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The New York Times on December 16, 2013 premiered Naturally, J.J. Cale, an animated documentary short or Op-Doc, about the late JJ Cale, a Rosebud artist for 30 years before his passing. The short film by animator and filmmaker Drew Christie explores why the music legend never achieved the mainstream success and stardom that many believed he deserved. Despite his
great influence on the music world (and, as the film portrays, directly on the work of Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Mayer) Cale always remained true to his work and never sacrificed his musical vision in favor of commercial success. In its short format the film only touches briefly on the true depth of influence Cale created - not mentioned were Cale songs covered by other such icons as Johnny Cash, Captain Beefheart, Santana, The Allman Brothers, Jerry Garcia, The Band, Chet Atkins, Freddie King, and Maria Muldaur.

To see the full article and view the documentary see
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/16/opinion/naturally-jj-cale.html

NOVEMBER 2013: JJ Cale Induction Into Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

JJ Cale, a Rosebud artist until his passing on July 26, 2013, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame on November 16, 2013. A native Oklahoman and pioneer of "The Tulsa Sound", JJ Cale was a major influence on some of the greatest guitarists, singers and songwriters of a generation. He has garnered high praise from music legends such as Neil Young who said, "Of all the players I ever heard, it's gotta be Hendrix and JJ Cale who are the best electric guitar players", and Eric Clapton (a musical ally and friend who popularized Cale's "Cocaine" and "After Midnight") who, in an interview with Vanity Fair Magazine, named Cale the living person he most admires. In addition to Clapton, his songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Johnny Cash and Captain Beefheart to Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Call Me The Breeze"), The Allman Brothers, Jerry Garcia, The Band, Chet Atkins, Freddie King, Maria Muldaur, John Mayer (who covered "Call Me The Breeze" on his latest album, Paradise Valley) and many more. Cale also found inroads to a younger generation of rock fans with Widespread Panic, Phish, Band of Horses and among many others who paid tribute to him in song. The induction ceremony and gala will be held at the Performance Hall of Downtown Tulsa's historic Jazz Depot. For tickets and more information see here.

JJ Cale Has Passed Away

JJ Cale passed away at 8:00 pm on Friday July 26 at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, CA.

The legendary singer / songwriter had suffered a heart attack.
There are no immediate plans for services.
His history is well documented at JJCale.com, rosebudus.com/cale, and in the documentary, To Tulsa And Back.

Donations are not needed but he was a great lover of animals so, if you like, you can remember him with a donation to your favorite local animal shelter.

JJ Cale's five disc box set, Classic Album Selection, will be released April 2, 2013 via Mercury Records (the collection was released overseas in late March). The box set includes five of Cale's classic albums: Naturally (1972), Troubadour (1976), Shades (1981), Grasshopper (1982) and #8 (1983). Among the many renowned tracks from the collection are "After Midnight", "Cocaine" (both recorded and regularly performed by Eric Clapton), "I Got the Same Old Blues" (covered by Freddie King, Eric Clapton, Bobby Bland, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the late Captain Beefheart, a Rosebud artist until his retirement) and "Call Me the Breeze" (recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd). This box set of well-known Cale tunes follows the release of his previously unreleased track, "Angel", on Eric Clapton's latest release, Old Sock.

JJ Cale Has No Tour Plans At Present.

JJ Cale's song, "Angel", a previously unreleased track featuring Cale guesting on guitar and vocals, will appear on Eric Clapton's new CD, Old Sock, set for release on March 12. Clapton has been Cale's biggest supporter over the years, most famously having covered Cale's songs "After Midnight" and "Cocaine". The two legends more recently collaborated on the Grammy Winning Gold record, The Road To Escondido. Other guests on the project include Paul McCartney, Chaka Khan and Steve Winwood as well as Walt Richmond, who has toured extensively with JJ Cale and more recently with Eric.

"Angel" was also chosen as Starbucks' Pick of the Week starting on March 5, 2013. Starbucks offered the song as a complimentary download to all patrons who connected to Starbucks' free in-store Wi-Fi service or used the Starbucks app. Old Sock is also currently available to stream in full on The Wall Street Journal's blog, "Exclusive: Hear Eric Clapton's New Album 'Old Sock' First"

At this time, JJ Cale does not have any tour plans.

JJ Cale was praised by Neil Young once again in his new autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream. Young cites JJ Cale's "Crazy Mama" as one of the five songs that shaped his songwriting. Young describes "Crazy Mama" as "a record I love. The song is true, simple, and direct, and the delivery is very natural. JJ's guitar playing is a huge influence on me. His touch is unspeakable."

This praise follows Young's previous acknowledgement of Cale's artistry in Jimmy McDonough's 2003 biography of Neil Young, Shakey. In the New York Times bestselling biography, Young is quoted as saying:

"Most of the songs and the riffs - the way he plays the fucking guitar is so… great. And he doesn't play very loud, either - I really like that about him. He's so sensitive. Of all the players I ever heard, it's gotta be Hendrix and JJ Cale who are the best electric guitar players."

While there is clearly a great deal of mutual respect between them, the only time these two legends have appeared on record together is on the late Ben Keith's (Young's steel guitarist of almost forty years) Seven Gates: A Christmas Album by Ben Keith and Friends (1994).

JUNE 2011: JJ Cale Nominated For Induction Into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame JJ Cale has been nominated for Induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF). NaSHOF recognizes songwriters who have positively impacted and been closely associated with the Nashville Music Community and are deemed outstanding and significant. A native of Oklahoma, JJ Cale moved to Nashville early in his career where he was hired by the Grand Ole Opry's touring company. Following relocations including to California and back to Oklahoma, he later returned to Nashville to record his early solo albums.   JJ Cale is a vastly influential songwriter. Eric Clapton famously covered Cale's "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," as well as "I'll Make Love To You Anytime" and "Travelin' Light." Lynyrd Skynyrd covered Cale's "Call Me The Breeze" and "Bringing It Back." In addition, artists as varied as Santana, The Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, The Band, Chet Atkins, Freddie King and Captain Beefheart have all covered his songs. This year's NaSHOF nominees also include Mark James ("Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley; "Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson), John Bettis ("Slow Hand" by Conway Twitty/The Pointer Sisters), Dan Penn ("I'm Your Puppet" by James & Bobby Purify; "The Dark End Of The Street" by James Carr/Archie Campbell & Lorene Mann) and Allen Shamblin ("I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt) among others. The Induction Ceremony will be held October 16th in Nashville. At this time, JJ Cale does not have any tour plans.

A collection chronicling JJ Cale's music released by Silvertone Records between 1989-1992, entitled The Silvertone Years, will have an international release on February 7th, 2011 from Sony Music. The physical CD, while not initially set for release in North America, will be available as a European import from outlets such as Amazon. The disc features songs from JJ's Silvertone albums, Travel-Log and Number 10, check out the track listing at sonymusic.co.uk. Whether the music is bluesy, jazzy, country, rock (or country rock), folk, or tinged with Spanish or even Flamenco guitar flavors, once you hear that guitar or the voice, you immediately know it's JJ Cale - an incredibly humble man whose very nature has inspired a deep emotional connection with die-hard fans worldwide. Enjoy the collection.

At this time, JJ does not have any tour plans.

The new Eric Clapton CD, Clapton, features JJ Cale, Allen Toussaint and Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews. JJ Cale collaborates on 3 songs: 2 of which he wrote ("River Runs Deep" and "Everything Will Be Alright") and 2 of which are duets with Eric (the aforementioned "River Runs Deep" and "That's No Way To Get Along").  Allen and Troy are featured on 2 songs ("My Very Good Friend The Milkman" and "When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful"), both of which also feature Wynton Marsalis. Troy is also featured on "That's No Way To Get Along" with his Orleans Avenue band mate Dan Oestreicher.  Walt Richmond, a JJ Cale band member, plays keyboards on every track.  Walt played on the GRAMMY winning gold record by JJ Cale / Eric Clapton, The Road to Escondido, and has also recently worked with Eric as a member of his touring band.  

While JJ does not have any tour plans, Allen and Troy can be seen performing across the country this fall, please see Tour Dates >>

MAY 2010: JJ Cale's "Travelin' Light" Played In Space

JJ Cale's version of his own "Travelin' Light" was played to awaken the crews of the Atlantis Space Shuttle and International Space Station preceding their spacewalk early on Friday May 21, 2010 (NASA spaceflight.com 5/21/2010 "STS-132: Final EVA completes battery task"). The song was originally featured on JJ Cale's 1976 album Troubador and was also covered by Eric Clapton and Widespread Panic - true satellite radio indeed.

FEBRUARY 2010: JJ Cale Interview on American Routes March 10, 2010 - Walt Richmond To Tour With Eric Clapton

Listen online at: American Routes archive >>

A rare interview with JJ Cale is scheduled to premiere on American Routes on March 10, 2010. American Routes is a public radio program produced in New Orleans. To find a station broadcasting the show in your area, please click here or visit the American Routes web site to listen to their online archives after the show airs.

In related news, JJ Cale keyboard player, Walt Richmond, has been tapped to join the North American leg of Eric Clapton's upcoming tour. Walt played on the Grammy winning gold record - JJ Cale / Eric Clapton The Road to Escondido and on some recent studio work with Eric and Cale. Walt's credits also include work with Rick Danko, Bonnie Raitt, The Tractors and Bob Seger in addition to having written songs covered by The Doobie Brothers, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band and Maria Muldaur.

Eric's North American tour dates run from February 18 - March 13 with Jeff Beck acting as Special Guest on the initial dates and Roger Daltrey for the balance of the tour.

JANUARY 2010: Rosebud Artists Recognized In Village Voice 2009 Pazz & Jop Poll

Six albums and three singles released by Rosebud artists last year are recognized in the Village Voice 2009 Pazz & Jop Poll, which calculated 697 music critics' votes for the most important music of the year.

Listed among the year's top singles are: Booker T., "Hey Ya" & "Space City" Meshell Ndegeocello, "Mass Transit"

In addition, two Rosebud artists were featured band members on two albums and one single of recognition: Jon Cleary (John Scofield's Piety Street) and Jim Lauderdale (Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane and the song "Sulphur to Sugarcane"). Also of note are recognition for releases by Rosebud artist Charlie Watts' other band (The Rolling Stones, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out reissue) and Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Live at Madison Square Garden, which features three songs penned by JJ Cale.

Congratulations to all! Catch these artists live, please see Tour Dates >>

Rosebud Artists Score Year and Decade End Honors ... read more >>

MAY 2009: JJ Cale Songs Featured On New Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood Live From Madison Square Garden CD/DVD Release

Three classic JJ Cale songs are featured on the new Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood Live From Madison Square Garden CD/DVD release, recorded in February 2008. "Lowdown," "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" are all featured on the CD, while "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" are on the DVD of the performances. For complete track listing and purchase information, please click here. The show is currently being featured on Great Performances on PBS.

JJ Cale recently completed his first tour in five years in support of his acclaimed new album, Roll On. He was joined on stage by Tom Petty and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell in Santa Monica, CA and Mike returned to play the entire show in Seattle. At each stop on the tour, a portion of the proceeds were donated to a local animal charity or rescue effort. Please keep an eye out for an interview with JJ Cale by Ben Bridwell from the group Band of Horses, which will be featured in the Summer issue of Filter magazine. Also watch for an interview with JJ on public radio's American Routes program - air date TBA.

MARCH 2009: JJ Cale Joined Onstage By Tom Petty & Mike Campbell On First Stop of Rare Tour

JJ Cale just kicked off his first solo tour in five years, supporting his acclaimed new album, Roll On. The tour began with two shows at McCabe's in Los Angeles, on March 27 and 28. On the second evening, fans were treated to a surprise appearance by Tom Petty as well as Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, who both sat in with Cale for the second half of his set. AOL Spinner was on the scene with a good summary of the proceedings - read the full review here >>

The initial thirteen dates of the JJ Cale tour sold out briskly, with tickets added later for three final shows. A portion of the proceeds from each show on the tour will be donated to local animal shelters and rescue efforts.

Cale's backing band on this tour includes Bill Raffensperger (bass), Walt Richmond (keys), David Teegarden (drums/percussion) and James Cruce (drums/percussion). All but Cruce recorded with Cale on Roll On and all but Raffensperger played on The Road To Escondido, the Grammy winning Gold record collaboration by JJ Cale and Eric Clapton. Roll On has earned JJ Cale his best initial sales and highest debut on the Billboard Top 200 in at least the past 25 years. The new disc was featured on BBC2, which has the largest UK radio audience, as Album of the Week in its first week of release there and is topping sales charts across Europe.

MARCH 2009: JJ Cale's Roll On Scores Record First Week Sales And Chart Debut and BBC2 Record Of The Week, New Tour Dates Added

JJ Cale's new album, Roll On, has scored his highest first week sales and highest debut on the Billboard Top 200 in at least the past 25 years, entering the chart at #113. The album will be released in Europe on Monday, March 9 and BBC2 (boasting the largest radio audience in the UK) will feature Roll On as its Album of the Week during its first week of release in the UK. Stateside the album is receiving raves from critics. Rolling Stone described the music as "supremely chill [and] utterly ageless" and check out the excellent All Things Considered feature that aired on NPR last week (listen online here >>).

Late in March, Cale will kick off his first solo tour in 5 years with dates recently added in Medford, OR, Paradise, CA and Fresno, CA.

FEBRUARY 2009: JJ CALE CONFIRMS FIRST SOLO TOUR IN FIVE YEARS IN SUPPORT OF "SUPREMELY CHILL, UTTERLY AGELESS" (ROLLING STONE) NEW ALBUM ROLL ON (ROUNDER RECORDS)

JJ Cale has confirmed his first tour in five years, returning to the road with a few weeks of solo shows in intimate west coast venues. The tour is in support of his sublime Rounder Records debut Roll On, with a portion of the proceeds from each show to be donated to animal shelters and rescue efforts in each city. The album, out tomorrow, is getting rave reviews and the title track featuring Eric Clapton on guitar was the #1 Most Added song at AAA radio in its first week. Read on for some press quotes.

"The songs are top-shelf ....his bubbling guitar - as much a jam band archetype as Jerry Garcia's - glints across the shadows." - Rolling Stone

"'Roll On' [is] a showcase for Mr. Cale's laidback shuffle." -The Wall Street Journal

"An album ranging from the jazzy shuffle of "Who Knew" to the cautionary closer "Bring Down The Curtain."" - AARP

"'Roll On' finds Cale back in vintage form. You can practically feel the tour bus hitting the open road in the title track." - The Boston Globe

"Infectious Cale magic." - The Virginian-Pilot

JJ CALE TOUR DATES

3/27/2009 - McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA
3/28/2009 - McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA
3/29/2009 - Belly Up, Solona Beach, CA
3/30/2009 - Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA
4/1/2009 - Mystic Theatre, Petaluma, CA
4/2/2009 - Bimbo's, San Francisco, CA
4/3/2009 - Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA
4/5/2009 - WOW Hall, Eugene, OR
4/6/2009 - Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
4/7/2009 - Triple Door, Seattle, WA
4/8/2009 - Triple Door, Seattle, WA
4/10/2009 - Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre, Vancouver, BC CANADA
4/11/2009 - Alix Goolden Hall, Victoria, BC CANADA
4/13/2009 - Craterian Ginger Rogers Theatre, Medford, OR
4/14/2009 - Paradise Performing Arts Center, Paradise, CA
4/15/2009 - Tower Theatre, Fresno, CA