J.J. Cale has died at the age 74. His unique brand of bluesy country rock was cool and laid back and his songwriting skills were top notch.
Considering that he made enough money from Clapton’s covers of After Midnight and Cocaine that he never had to work a lick again, but kept on anyway, he really was in it for the music.
Naturally was one of the few perfect albums I’ve ever heard and while he never quite matched it again, he got scary close enough times to more than live up to the genius sobriquet that was tossed in his general direction more than a few times.
I had the pleasure to see him live a few times and, like his music, he was as cool and laid back as you’d expect. The first time, he was opening for the Ragin’ Cajun, Doug Kershaw – and two more different stage presences would be hard to find.
I expect that, wherever he is, he’s ‘sit on the porch without no shoes; picking his bass and singin’ the blues.’
RIP J.J.