To Tulsa and back - On tour with J.J. Cale
A film by Jörg Bundschuh (2005) 90 min.
He is a legend wrapped in mystery whose records and persona have earned him a devoted cult following worldwide. J.J. Cale has quietly made a major impact on rock music but remains an enigma as perhaps the most unpretentious man in popular music. Although he has written some of the biggest rock hits ever and is regularly offered major concert dates, he lived for years in a trailer away from the public eye taking years off between recordings and performances.
J.J. Cale is credited with creating the Tulsa Sound, a laid back mix of Rock'n' Roll, Country, Blues and Jazz. When Mojo Magazine asked Eric Clapton which other musician he would most like to be, he answered "Cale", calling him "one of the masters of the last three decades of music." Neil Young is quoted in his biography Shakey as saying "He's so sensitive. Of all the players I ever heard, it's gotta be Hendrix and J.J. Cale who are the best electric guitar players." Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler also admits to having based their sound on Cale's unique style. Among Cale's devoted fans are musicians of all generations, such as Willie Nelson, Tom Petty and Widespread Panic. J.J.Cale is a musician's musician.
one of the masters of the last three decades of music. -- Eric Clapton
While Clapton had two of his biggest hits with Cale's After Midnight and Cocaine, other artists as varied as Johnny Cash, the Allman Brothers, Brian Ferry, Captain Beefheart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, Jerry Garcia, Deep Purple and many more have covered Cale songs such as Call Me The Breeze, Anyway The Wind Blows, Cajun Moon, Call the Doctor, Crazy Mama, Magnolia, Sensitive Kind, Travelin Light.
For the first time, Cale has agreed to have a film made about his music, his life and career. The documentary follows him and his band through six American states on his recent To Tulsa and Back Tour.
For this special documentary Eric Clapton is interviewed to talk about J.J. Cale. Eric is talking about J.J. Cale's music, his influences, the songs "After Midnight", "Cocaine" and "Golden Ring", as well as Eric's first solo album and "461 Ocean Boulevard". Also footage from the Crossroads Festival (June 2004) where Clapton played with Cale can be seen on this film!
The premiere of this film will take place at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Screen dates are as follow:
Saterday 26 November 2005: City 5, Amsterdam, Netherlands - starttime: 22:45
Tuesday 29 November 2005: Rock Temple Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands - starttime: 20:30
Friday 02 Decmeber 2005: City 2, Amsterdam, Netherlands - starttime: 23:15
J.J Cale's DVD 'To Tulsa and Back' is released as follows in Europe:
November/December, 2005 - Germany, France, UK
March, 2006 - Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourgh, Italy and most likely Scandinavia
Special thanks to: Films Transit inc. / Kick Film Productions
