To Tulsa & Back

J.J. Cale – To Tulsa and Back marks the mythical Okie troubadour’s return to the studio after an eight-year silence, and it’s anything but predictable. Originally released in 2004 and now reissued for the first time on double 180 gram vinyl, this edition features a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves and includes a bonus CD—an audiophile package worthy of Cale’s quiet legacy.

On this album, Cale turns in a solid set of his trademark dusty blues tunes, but with a twist: like Travel-Log from 1990, he embraces technology, layering keyboards, drum loops, and horns alongside his signature guitar work. The result is a sonic landscape that intersects with the blues and occasionally stands in opposition to it—moody, textured, and unmistakably Cale.

Personnel includes:

• J.J. Cale – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, banjo, all other instruments
• Shelby Eicher – fiddle, mandolin
• Christine Lakeland – guitar
• Don White – guitar
• Bill Raffensperger & Gary Gilmore – bass
• Walt Richmond & Rocky Frisco – keyboards
• Jim Karstein – drums
• Jimmy Markham – harmonica

The track These Blues even found its way into pop culture, featured in an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter. But the album’s real strength lies in its subtle reinvention—Cale’s dusty shuffle meets digital nuance, proving that even in his later years, he was still evolving.

Part of our J.J. Cale spotlight series—archiving the understated genius of the Tulsa sound.