J.J. Cale
Troubadour

Reclusive and reserved character, John Weldon Cale is one of the most important musicians who came to prominence in the 1960s-1970s. Seldom seen in public, he managed to garner a rather large following of fans mainly thanks to his performances on record. Already active at the twilight of the 1950s, he released a handful of 45s under the name Johnny Cale but went unnoticed until 1970 when the then "God" Eric Clapton recorded his "After Midnight," previously Cale's single in 1965. The bluesman from Oklahoma secured a record deal with Shelter following the success of "Slowhand," debuting with "Naturally," a stunning seminal album signed as JJ Cale. The record already presents all the elements that will later become characteristic of the multi-instrumentalist's career, merging blues with country without giving up folk and rock shades. The following two records confirm (though without notable peaks) the good elements expressed in the debut LP, but it is with Troubadour (1976) that the bluesman's production sees a new surge.

"Hey Baby," the album's opening, introduces a new theme, that of jazz, previously unknown in Cale's production, marking a partial moment of departure from his old works. The journey continues with the Latin-sounding "Travelin' Light," one of the most thrilling moments of the work, whispered blues ("You Got Something") and the great rhythm & blues tracks "The Woman that Got Away" and "Let Me Do It To You," enriched the first by excellent piano inserts and the second (almost entirely instrumental) by the push of the horns. The ballad "Cherry" adds new colors to the artist's drawing with its ethnic hues. But it is mainly the jazz pieces that steal the scene: besides the opener "Hey Baby," a jazz piece with prominent horns supporting a sweet acoustic arpeggio, "Hold On" and the concluding "You Got Me On So Bad" are two tracks in full jazz style that highlight Cale's interpretative skills, while in "Super Blue" typically blues vocals lay on the jazz melody of the piece in one of the most creative episodes of the album.

Alongside the many gems, there are two slightly underwhelming tracks: "I'm A Gypsy Man," the only cover (Sonny Curtis) included on the LP, is the weak spot of the record, with its open and rather rough guitar-driven progression unusual for the American musician; "Ride Me High" is instead a good song with its warm sounds but (also due to an unusually long duration for the musician) falls into repetition.

A special mention for "Cocaine," a track that became the most famous among others particularly thanks to Clapton's interpretation just a year later in his "Slowhand." The piece is a rock-blues track, certainly unusual for Cale's classic style, a great track that delivers an anti-drug message, often misinterpreted by many, which despite its beauty poorly ties into the album's theme, and probably would have found its natural dimension as the leading single of the LP but without being included in it.

The then thirty-seven-year-old musician's fourth album, "Troubadour," while departing partially from JJ Cale's previous releases, once again charts splendid landscapes with its warm sounds that harken back to times gone by, reminiscent not of sound but of certain atmospheres typical of the early records of "The Band."

If you don't know where to start in discovering this artist, "Troubadour" is a perfect choice for you.