To Tulsa And Back: On Tour With JJ Cale
A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE ENIGMATIC LIFE
OF AMERICAN MUSICAL CULT FIGURE
J.J. CALE
Along For A Troubadour’s Journey
Fairfax, VA --- One of the most unassuming and talented figures in
American music. J.J. Cale has made a major impact on American music. He is credited with originating the so-called “Tulsa
Sound,” which combines his laid-back guitar sound and almost whispered
vocal style with his early influences from Rock ’n’ Roll, Country, Blues
and Jazz. Beyond his own fervent worldwide cult following, his songs and
style have achieved a more mainstream profile via covers of his songs by
artists as diverse as Johnny Cash, Santana,
Jerry Garcia, The Band,
Bryan Ferry, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Captain Beefheart, Widespread Panic and
Waylon Jennings. Eric Clapton, who recorded Cale’s “After Midnight” and
“Cocaine,” once again acknowledges Cale's influence on his own music in
a sincere and lighthearted interview in the film, To Tulsa and Back:
On Tour With J. J. Cale (released on DVD June 13th via Time Life).
Unaffected by his success as a songwriter and his iconic status among
rock stars, Cale leaves home only rarely to perform for his fiercely
devoted fans around the world. In a surprisingly uncharacteristic move,
the enigmatic Cale allowed German documentary filmmaker Jorg Bundschuh
to accompany him on tour, revealing his troubadour lifestyle for the
first time ever. The resulting
film introduces a sweetly modest,
endearing man who found success on his own terms while his music became
an alter ego of sorts, vibrant and famous, and taking center stage. “I'm
a guitarist and a songwriter and I got lucky.” Cale modestly demurs,
"I'm not a showbiz kind of guy. I had the passion to do music as much as
anybody. But I never wanted to be the patsy up front. And I still don't
want to be famous."
In a series of candid interviews, Cale takes viewers to his childhood
home in Tulsa, Oklahoma and to the legendary Cain’s Ballroom, surprised
and impishly delighted at one point to find an open door that he sneaks
through to relive his early memories of being onstage. While riding
from town to town on his tour bus, he opens up about his songwriting
style that has influenced superstars such as Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler
and Clapton and the financial and critical success that it’s brought
him. The film makes it clear that Cale has found a satisfying and
successful life by working outside of the system.
The interviews with Cale, friends and fans are all interlaced with
outstanding live performances, archival footage, and awe-inspiring
images of American landscapes. The film runs 90 minutes, but nearly an
equal amount of bonus footage is included as well. Featured
throughout the film are 20 Cale original compositions including
favorites such as "After Midnight", "Cocaine", "Crazy Mama", "Magnolia",
"Cajun Moon", "Bringin' It Back", "Call Me The Breeze", "Sensitive
Kind", "If You're Ever In Oklahoma" and many more drawn from his 14
album career as well as four brand new songs written specifically for
this project.
Bundschuh, who previously directed the documentary John Lee
Hooker: That’s My Story, spent two weeks on the road with Cale in
2004, capturing the musician’s laid-back personality. As a teen growing
up in Germany, Bundschuh discovered Cale’s music in the ‘70s and
immediately fell in love with how he seemed to symbolize everything
exciting about American music. To Tulsa And Back: On Tour With J.J.
Cale is currently making the rounds on the international film
festival circuit, playing at IDFA Amsterdam, Hof International Film
Festival, DOK.Fest in Munich, Cracow Film Festival, Nashville Film
Festival, The Tel-Aviv International Documentary Film Festival and the
Seattle International Film Festival.
Click the Troubadours to see more on the road...
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