Did you know that, with over 200 live performances, Eric Clapton is the international record holder with the most concerts played in Japan. In 2014, he highlighted his love affair with the Mid- and Far-East with a tour through Japan, Singapore, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and released a wonderful documentary film, “Eric Clapton Planes, Trains and Eric.” Among other amazing tracks, it includes this beautiful performance of Layla…
Decades earlier, in the 1960's, graffiti popped up around London proclaiming, "Clapton is God." So who does God look up to? The answer is JJ Cale! Clapton revered Cale as a songwriter and musician. In 2006, they collaborated on an album, The Road to Escondido. At the time, Clapton said, “This is the realization of what may have been my last ambition, to work with the man whose music has inspired me for as long as I can remember.”
Cale, who passed away in 2013, was the author of some of Clapton's biggest hits including After Midnight and Cocaine. Here is Cale and Clapton doing After Midnight together. Their respect for each other and friendship is obvious. Cale is the master of restrained playing but the intensity of his playing comes out in this performance…
After Clapton and Cale released "The Road to Escondido", Clapton did a world tour in 2007. There was a show in San Diego, on March 15, 2007, that I would have loved to been at. For starters, Clapton's band included Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band. Derek has an absolutely spectacular band now with his wife, Susan Tedeschi, the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Cale, who lived nearby, joined Clapton for five songs at the show including "Anyway the Wind Blows" from their 2006 album.
There's another video on YouTube of their doing the song at the show that evening but I prefer this video from the afternoon Sound Check. I love the casualness of it and how much fun they're having!
You can read more on their musical friendship at https://www.npr.org/2014/07/26/334454588/eric-clapton-and-j-j-cale-notes-on-a-friendship