To Tulsa and Back On Tour with J.J. Cale
August 2006 Reviewed by: Joseph Taylor Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

The word "reclusive" has been used so many times in articles about guitarist and songwriter J.J. Cale that you’d think he’d have grown weary of the description. After watching To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, I doubt that anything bothers him. He may be the least ego-driven musician in pop music history. "I never in my entire life heard anybody say anything bad about John Cale," says Rocky Frisco, his old friend and keyboard player. Eric Clapton, who speaks fondly of Cale at length several times in the film, points to him as an inspiration. "He’s got such a grasp of how to live a great life," he says. He notes that when Vanity Fair magazine asked him who he’d most like to be, he named J.J. Cale without hesitation.

To Tulsa and Back follows Cale and his band during a tour in 2004. It’s an entertaining portrait of a man who’s happy to be playing music but content that he’s not a star. Cale is a cult figure to music fans, but he’s highly regarded by his peers, many of whom have covered his songs. Even people who haven’t heard his name know at least two of them, "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," which are among Eric Clapton’s most popular recordings. Although it’s not mentioned in the film, it’s a safe guess that royalty checks have helped Cale remain as independent as he is.

When Cale decided to tour in 2004, he put together a band of musicians he’d known for years. Most of them had played with him at one time or another since the late ‘50s, when they were all growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Even though he was supporting a then recently released CD (also called To Tulsa and Back), the tour seems more like a joyous reunion with people he loves -- he even brought his sister along for the trip. Most of the places they play are clubs with a capacity of fewer than 200 people, so his shows in the film have a relaxed, intimate feel.

Cale tells us about his years in Tulsa and his move to Los Angeles with other Tulsa musicians, such as Carl Radle and Leon Russell. Director Jörg Bundschuh skillfully uses old footage to show us the Tulsa of the ‘50s, then does a quick segue to its nearly empty streets today. "Downtown Tulsa is deserted," Cale tells us. Most of the film follows Cale around as he travels on the tour bus and tells his stories of passing up chances to hit the big time, to the disappointment of his managers and record companies.

The 5.1 surround mix is generally good, except during a live show at Cain’s in Tulsa, where some of the instruments get buried. The DVD contains loads of extras, including new studio tracks, acoustic and concert performances, and interviews not used in the film. J.J. Cale is not really magnetic, just very likable. To Tulsa and Back tells a story of a regular guy making music on his own terms. In its way, it is inspirational.

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