J.J. Cale | DEFINITIVE COLLECTIO | CD

Personnel includes: J.J. Cale (vocals, acoustic, electric, gut-string & slide guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer, bass, drums); Tommy Cogbill (electric guitar, bass); James Burton, Tommy Tedesco, Richard Thompson (guitar); Bill Kenner (mandolin); Josh Graves, Walter Haynes (dobro); Buddy Emmons (steel guitar); Vassar Clements (fiddle); Garth Hudson (accordion); Bobby Emmons, David Briggs (piano, organ); Pig Robbins (acoustic & electric piano); Bill Payne, Barry Beckett (acoustic piano); Leon Russell (electric piano); Farrell Morris (vibraphone); Billy Cox, Carl Radle (bass); Jim Keltner (drums, percussion); Hal Blaine, Russ Kunkel, Roger Hawkins (drums); Robert Greenidge (steel drums); Hoyt Axton (background vocals).
Producers include: Audie Ashworth, J.J. Cale.
Compilation producers: Bill Levenson, Bas Hartong, Audie Ashworth, J.J. Cale.
Engineers include: J.J. Cale, Chip Young, Christine Lakeland.
Contains deluxe 12 page booklet with photos and annotations.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, gut-string guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer, drums); Mac Gayden (guitar, slide guitar); Buddy Emmons (guitar, steel guitar, piano, organ); Lloyd Green, Weldon Myrick (guitar, steel guitar); Chuck Browning (electric guitar, drums); Steve Martin , Don Preston , Gordon Payne, Gordon Shryock, Grady Martin, Harold Bradley, James Burton, Reggie Young , Richard Thompson, Tommy Cogbill, Steve Gibson (electric guitar); Walter Haynes (dobro, piano); Josh Graves (dobro); Bill Kenner (mandolin); Sheldon Kurland, Doug Atwell, Sid Page, Roy Christensen, Carl Gorodetzky, Marvin Chantry (violin); Bill Boatman (fiddle, drums); Buddy Spiker, Shorty Lavender, Vassar Clements (fiddle); Marcy Dicterow-Vaj (viola); Nancy Stein (cello); Ed Colis, Terry McMillan, Charlie McCoy (harmonica); Garth Hudson (accordion); Billy Puett, Norman Ray, Denis Solee (saxophone); Don Sheffield, Bob Phillips , Steve Madaio, George Tidwell (trumpet); George Bohannon, Terry Williams , George Bohanon, Bill Humble (trombone); Barry Beckett (piano, electric piano); David Briggs (piano, organ); Bob Wilson & His Orchestra, John Galley, Bob Woods, Bob Wilson, Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Lee Smith, Bill Payne, Bill Purcell, Jerry Whitehurst, Bobby Emmons, Bobby Woods (piano); Beegie Cruzer, Larry Bell, Leon Russell (electric piano); Jim Keltner (organ, drums, percussion); Christine Lakeland (organ, background vocals); Kossie Gardner, Spooner Oldham (organ); Mike Lawler (synthesizer); Farrell Morris (vibraphone, drums, congas, percussion); Larry Taylor , Joe Zinkan (acoustic bass); Jim Karstein (drums, congas, percussion); Robert Greenidge (drums, steel drum); Karl Himmel (drums, percussion); Terry Perkins, George Soul?, Hal Blaine, James Cruce, Jay Mitthauer, Kenny Buttrey, Roger Hawkins, Russ Kunkel, Kenny Malone, Hayword Bishop, Buddy Harmon (drums); Robert Tarrant, James Nichols (congas); J.I. Allison (percussion); Leslie Taylor, Sherry Porter, Gary S. Paxton, Hoyt Axton, Marilyn Davis, Dianne Davidson (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Stan Hutto; Gene Eichelberger; Paul Rayner-Brown; Hugh Davies; Hugh Davies; J.J. Cale; J.R. McNeely; Rick Horton; Cam Mullins; David "Bat" Johnson ; Jerry Masters; Jimmy Tarbutton; Joe Mills; Al Capps; Les Ladd; Ron Reynolds; Ronnie Light; Audie Ashworth; Jim Williamson.
Recording information: Bradley's Barn, Mt. Juliet, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Bradley's Barn, Mt.Juliet, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Cafe's Studio, North Hollywood, CA (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Chip Young's Log Cabin, Murfreesboro, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Columbia Studios, Nashville, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Crazy Mama's Studio, Nashville, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Lakehouse, Old Hickory, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Moss Rose Studio, Nashville, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Muscle Shoals, AL (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Muscle Shoal's Sound Stuido, Muscle Shoals, AL (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Warner Bros. Studios, North Hollywood, CA (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Wood (09/29/1970-02/15/1983); Woodland Studio B, Nashville, TN (09/29/1970-02/15/1983).
Photographer: James Minchin.
Arranger: J.J. Cale.
A one-disc, 20-track condensation of Mercury's two-disc, 50-track anthology ANYWAY THE WIND BLOWS, THE VERY BEST OF J.J. CALE is the one J.J. Cale CD to have when you're having only one. Leading off with a new recording of "Call Me the Breeze," featuring Johnny Cash's R&B-playing son John Carter Cash, THE VERY BEST OF J.J. CALE runs through 19 other Cale gems, including the original versions of "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," both made famous by Eric Clapton.
The surprise to new listeners used to the more showboating Clapton versions will be how laid-back and seemingly offhand Cale's originals are. That goes for every song on this set. A master of the two-minute blues, Cale plays and sings with remarkable restraint and economy. There's no one like him.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop
• Released: 07/04/2006
• Released: 7/4/2006