In the early 1960’s , as popular music underwent its huge catharsis, it was not just the kids in the front rooms with their cheap guitars that would make it a force to be reckoned with. A lot of Jazz musos were crossing over, experimenting with the singles and album market that was growing almost daily. One such jazz player was a certain Jack Bruce. A jazz bassist in his teens, Bruce was playing for Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated by 1962, though on double bass. It was here he met Ginger Baker, and they went on to play with The Graham Bond Organisation, where Bruce finally succumbed to the lure of the Electric Bass. However the legendary hostility between him and Ginger soon brought proceedings to a close, and he joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, where he first played with Eric Clapton. After a stint with Manfred Mann, playing on several hits, he made his career-defining move, forming the ultimate power trio with Baker and Clapton; Cream. It was in the two short years between 66 and 68 that Bruce cemented his reputation as one of the greatest and most influential bassist/vocalists of all-time, his Gibson EB-3 bass becoming almost iconic. His fluid bass lines, almost solos in their own right, and rich, timbred vocals, singing the fantastical lyrics of Pete Brown, ensure that he’s still worshiped to this day.
His fondness for the Power trio never waned, and he experimented with it in several line-ups, including West, Bruce and Laing, (featuring ex-Mountain men Corky Laing and Leslie West) and BBM (Bruce, Baker and Moore, featuring the Irish guitar legend).
Following an almost fatal liver transplant, he returned triumphantly to the stage with Cream for the Albert Hall reunion concerts in 2005.
Recommended: Sunshine of Your Love – an iconic riff, a great vocal. I Feel Free – Classic Bruce!
West, Bruce and Laing: Why Dontcha? – A forgotten classic
And a note from Newm: It is certainly worth mentioning that our good friends at Esoteric Recordings in England have just released an amazing career-spanning Jack Bruce box set called Can You Follow, and having heard it, it’s absolutely brilliant. It’s got stuff that he’s done with Alexis Korner, Graham Bond, Cream, West Bruce & Laing, solo, Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse, Zappa, Manfred Mann, and more.
4 responses so far ↓
Dave // July 24, 2008 at 9:03 pm |
Cream was just named the third best rock trio of all time by Rolling Stone readers.
I think they should have been ahead of Nirvana at number 2.
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/07/14/readers-rock-list-best-trios/
newmradio // July 24, 2008 at 11:41 pm |
That’s a toughy…hard and maybe wrong to rank bands, but it’s hard to deny Nirvana’s sheer impact on music. But when you talk about the skill of the players, it’s Cream all the way.
kevmoore // July 25, 2008 at 9:20 am |
There are so many different categories you could choose: Influence on those that follow: musicianship: longevity:creativity in a three piece unit: sheer commercial success.
Longevity award must go to Budgie, formed a year before Rush, and releasing their first album 3 years before Rush, in 1971, and still going strong. Influence on others? they’re in with a shout there, Metallica covering “Breadfan” and “Crash course in brain surgery”. They were also the first metal band to play the eastern block – am I making a case here?
newmradio // July 25, 2008 at 3:25 pm |
I was even thinking Budgie! Nice one, Kev.