointless.

There’s no doubt when he launches into a guitar lead that he is deeply rooted in the blues. His playing summons up the old guide stars — Albert King, Albert Collins, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, T-Bone Walker.

But his song structures draw from a deeper well, inspired by the Stax, Motown and Atlantic artists he heard as a kid growing up 40 years ago in Newport News. His singing is obviously way more influenced by Sam & Dave than Muddy Waters.

The beautiful part is, after more than 30 years on the road, the Robert Cray Band pulls all of it together seamlessly. On Sunday night, the 924 people on hand in Jefferson Center’s sold-out Shaftman Hall called out for Cray in between songs and gave the act two standing ovations.

The band opened with 1990s-era Cray, the 12/8 blues "Our Last Time" and the rocked-up soul of "Phone Booth" before slowing the groove with "Love 2009," from the band’s latest record, "This Time."

Things were smoldering midway through when the band hit new song "Chicken in the Kitchen," Cray’s elastic tenor overshadowing the cheesy, double-entendre lyrics. Cray used looping and delay effects on the reggae-flavored "Poor Johnny," and made his Stratocaster guitar do wicked things on "Back Door Slam" before closing the set with his pop hit, 1990’s "Smoking Gun."

Vocally, Cray is a marvel. He can do what he wants, from whisper to growl, and with spot-on soul and R&B phrasing. His singing, in fact, is at least as good as his guitar playing.

Cray’s sidemen showed their stylistic diversity, too. Keyboardist Jim Pugh dialed in swelling B-3 organ sounds throughout the night. Bassist Richard Cousins walked his instrument with deep tone and rock-solid timing. Drummer Tony Braunagel showed sly trickery between and around his fat backbeats.

The band closed its encore with the nearly orchestral "Time Makes Two." That 2006 song, along with new cuts "I Can’t Fail" and "That’s What Keeps Me Rockin,’ " showed that after 30 years, Cray not only remains commercially viable, but he and his band also remain a creative force in American roots music.