JJ Cale Rolls On With New Disc

On February 24, a couple of months after his 70th birthday, JJ Cale released Roll On ”“ his first solo album in five years. In classic Cale fashion, he recorded most of the disc by himself ”“ playing drum machines, piano and guitar at his home studio near the San Diego suburb of Escondido, California. “I haven’t gotten out and played much in the last few years,” says a laconic Cale. “I’m thinking about doing a little bit of that. But at my age, it’s about the energy.”

Cale, who rose to prominence when Eric Clapton recorded his gems ”˜After Midnight’ and ”˜Cocaine,’ sees songwriting as a profitable hobby. “I have a house and a yard ”“ two or three acres down here,” he says. “Most of the time I’m keeping up with that, doing all kinds of domestic things that everyone else does. And I pick up a guitar when I’m bored.”

Cale’s DIY sound has hardly evolved from his 1971 debut, Naturally, one of the first albums to feature a drum machine. “I still use an awful lot of electronics and gizmos and synthesisers,” he says. “I just try to make them sound like real people.”

When asked about the new disc’s title track, one of the few recorded with a band (no lightweights: Clapton and ace session drummer Jim Keltner both play), Cale says, “It’s a Chuck Berry imitation.” But it’s Cale’s nimble guitar work and economical lyrics that make Roll On so special. On ”˜Cherry Street’ he shares some wisdom: “Down on Cherry Street, all the girls are lookin’ fine/When they put their hands in your pocket, they ain’t feelin’ for no dime.” ”˜Fonda-Lina’ and ”˜Down to Memphis’ tackle similar subject matter: “There’s a nice term for them ”“ loose women,” says Cale. “Everybody can relate to that. Well, maybe not everybody, but I definitely can.”

Three years ago, Clapton and Cale collaborated on the Grammy-winning The Road to Escondido. Cale had agreed to produce the album but ended up duetting with Clapton. “He’s a sneaky old bird,” says Cale. “He might have had that planned out already.” And recently a new generation has embraced Cale, with Beck, Band of Horses and Moe all covering his tunes. “Several years ago I got a call saying, ”˜Do you want to open for Phish?’ ” Cale says. “I said, ”˜Country Joe and the Fish?’ They said, ”˜This new group called Phish!’ If anybody gives you respect after you’ve been doing it for as long as I have ”“ that’s the ultimate.”