Cream Acoustic – the LP’s working title – was conceived by Cream lyricist Pete Brown and the QVR record label, and features guests like Jack Bruce’s son Malcolm, Joe Bonamassa, Bernie Marsden, Maggie Bell and others. It’s set for release in video and audio formats early next year.
Ginger Baker’s Essential Songs: Listen to 15 Tracks
The musician who helped define the role of the superstar rock drummer has died at 80.
Ginger Baker, who died Sunday at the age of 80, was an architect of rock drumming, spilling across tom-toms with both power and nuance. His work in the 1960s with the bands Cream and Blind Faith made him a defining figure of many basic rock band concepts: the “power trio,” the “supergroup,” the “drum solo,” “jamming,” “double-kick drumming” and — much to his trademark chagrin — an early thruway for “heavy metal.” (Source the New York Times, to read the full article click here)
Winwood:‘I Was Lucky to Play With Him’“Beneath his somewhat abrasive exterior, there was a very sensitive human being with a heart of gold,” singer says of Blind Faith band mate
Steve Winwood remembered his former Blind Faith band mate Ginger Baker Sunday, hours after the Cream drummer’s death at the age of 80.
“A very sad loss, and my condolences to his family and friends,” Winwood wrote in a statement. “A loss also for his contribution to music. He was well-grounded in jazz from very early on, and later managed to combine this with African and rock music to create his own inimitable style of playing.”
“I was lucky to play with him in Ginger Baker’s Air Force, and to meet and work with such luminaries as Phil Seamen, Harold McNair and Graham Bond. And also in Blind Faith with Eric Clapton and Rick Grech,” Winwood continued.“Although his appointment was very unorthodox (he showed up on the doorstep and said, ‘Here I am’) – he made a great contribution to the Blind Faith album which has withstood the test of time.”
Sad news hearing that Ginger Baker has died, I remember playing with him very early on in Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated. He was a fiery but extremely talented and innovative drummer. pic.twitter.com/tZg3IGwP4Z
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) October 6, 2019
Drum legend Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge), who pioneered hard rock drumming along with Baker, The Who’s Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix’s Mitch Mitchell, paid tribute to Baker with the following message:
God bless Ginger Baker incredible musician wild And inventive. drummer Peace and love to his family ?✌️?❤️???☮️ pic.twitter.com/jzAynDMEKy
— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) October 6, 2019
“When I got my double bass drums, I looked what Ginger did to get some ideas of what was possible. We did gigs and drum clinics together. He was always the wildest guy on the tour. We did have good times. Even though he was not out there playing of late, his influence is everywhere. God Bless, RIP, old friend.”
Baker moved to Nigeria in 1971 and set up the Batakota recording studio in Lagos, which hosted local musicians as well as established stars (McCartney’s band Wings recorded part of Band on the Run there). He performed with Nigerian star Fela Kuti – “he understands the African beat more than any other westerner,” said Kuti’s drummer Tony Allen – and went on to collaborate or perform with a hugely varied array of musicians: Public Image Ltd, Hawkwind, hard rock band Baker Gurvitz Army, and jazz performers Max Roach, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones. In 1994, he formed a jazz trio with Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell.
