If you're in search of a master's class on thesinger-songwriter roots rock scene of the 70s, look no further than the catalogof the late JJ Cale.
From his string of singles in the late 50s/early 60s asJohnny Cale to any of the 15 studio albums he released between 1971 and 2009,namely 1974's Okie, 1982's Grasshopper and 1996's vastly unheraldedGuitar Man, the Tulsa-born tunesmithhas left behind a most essential discography that deserves to be discoveredmore than ever. Curated by Cale's wife, the musician Christine LakelandCale, Stay Around is the first collection of solo Cale material since hispassing in 2013. It was a normal occurrence for Cale to stockpile additionalsongs during a recording session for a new album to utilize on a later release,resulting in a veritable trove of fully realized studio tracks spanning hisesteemed career, all mixed and produced to perfection by the man himself.
Unfortunately, however, there is little in way of any kindof information on the packaging of StayAround behind when the majority of these 15 tracks. The only song we getany kind of context about is Christine’s “My Baby Blues,” the first song sheand Cale cut as a four-piece combo in Bradley’s Barn studio in 1977, the yearthey met. It would've been nice to havea little info behind the other 14 songs for geeks like me, to be honest.However, highlights like “Chasing You,” “Tell Daddy” and “Winter Snow” are allso enriched in that uncanny vibe which JJ imbued in all of his music it doesn'teven matter if you know what year they originated. If you are already a fan of Cale, his fantasticguitar playing and that “Tulsa Sound” which helped define the core of the lasthalf-century of American rock, StayAround is an essential and worthy addition to this sorely missed artist’sunshakable legacy
