Jack Bruce

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Jack Bruce

John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce (born May 14, 1943) is a Scottish musician; a multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer. He is most well known as a very influential electric bassist, especially when he was a member of seminal rock band Cream, and currently resides in Suffolk, England[1].

Early history

Born in Bishopbriggs, East Dumbartonshire, near Glasgow, Scotland, he first came to attention playing double bass with Alexis Korner Blues Incorporated in late 1962, the world's first all white electric blues band. The band included Graham Bond on Organ, Dick Heckstall Smith on saxophone and Ginger Baker on drums.

When in 1963 the musical range became too limited for this group of ground breaking musicians, they left to form the Graham Bond Organisation. This band covered a range of music, from bebop to rhythm and blues, and pure [[blues]. Bruce switched over to electric bass; add in Baker's african influenced poly rythmic drumming to that mix and you perhaps have the first true fusion band. They produced two studio albums and a handfull of singles, but although not commercially successful they did influence a number of key young british musicians such as Keith Emerson, Jon Lord, Bill Bruford and John Bonham.

During the time Bruce and Baker played with Bond, they were known for their hostility towards each other. Stories of the two sabotaging each other's equipment and physically fighting on stage were numerous, and eventually Baker, having de facto control of the group, fired Bruce in autumn 1965.

He then joined the John Mayall Bluesbreakers group which featured a youthful Eric Clapton,and tasted his first commercial success with Manfred Mann in 1966.

In July 1966 he moved on to his most famous role as bass player, main songwriter and lead vocalist in the power trio (some would say the first "supergroup") Cream with Baker and guitarist Eric Clapton. Despite their hostility towards each other, Bruce and Baker were able to put aside their differences for the sake of the band.

Bruce wrote the most of Cream's original material with lyricist Pete Brown, including the classics "Sunshine of Your Love" (which they co-wrote with Clapton), "White Room," "Politician," and "I Feel Free." Bruce also wrote a number of compositions by himself, including "N.S.U." and "We're Going Wrong."

Jack's playing was clearly based on his classical training and he has said that Johann Sebastian Bach wrote the greatest bass-lines ever, saying that one could learn all one needed to know about conventional harmony from his basslines. Bruce's bass-playing influences also include James Jamerson and Charles Mingus. His ability to drive along a band of formidable musicians whilst at the same time improvising on a theme was totally unique in rock music, and unique in any music for an electric bass. Only in the mid 1970's when Jaco Pastorius joined Weather Report was this level of interplay, drive and melody equalled on electric bass guitar. That Bruce also sang brilliantly and wrote most of the original material made it even more remarkable. As Eric Clapton later remarked, "Cream was a great Jack Bruce Band, but don't tell Ginger that!"

In two years Cream conquered the world, becoming by far the most successful live act on the planet. In 1968 they grossed more than the next top 6 live acts added together ( and that included Jimi Hendrix and The Doors). They topped album charts all over the world, and received the first ever platinum discs for record sales, but the old emnimity of Bruce and Baker resurfaced in 1968 and after a final Goodbye tour they split.

Post Cream History

Even before the Cream split Jack had continued to stretch his musical horizons, and in August 1968 recorded an acoustic free jazz album with Dick Heckstall Smith and Jon Hiseman. On some tracks electric guitarist John McLaughlin was added.This was eventually released in 1971 as the Things We Like album. Not only did it predict the jazz rock boom of the early 70's, but it has also been heavily sampled by hip hop artists in the 90's.

After Cream, Jack has continued to work on many collaborations with world class musicians. Alongside these collaborative works he has produced a remarkable series of solo albums where the famous bass and voice complements the excellence of the songs he writes with lyricist Pete Brown.

The first of these, 1969's Songs for a Tailor featuring both Heckstall Smith and Hiseman was a worldwide hit on the back of Cream's success, but after a brief supporting tour with Larry Coryell and Mitch Mitchell in his band, he joined the groundbreaking jazz rock outfit Lifetime.With drummer Tony Williams, Guitarist John McLaughlin and organist Larry Young came two groundbreaking albums that virtually invented jazz rock fusion. But critical & commercial acclaim did not follow and the band split late in 1970, only for McLaughlins Mahavishnu Orchestra to win over the plaudits and the public

Bruce returned to record another exceptional solo album Harmony Row, but commercial success now eluded him and did not really return as a solo artist until 2001.

In a misguided attempt to court chart success in 1972, he joined with Leslie West and Corky Laing (formerly of the hard-rock band Mountain) to form the trio West, Bruce and Laing. They produced two studio albums, Why Don't'cha and Whatever Turns You On, and a live album, Live 'N' Kickin.

Another excellent solo album Into The Storm followed the end of West, Bruce & Laing, and a tour was lined up with ex Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, and jazz keyboard player Carla Bley (with whom he had collaborated with on 1971's Escalator Over the Hill album.) The tour, documented on Live at the Manchester Free Trade Hall, promised much, but Taylor left at the end of the tour and no studio recordings were made.

He returned in 1977 with a new band of excellent young musicians including Simon Phillips on drums and Tony Hymas on keyboards with the album How's Tricks. A world tour followed, but the album was a commercial failure, and the excellent follow up Jet Set Jewel was shelved as he was dropped by his record label.A 1978 tour followed as a member of Mahavishnu Orchestra, re uniting him with John McLaughlin, and forming a formidable rythym section with drummer Billly Cobham.

But Bruce fell increasingly under the influence of heavy drug abuse and by 1979 was living on the sofa of a fellow musician in London. The millions from Cream's success had been frittered away.But just as his life reached its lowest point, he married his second wife Margrit. She organised his career from a business standpoint and Jack played on a lot of sessions with the likes of Cozy Powell and Gary Moore to stabilize his finances.

By the end of 1980 his career was back on track with one of his greatest bands; Billy Cobham on drums, Clem Clemson on guitar and top session man David Sancious on keyboards. They toured widely to support the "I've Always wanted to do this" album, but again new commercial success eluded him and the band split up.

A collaboration with guitarist Robin Trower produced two albums, BLT and Truth in 1982, the first of which was a minor hit in the U.S.1983 saw another excellent set of solo Bruce/Brown songs onthe album "Automatic", but such was Bruce's commercial standing at this point it only appeared on an obscure german record label. It seemed outside of Germany the public had largely forgotten him.

Despite this, he was still held in awe by other musicians, not only as the greatest electric bassist of his generation, but as an interpretive vocalist.The mid 1980's saw the start of his collaborations with world music producer Kip Hanrahan with albums such as Desire Develops an Edge and Exotica, and critical, if not commercial success followed. In 1987 he recorded the truly excellent solo album Somethin' Els in Germany, but again his lack of commercial sucess saw it's release delayed until 1992, to belated widespread critical acclaim. His German TV concerts of this "lost" 1980's period have been collected on a stunning 2 DVD set, " Live at Rock Palast" which show him to be as creative as ever.

1989 saw him reunited with Ginger Baker on the solo album A Question of Time and the two toured the U.S. playing two sets each night, the new album and a finale of Cream hits.

In 1993 Bruce was again reunited with Baker for his 50th Birthday concert, along with guitarist Gary Moore. These recordings were released on the live double album Cities of the Heart. In 1994 this line up became the band BBM (Bruce-Baker-Moore)and the subsequent album was a top ten hit in the UK. But the Bruce/Baker demons returned and after another fall out the band split.

The low key solo piano album Monkjack followed in 1995, and this really showcased the magnificent voice and songwriting skills as never before. Only organ player Bernie Worrel was an acompaniest.

In 2001 Bruce reappeared with his most succesful band of recent times featuring Bernie Worrel, Vernon Reid of Living Colour on guitar and Kip Hanrahans famous latin rythm section of 3 drummers. Hanrahan also produced the accompanying album Shadows in the Air, which included a reunion with Eric Clapton on a new version of Sunshine of Your Love. At last Bruce achieved the commercial and critical acclaim his excellent solo output demanded. The band released another exellent studio album More Jack than God in 2003, and the stunning Live at Canterbury Fayre DVD.

However Bruce had suffered a period of declining health, and in the summer of 2003 was diagnosed with liver cancer. In September 2003, Bruce underwent a liver transplant, which nearly proved fatal as his body initially rejected the new organ. He has since recovered, and in May 2005 he reunited with former Cream bandmates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker for a series of ecstatically received concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall (published as the album Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005) and New York's Madison Square Garden. Jack — The Biography of Jack Bruce by Steven Myatt was published in 2005.

2006 saw Bruce return to the live arena with a concert of Cream and solo classics perfomed with the German HR Big Band proving that the restless creative energy that has brought such an influential and successful career still continues.

Solo Discography

  • Songs For A Tailor (September 1969)
  • Things We Like (January 1971)
  • Harmony Row (September 1971)
  • Out of the Storm (November 1974)
  • Live 75 (recorded 1975, released 2003)
  • How's Tricks (March 1977)
  • Jet Set Jewel (recorded 1978, released 2003)
  • I've Always Wanted To Do This (December 1980)
  • Automatic (January 1987)
  • A Question of Time (January 1990)
  • Something Els (March 1993)
  • Cities Of The Heart (1993)
  • Monkjack (September 1995)
  • Shadows In The Air (July 2001)
  • More Jack Than God (September 2003)

Trivia

References and notes

  1. ^ "Jazz - All About Jazz". Interview with Jack. Retrieved December 14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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