JJ Cale

In some neighborhoods of the city of rock there is a lot of passion for marketing, for spectacular decoration, for the search for fame and notoriety. But there are black and white corners, more human and close, where you find excellent musicians who tie themselves to the masts of the ship like Ulysses to escape the seductive song of the sirens. Without a doubt, one of them is JJ Cale.

Guitarist and sound engineer almost at the same time (among his pleasures was modifying all the guitars he played with, from the Danelectro to the Stratocaster), his beginnings were not particularly successful, to the point of abandoning his nascent musical career. His luck changed with Eric Clapton's version of After Midnight, his first single, which had gone practically unnoticed. Riding on that stroke of luck, Cale would publish his first LP, Naturally (1972), in which we find his hallmarks, a peculiar symbiosis of country, blues and North American folk, performed by a warm and soft, whispering and earthy voice, and a way of playing the guitar as seemingly simple as it is brilliant, elements that form an intimate and misty atmosphere. That album would include his biggest hit, Crazy Mama, which would reach number 22 on the Billboard chart, and the wonderful Call Me The Breeze.

His work is also characterized by the regularity in the release of his albums. Thus, Really (1973), Okuie (1974) and probably one of his best creations, Troubador (1976), which contains one of the best songs of all time, Cocaine, follow one another. Once again Clapton made it a success, to the point that for a long time he would be identified with it, although from my point of view the original is far superior to the version of "Mano Lenta", with the irresistible attraction that that generates. such a characteristic way of “plucking” the guitar.

Another of his most characteristic features is his aversion to the control of record companies. Without noise, with few appearances in the press, and very little predisposed to excessively long tours, Cale's work nevertheless flows quite fluidly, already endowed with an unmistakable and magnetic style, which attracts, above all, contemporary musicians. Thus, the 80's and 90's are adorned with such magnificent albums as 5 (1979), Shades (1981), Grasshopper (1982), #8 (1983), Travel-Log (1990), Number 10 (1992), Closer to You (1994), and Guitar Man (1996). Some small samples: Don't Cry Sister, by 5, and Carry On, by Shades.

Precisely that year, 1996, marks a breaking point and discographic silence that will not be broken until 2004, with the appearance of To Tulsa And Back. By then, Cale was already a rock legend, a circumstance that would be reinforced with his concert at the 2006 Crossroads festival (organized by Eric Clapton), the publication of the documentary To Tulsa And Back: On Tour With J. J. Cale, and the recording in 2006 with Eric Clapton of The Road To Escondido, which received great praise from both critics and the public, winning the Grammy for best contemporary blues album. Always surrounded by excellent musicians, we cannot fail to highlight the magnificent collaboration with Billy Preston on the Hammond organ, as can be seen in Hard to Thrill.

In 2009, with the collaboration of Clapton, he released what would be his last album, Roll On.
On July 26, 2013, at age 74, JJ Cale died of a heart attack. A musician who did not need to shout to spread his teaching (my idolized Neil Young said that Cale and Hendrix were the best guitarists he had ever seen, not counting the obvious influence on Mark Knopfler or Eric Clapton), nor use pyrotechnics bathed in souffle. Honest, creative, in favor of pure sound without pretentious overdub, but who did not disdain to perfect the sound with technological advances. And yet he has tiptoed through the rock showcase, without ostentatious neon to announce his name, nor complacent hagiographies, nor masses eager to devour his music. A vital and essential musician, at least for the one who writes this, anchored in simplicity, elegance and talent.