Eric Clapton and Friends Unite To Honor JJ Cale Legacy in New Release

Eric Clapton has often stated that JJ Cale is one of the single most important figures in rock history, a sentiment echoed by many of his fellow musicians.  Cale’s influence on Clapton was profound, and his influence on many more of today’s artists cannot be overstated.   To honor JJ’s legacy, a year after his passing, Clapton gathered a group of like-minded friends and musicians for Eric Clapton & Friends: The Breeze, An Appreciation of JJ Cale scheduled to be released July 29, 2014.  With performances by Clapton, Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Derek Trucks and Don White, the album features 16 beloved JJ Cale songs and is named for the 1972 single “Call Me The Breeze.”

“I would like people to tap into what JJ Cale did – that’s the point. I’m just the messenger; I’ve always felt that that’s my job. I try to interpret things so that the public at large, or at least the people who listen to what I do, will become intrigued about where I got it from,” said Clapton.

After years admiring JJ Cale’s work and covering several of his songs such as “After Midnight” and “Cocaine”, Clapton finally collaborated with Cale for the first time in his career on the 2006 original album Road to Escondido.  At the time, Clapton said “This is the realization of what may have been my last ambition, to work with the man whose music has inspired me for as long as I can remember.”

JJ Cale’s music consistently defied being labeled into any one category, but instead found influences across the spectrum of blues, rock, country and folk — a hybrid sound that has influenced a long list of artists.  He was known for being reclusive. He let his music speak for itself and by his own choice never became famous in the conventional terms of the word.  Instead, he preferred to shun the spotlight for a more simple existence based on his musical creations. Ironically, doing just that, and focusing on music, turned him into a guitar legend.

ALBUM TRACK LISTING

1. Call Me The Breeze (Vocals Eric Clapton)
2. Rock And Roll Records (Vocals Eric Clapton & Tom Petty)
3. Someday (Vocals Mark Knopfler)
4. Lies (Vocals John Mayer & Eric Clapton)
5. Sensitive Kind (Vocals Don White)
6. Cajun Moon (Vocals Eric Clapton)
7. Magnolia (Vocals John Mayer)
8. I Got The Same Old Blues (Vocals Tom Petty & Eric Clapton)
9. Songbird (Vocals Willie Nelson & Eric Clapton)
10. Since You Said Goodbye (Vocals Eric Clapton)
11. I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (Vocals Don White & Eric Clapton)
12. The Old Man And Me (Vocals Tom Petty)
13. Train To Nowhere (Vocals Mark Knopfler, Don White & Eric Clapton)
14. Starbound (Vocals Willie Nelson)
15. Don’t Wait (Vocals Eric Clapton & John Mayer)
16. Crying Eyes (Vocals Eric Clapton & Christine Lakeland)

MUSICIAN CREDITS:

Keys – Hammond Organ, Piano & Wurlitzer

Walt Richmond & Simon Climie

Drum Programming & Percussion

Simon Climie

Bass Nathan East

Drums Jim Keltner

Guitars

Eric Clapton (All tracks)

Mark Knopfler (Tracks 3 & 13)

John Mayer (Tracks 4, 7 & 15)

Willie Nelson (Tracks 9 & 14)

Don White (Tracks 3, 5 & 13)

Reggie Young (Tracks 2, 6 & 8)

Derek Trucks (Tracks 14 & 16)

Albert Lee (Tracks 1 & 11)

David Lindley (Tracks 9 & 16)

Don Preston (Track 3 & 13)

Christine Lakeland (Track 3)

Doyle Bramhall II (Track 10)

Pedal Steel Guitar

Greg Leisz (Track 12 & 14)

Dobro

Eric Clapton (Track 11)

Harmonica

Jimmy Markham (Track 13)

Mickey Raphael (Tracks 3, 9 & 14)

Backing Vocals

Michelle John (Tracks 4, 5, 9 & 13)

Sharon White(Tracks 4, 5, 9 & 13)

Christine Lakeland (Tracks 13 & 15)

Simon Climie (Track 9)

Additional Drums

James Cruce

Jim Karstein

Jamie Oldaker

David Teegarden

Satnam Ramgotra (Tablas)

ALBUM CREDITS:

Produced by:

Eric Clapton

Simon Climie