J.J. Cale
Feb. 6, 1977
Cellar Door
Washington, D.C.

Source: Sony TC-153 w/ External stereo mic > Master Cassettes > CD-Rs
(Except Late Show tracks 11-14 from 1st Gen Cassette > CD-R)
Transfer CD-Rs > PC > dbpoweramp > T.L.H. (FLAC 8, FFP) > Torrent

(Setlist)
(Early Show) (42:27)
01. Travelin' Light
02. Ride Me High
03. Lies
04. Hold On Baby
05. The Woman That Got Away
06. I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles cover)
07. Call Me The Breeze
08. Magnolia
09. Cocaine
10. Crazy Mama
11. Bringing It Back

(Late Show) (57:26)
01. After Midnight
02. Sensitive Kind
03. Everlovin' Woman
04. Travelin' Light
05. Magnolia
06. Nowhere To Run
07. Ride Me High
08. Louisiana Woman
09. Cajun Moon
10. I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles cover)
11. Got My Mojo Working (Muddy Waters cover) ->
12. Call Me The Breeze (end cut)
13. Crazy Mama (beginning cut)
14. Bringing It Back

J.J. Cale - Guitar, Vocals
Bill Kenner - Mandolin
Bill Boatman - Guitar
Nick Rather - Bass
Jimmy Karstein - Drums
Jamie Nichols - Congos

Notes:
I was asked by the taper to prepare this upload. I made no changes to the music files. Sound is very good,
especially for the time period. Enjoy!

Taper's Notes:
I recorded this show on 2/6/77 at the Cellar Door in Georgetown/Washington DC. There were two shows that night.
Separate shows where they cleared the house and then had a second seating. Except they didn't completely. The club
was very small (199 capacity) with a small balcony they had probably five tables down two sides of the room. We sat
at the first table on the row for the first show. It was the farthest from the stage and that was only 30 feet or so.
They allowed us to move to the table at the other end of the row for the second show. This was right over/ next to
the stage. Both shows I kept the Sony TC-153 on my lap under the table covered with the table cloth. I put the external
stereo mic on the floor covered with a coat. The early show is missing the first song because I was having a problem
with the deck. I had the tape spinning but nothing on the VU meters. While I was frantically trying to see what was
wrong I was spotted by a waiter who promptly went and got the club manager. The first song was loud but I could hear
the manager telling me I had to give him the deck. This Sony TC-153 was borrowed and cost approximately $350 back then.
I could not let it out of my sight ! I showed him that it was not working and told him I would take it to the car. He
repeated that he had to take the deck. I repeated that it wasn't working and I would take it to the car and that I
couldn't give it to him.. I swear he repeated the demand at least three more times and I told him the same thing. Then
he did the damnedest thing. He turned around and walked away. I didn't see him the rest of the night even when we moved
tables between shows WITH the deck ! Before he got to the bottom of the steps I flipped the mic/line switch, the VUs
jumped and I recorded both shows from that point. I had the levels set pretty good for the first show and was scared to
touch them for the second show. Being much closer the levels were a little to hot but at least I got it. For the second
show the mic was literally 5 feet from the hanging professional Bose 501 speaker so there was almost no crowd noise
except on the very quiet tunes. I was 20 years old and broker than a convict. I actually used Maxell tapes that had
already been recorded on. They weren't old but they weren't new. The first show was on one tape, the second show was on
a second tape but at 45 minutes they tape ran out and I flubbed the flip. When I finally did get it started again for
whatever reason it was on a third Maxell tape for the last 10 minutes or so......sorry for the long story but it's the
story of the tape. Here is why I asked for this to be reposted.
The Upgrade:
For the last 41 years versions of this recording have circled the earth is various mislabeled and chopped up variations.
I even seen other people take credit for the recording. It's on YouTube posted by a Swedish JJ fan. All fine by me. But
in about 1998 when all of us started mastering our favorite old tapes to CDr I went looking for these tapes. The third
cassette was and is missing/gone. Never to reappear. So the end of the second show has never been out there. I asked all
my old friends to check their old cassette collections if they still had them to no avail. No one had the missing songs.
Until a few months ago when I saw an old friend I hadn't seen in decades. Just by chance I asked him if I'd ever given
him a cassette copy and I'll be damn ! I had and he had it. And now you do too........there really is only one significant
upgrade and it the show closer. He closed both shows with Bringing it Back (from Mexico). The second show version is JJ at
his best. It is 9m 37s verses 5m 43s against the early show. He stretches out and lets the band stretch also. It is way
damn cool. Also there is a version of Mojo>Breeze that is cut at the end. I missed two songs in the flubbed flip. Cocaine
and Crazy Mama. But he played them in the first show in the exact same slots right before the closer. So this is all there
is and all there ever was. Recorded from the master cassettes except Mojo thru the end of the second show which comes from
my friend's 2nd gen cassette.
I realize that this recording and this story is for the hardcore JJ fans only but there are still several of us out there.
I miss JJ. I saw him 38 times and that's pretty damn good considering he wasn't easy to see. If you are one of the fortunate
few that really "gets" JJ put on the lost version of Bringing it Back and crank it up. It'll take you back almost 41 years
into the tiny Cellar Door with the coolest cat this earth ever spit out.........enjoy and Merry Christmas..........Phillip in Va