The Road to Escondido

Rating

Album: The Road to Escondido
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Danger	More Info...	0:05
2)	Heads in Georgia	More Info...	0:04
3)	Missing Person	More Info...	0:04
4)	When This War Is Over	More Info...	0:03
5)	Sporting Life Blues	More Info...	0:03
6)	Dead End Road	More Info...	0:03
7)	It's Easy	More Info...	0:04
8)	Hard to Thrill	More Info...	0:05
9)	Anyway the Wind Blows	More Info...	0:04
10)	Three Little Girls	More Info...	0:02
11)	Don't Cry Sister	More Info...	0:03
12)	Last Will and Testament	More Info...	0:04
13)	Who Am I Telling You?	More Info...	0:04
14)	Ride the River	More Info...	0:04

Album: The Road to Escondido
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Danger	More Info...	0:05
2)	Heads in Georgia	More Info...	0:04
3)	Missing Person	More Info...	0:04
4)	When This War Is Over	More Info...	0:03
5)	Sporting Life Blues	More Info...	0:03
6)	Dead End Road	More Info...	0:03
7)	It's Easy	More Info...	0:04
8)	Hard to Thrill	More Info...	0:05
9)	Anyway the Wind Blows	More Info...	0:04
10)	Three Little Girls	More Info...	0:02
11)	Don't Cry Sister	More Info...	0:03
12)	Last Will and Testament	More Info...	0:04
13)	Who Am I Telling You?	More Info...	0:04
14)	Ride the River	More Info...	0:04

Performer Notes

Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar, keyboards); J.J. Cale; Christine Lakeland (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Dennis "Cannonball" Caplinger (fiddle); Taj Mahal (harmonica); Steve Jordan , Steven "Steven J." Jordan, Abraham Laboriel, Sr. (drums); Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar); Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, John Mayer, Albert Lee (guitar); Dennis Caplinger (fiddle); Marty Grebb, Steve Madaio, Jerry Peterson , Bruce Fowler (horns); Walt Richmond (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer organ); Billy Preston (Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer organ); James Cruce, Jim Karstein (drums, percussion); Simon Climie (percussion, programming); David Teegarden (percussion); Abe Laboriel, Jr. , Pino Palladino, Gary Gilmore.
Audio Mixers: Alan Douglas ; Mick Guzauski.
Recording information: 08/2005.
Photographers: Jim Karstein; Christine Lakeland; Nigel Carroll; David McClister; Nathan East.
J.J. Cale is perhaps best known for penning hits for Eric Clapton, including "Cocaine" and "Midnight Hour," yet he's also an accomplished and extremely talented songwriter and guitarist. While no one ever declared, "Cale is God," Clapton clearly has always thought highly of him, and in 2006, the Clapton/Cale mutual admiration society finally made its way into the studio.
The result is 14 songs' worth of the relaxed blues hybrid that Cale built his career around and that earned Clapton the nickname '"Slowhand." The duo produced all the tracks and wrote the majority of them, with some help from guests such as Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks, the late Billy Preston, and John Mayer, who wrote the song "Hard to Thrill" for the album. THE ROAD TO ESCONDIDO is a mellow musical good time between friends, and for fans of the two musicians, it's a front-row seat to a rare and scintillating collaboration.

Professional Reviews

Q (p.144) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[V]ery much Cale's record....[He] simply does what he always does, rocking out in his infinitely mellow, less-is-more kind of way."

Dirty Linen (p.40) - "For those hunkering for Clapton's old-fashioned blues, he does a nice version of Sonny McGhee's 'Sporting Life Blues.'"

No Depression (p.112) - "Clapton, perhaps seeking approval from his mentor, shapes some of his most concise and sharp solos in years."