JJ Cale passed away at 8:00 pm on Friday July 26 in La Jolla, CA. Known for his laid back “Tulsa” sound (he was born in Tulsa) he influenced a many musicians, including Neil Young, and wrote some famous songs, e.g. “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” covered by Eric Clapton, “Clyde” covered by Waylon Jennings and Dr. Hook, and “Call Me the Breeze” covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The Tulsa sound was/is influenced by blues, rockabilly, country, jazz and even reggae influences, all in a very relaxed way. Just listen to his guitar.
What many don’t know is that he also had a great impact on Neil Young. Neil says in Jimmy McDonough’s “Shakey” biography:
“What is it about JJ Cale’s playing? I mean, you could say Eric Clapton’s the guitar god, but… he can’t play like JJ. JJ’s the one who played all that shit first… And he doesn’t play very loud, either — I really like that about him. He’s so sensitive. Of all the players I ever heard, it’s gotta be Hendrix and JJ Cale who are the best electric guitar players. JJ’s my peer, but he doesn’t have the business acumen — he doesn’t have the idea of how to deal with the rest of the world that I do. But musically, he’s actually more than my peer, because he’s got that thing. I don’t know what it is.”
Here to remember a full show, JJ Cale with Leon Russell at the Paradise Studios, LA 1979:
“I remember when I made my first album [1972’s Naturally], I was 32 or 33-years-old and I thought I was way too old then,” laughs JJ Cale. “When I see myself doing this at 70, I go, ‘What am I doing, I should be layin’ down in a hammock.'”
Third leg of Neil Young and Crazy Horse and beyond
05.08. Helsinki Classic Festival presents: Neil Young & Crazy Horse. website: Helsinki Classic. Kaisaniemi Park, Helsiniki, Finland
08.08. Gothenburg, Sweden: “Way Out West Fest” Neil Young & Crazy Horse for Sweden’s Way Out West joining Alabama Shakes, Azealia Banks, The Knife, and more
02.09. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Patti Smith to Rock The Capitol Theatre Neil Young & Crazy Horse will perform at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY on September 2. Patti Smith will join them as their supporting act for the show, which will be the one year anniversary celebration for the recently reopened venue. The 1800 capacity Capitol Theatre will also be the smallest place that Neil Young and Crazy Horse have played in recent memory.
04.09. Ottawa Folx Festival, Ottawa, CN
07.09Interlocken Festival, Oak Ridge Farm, Arrington, VA
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE a Rock in Roma, una tempesta elettrica che in oltre due ore di concerto spazza via il timore che tutto si riduca a un raduno di nostalgici.
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Chiusa la struggente parentesi in solitaria, Neil ritrova i Crazy Horse in Ramada Inn, altra splendida ed elettrica cavalcata tratta dal nuovo album. Poi recupera i feroci due accordi punk di Sedan Delivery e il suo sfascio esistenziale, annuendo con lo sguardo alle prime file: “Sì, è proprio dura trovare un lavoro”.
Q&A: Crazy Horse Bassist Billy Talbot on Neil Young, New Solo Album
‘There’s a certain tactic to being in a rock & roll band’
By Andy Greene, July 23, 2013 12:25 PM ET
Talbot has spent the last year touring the world with Young and Crazy Horse, but he took some time off to chat with us about his long history with Neil Young, recording some of their most beloved works and his new solo LP On the Road to Spearfish.
Where are you calling from?
I’m in South Dakota. The prairie is all around me. Everywhere I look, it’s grass.
Sounds nice. Do you think you’re one of the few rock stars that live in South Dakota?
[Laughs] I don’t think of myself as a rock star, but I guess you could say that. I don’t know of any others that are hanging out around this way.
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Let’s move on to “Cortez the Killer.“
I just recently listened to the recording for the first time in 20 years. I thought it was a really good recording. It’s one of our best and our most beloved songs to record. The moment that we start to play that song is always a great moment in the show. Lately, it’s been a little mystery to us, which is puzzling. It’s never been that before. After eight years of not playing it, the song is like, “You didn’t play me for eight years, and now you want me to be right there for you?” When we call it up, cosmically, it’s just not happening.
[note: “Cortez The Killer” has been played lately in at Locarno and also at some other shows during the European Alchemy Tour 2013][For setlists, always consult Sugar Mountain]
During the show of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, 23 July 2013 at Nyon Paleo Festival, West-Switzerland, again a thunderstorm broke loose with windgusts up to 70 km/h and pouring rain on stage, exactly during Neil’s set. Neil immediately let lower the pump organ from the ceiling. After playing extended versions of “Like A Hurricane” and “Rocking In The Free World“, the show had to be aborted…
Preliminary setlist:
1. Love and Only Love
2. Powderfinger
3. Psychedelic pill
4. Walk Like A Giant
5. Hole in the Sky
6. Heart of Gold
7. Blowin in the wind
8. Comes a Time
9. Singer without a song (w/o the girl and her suitcase)
– the sky opens up and a real thunderstorm comes up… 10. Like a hurricane 11. Rockin in the freeworld
then thr show was aborted due to management decision (too much water, Neil and The Horse could have gone for ever and the audience with them) . A legendary show. Epic.
“\"Who can understand what goes on/what is right and what is wrong/why the angels cry and the heavens sigh/when a child is born to live/but not like you or I.\" ” by For The Love of Man, Neil Young
Neil Young on Tour
Sugar Mountain setlists
Tom Hambleton provides BNB with setlists, thankfully. His website is the most comprehensive searchable archives on the Internets about anything Neil Young related setlists. Goto Sugar Mountain.
memphish on 
Albert Stromann on 
liza on 
Baz on 
