Jack Bruce

[bolophonic]

I have slept on this dude. Aside from that one huge hit that everyone learns to play, I have never heard any of his work. Can anyone suggest some starting points? Sum him up in a few words or recommend a recording of him in his prime? Thanks!

[staindbass]

tales of great ulysses is good, strange brew is also a good one.

[blindrabbit]

I like all of his work with Cream, and I'm a fan of his solo work. I've got his album "A Question of Time" on my iPhone - some great stuff on there. I also blame Jack Bruce for making me spend the past quarter century drooling over Warwick Thumb basses and on a quest to perfect a growly tube amp tone. Too bad by all reports the guy seems to (interpersonally) be an arrogant Jack-ass as he certainly knows how to play the bass.

[MrMeacham]

That's a hard call. Jack did a bunch of stuff. There's Cream, Solo records that a jazz oriented, a rock & blues band stuff with Gary Moore, Leslie West or Robin Trower and his current Big Band Project. What's you poison? My favorites is a Cream bootleg from Oakland and various one off jam sessions that are lying around. I think that is when Jack really shines.

[schwartzbass]

you've got to get some of his early solo work especially
Harmony Row. Incredible bassplaying on that album.

[TC2112]

Start with the Cream stuff and work from there. His playing on that stuff is so heavy. He and Ginger were amazing together

[Li Youwei]

His best playing is on the live Cream stuff. Crossroads is nuts. I also like the album Songs for a Tailor.

[Chopshonky]

Yeah I been tech-ing for him for the last little while. He's got new stuff daily, he's prolific. Back in cream he'd turn up at each practice with 30 new songs. Clapton would write one or two every few months.

Cream is his main outlet, and it's all pretty solid as far as triumphant bad-assed basslines go, he's been playing lately with the Ronnie Scott's House Jazz band, and 'guest' guitar players Joe Bonamassi most recently. A tour is imminent which will include Cream favorites, new stuff, and some of the older though lesser known solo-career numbers.

He plays Warwick Fretless Custom-Shop Dealios with rounds, and really bounces down hard onto each target note to get his tone. A great improviser, any live cream you can find is probably worth a listen. good jam jazz that rocks, more reliable than grateful dead, but that sort of open jamming.

[Stumbo]

Lots of "Best of" compilations to choose from: Jack Bruce - Discography

[Pete skjold]

Check these out, definately when he was in his prime. Changed my life!

‪West Bruce, Leslie West & Corky Laing - Powerhouse Sod (1974)‬‏ - YouTube

‪Frank Zappa-Apostrophe'‬‏ - YouTube

the second is Bruce with Zappa, the fuzz toned instrument is Bruce, with his signature farting growl.

Enjoy,

[bassthumpersf]

Originally Posted by Li Youwei

His best playing is on the live Cream stuff. Crossroads is nuts. I also like the album Songs for a Tailor.

+1. While not a big Cream fan, he completely STREAMROLLS over Clapton on the live Crossroads!

[lowendfriend]

I really enjoy his collaborations with Robin Trower...

Would that I could turn out an album of the stature and quality of Seven Moons at my age (60) much less Robin and Jack's (70?).

[Lonesomedave]

i think the epitome of his work with cream was the song "I'm So Glad" off of the Goodbye Cream album. truly amazing!

here is a video of my 14 year old son playing that song, but you should really listen to the original with Jack Bruce playing. then you will know what great bass playing is all about.

‪Davy Playing Talleycaster.AVI‬‏ - YouTube

Jack Bruce, in my opinion was one of the 2 or 3 absolute top bass players in a era stuffed with great musicians. any Cream song is great, but I think "I'm So Glad" is the best of the best.


/s/ Dave

[Bassamatic]

Every time we play "Born Under a Bad Sign" I can't believe he played this and sang it at the same time. WOW!

One of the key bass players that shaped my playing.

[Tanner5382]

When I think of Jack Bruce, one of the first basslines I think of is the great "Politician". Also "The Doctor" from the West, Bruce & Laing period has some prime examples of the "steamrolling" mentioned in a revious post.

[TheCush]

+1 to all the Cream material cited above, including the Live at Royal Albert Hall in 2005(?) BUT...that being said, I really love his work with Robin Trower as others noted by others. The song "Into Money" from the album "BLT" is, IMHO, a fine example. Love that song, love Jack's playing on that track. Great playing, great vocal work on everything he does - my first real bass inspiration and continues to influence me today.

[Lonesomedave]

tanner5382--

+1 to "the Doctor" I loved west, Bruce & Laing, and that is truly of fine example of steamrolling (good term BTW, whoever came up with it.)

I urge you to listen to "I'm so Glad" (not the studio version, but the live version on their Goodbye album) as I said in my earlier post... it is "The Doctor" on steroids.

does anybody know what bass he used for that performance? was it his Gibson EB-3?

/s/ Dave

[Tanner5382]

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

tanner5382--

+1 to "the Doctor" I loved west, Bruce & Laing, and that is truly of fine example of steamrolling (good term BTW, whoever came up with it.)

I urge you to listen to "I'm so Glad" (not the studio version, but the live version on their Goodbye album) as I said in my earlier post... it is "The Doctor" on steroids.

does anybody know what bass he used for that performance? was it his Gibson EB-3?

/s/ Dave

Hi Dave, I just gave a listen to that live version, wow! You weren't kidding. The man's a machine. Also, as far as I know, he was infact using his EB-3.

[D.M.N.]

How about N.S.U. or Sweet Wine off of Live Cream Vol. I? And "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune" is also awesome.

[Rocker949]

Possibly my favorite bassist of all time. An incredible genius. My favorite Cream album is the "Wheels of Fire" double album. I also think Jack's singing is amazing.