Blue Notes by Robin Lynam

Two new tribute albums, each dedicated to influential musicians, at first seem to have little in common. On closer inspection, however, they reveal some interesting similarities.

My Old Friend is a tribute to late composer George Duke, led by singer Al Jarreau, who first met and performed with the keyboardist in the early 1960s. Duke wrote or co-wrote nine of the 10 tracks.

The Breeze, meanwhile, is a tribute to the late J.J. Cale from Eric Clapton, the best-known populariser of the "Tulsa Sound" pioneer's songs, most notably Cocaine and After Midnight.

Cale's rootsy blend of blues, jazz and country, and his understated vocal and guitar style, are a long way removed from Duke's slick R&B works and funk or Brazilian grooves.

Each man had his own widely emulated style and these albums, while featuring a lengthy list of guests, strive to get as close as possible to the heart of their distinctive sound. For Jarreau and Clapton, these are personal projects, undertaken for fellow artists who were friends and also musical influences.

In both cases the all-star casts put their egos aside, and made what sound much like albums Duke and Cale might have made if they were still around.

This is particularly important with The Breeze. Clapton's intention is to draw the attention of a wider audience to Cale's songwriting, and with the exception of They Call Me the Breeze, which was recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd, the compositions here would be known only to Cale aficionados.