The Road to Escondito

## Listen

**The Road to Escondito** is the fourteenth album by the artist J. J. Cale, originally based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and nineteenth album by the artist Eric Clapton, who had strong ties to Tulsa musicians.

In 2004, Eric Clapton held the Crossroads Guitar Festival, a three-day festival in Dallas, Texas. Among the performers was J. J. Cale, giving Clapton the opportunity to ask Cale to produce an album for him. The two started working together and eventually decided to record an album. A number of high-profile musicians also agreed to work on the album, including Billy Preston, Derek Trucks, Taj Mahal, Pino Palladino, John Mayer, Steve Jordan, and Doyle Bramhall II. In a coup, whether intended or not, the entire John Mayer Trio participated on this album in one capacity or another.

Escondido is a city in San Diego County near Cale's home at the time located in the small, unincorporated town of Valley Center, California. Eric Clapton owned a mansion in Escondido in the 1980s and early '90s. The road referenced in the album's title is named Valley Center Road. It runs from Valley Center to Escondido. Cale and Clapton thought it would be a good name for the album because it connected the two locales.

## Content

Contained on this album are the final recordings of keyboardist Billy Preston. The album is jointly dedicated to Preston and Brian Roylance.

## Reception

The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2008.

## Track listing

All songs written by J. J. Cale except where noted.

1. "Danger" — 5:34
2. "Heads in Georgia" — 4:12
3. "Missing Person" — 4:26
4. "When This War is Over" — 3:49
5. "Sporting Life Blues" — 3:31
6. "Dead End Road" — 3:30
7. "It's Easy" — 4:19
8. "Hard to Thrill" — 5:11
9. "Anyway the Wind Blows" — 3:56
10. "Three Little Girls" — 2:44
11. "Don't Cry Sister" — 3:10
12. "Last Will and Testament" — 3:57
13. "Who am I Telling You?" — 4:08
14. "Ride the River" — 4:35

## Personnel

J. J. Cale
* John Weldon Cale — Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard

Eric Clapton
* Eric Clapton — Vocals, Guitar

Additional Musicians
* Derek Trucks — Guitar
* John Mayer — Guitar
* Albert Lee — Guitar
* Doyle Bramhall II — Guitar
* Christine Lakeland — Guitar, Vocals
* Nathan East — Bass
* Gary Gilmore — Bass
* Willie Weeks — Bass
* Pino Palladino — Bass
* Jim Karstein — Drums, Percussion
* James Cruce — Drums, Percussion
* Steve Jordan — Drums
* Abe Laboriel Jr. — Drums
* Simon Climie — Percussion, Programming
* David Teegarden — Percussion
* Billy Preston — Hammond Organ, Rhodes, Wurlitzer
* Walt Richmond — Piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes
* Taj Mahal — Harmonica
* Dennis Caplinger — Fiddle
* Bruce Fowler — Horns
* Marty Grebb — Horns
* Steve Madaio — Horns
* Jerry Peterson — Horns

Production
* Eric Clapton — Producer, Album Cover Concept
* John Weldon Cale — Producer, Mixing
* Simon Climie — Co-Producer, Pro Tools Engineering
* Alan Douglas — Engineering, Mixing
* Brian Vibberts — Assistant Engineering
* Jimmy Hoyson — Assistant Engineering
* Phillippe Rose — Assistant Engineering
* Mick Guzauski — Mixing
* Tom Bender — Mixing Assistant
* Joel Evenden — Pro Tools Engineering Assistant
* Bob Ludwig — Mastering
* Bushbranch — Management (Eric Clapton)
* Mike Kappus — Management (J. J. Cale)
* Lee Dickson — Guitar Technician
* Debbie Johnson — Studio Coordinator
* Catherine Roylance — Art Direction, Design
* David McClister — Location Photography
* Nathan East — Studio Photography
* Christine Lakeland — Studio Photography
* Jim Karstein — Studio Photography
* Nigel Carroll — Personal Assistant (Eric Clapton), Studio Photography

## External Links

* Amazon
* Spotify