I’ve been left at home on my own for the first time in year or so – Mrs F has escaped with a couple of her mates for a night away so its just me and the dogs. So (between the obligatory tasks that I’ve been left with) Ive been playing all of those records that don’t normally get to see the light of day – including the excellent Jack Bruce compilation ‘An Introduction To’. I cant think when was the last time I played JB but I was taken aback by just how fucking brilliant he is/was. Im not bothered about much of the Cream stuff or even the majority of JB’s later recordings just that tiny microcosm between 1969 and 1971 when he produced Songs For A Tailor, Things We Like and Harmony Row. The song structures are just extraordinary – often more classical than rock. SFAT has a stellar group of supporting musicians but they don’t get in the way. TWL is a muscular jazz set with John McLaughlin and Dick Heckstall Smith – proper modern jazz not your rock star trying to be cool and hip by getting a few horn players in and playing in 6/4. Harmony Row for me though is the real jewel in the crown – with just Chris Spedding and John Marshall supporting Bruce. It’s a stunning set of songs – Pete Brown excelling himself with vivid imagery which fits Jack’s voice to a tee. As I say he’s pretty good you know.
Jack Bruce – he’s pretty good you know.
Here’s the short opening track from Harmony Row – he’s not normally known for being a piano player
Here’s Jack on piano for “Theme For An Imaginary Western”.
He also played string bass on this for Neil Ardley’s New Jazz Orchestra.
I have recently done a cull and put Things We Like in the never play it basket. Maybe I should give it another spin before making the final decision.
Definitely worth another spin, Junior…
If you like Jack in a blues mood…
I’ve always liked this one – but the whole album is a masterpiece/masterclass*, to be honest…
*mantlepiece
No comment – just a classic…if you hadn’t guessed yet, Jack was one of my heroes –
”Wee Jackie Bruce”, as he was known around the Barras…
Wow never seen this before – what a beautiful vs of that song.
Saw him live once, playing with a Beatle!
Ringo’s All Stars @Dai ?
Yep @Junior-Wells All Starr (two Rs) Band actually 😉 Shepherds Bush Empire 1998. Was a pretty decent line-up and Bruce sang 4 songs. Almost 3 hours I believe.
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ringo-starr-and-his-all-starr-band/1998/shepherds-bush-empire-london-england-13c69d79.html
Having said I don’t particularly care for anything post ‘71 I am rather fond of this one from Out of the Storm – particularly the jazz fusion wig out at the end, that bass line is just ridiculous
Agree, last good record. I did see a rather good doco on youtube recently where he played some ol’ faves with a rather young band.
Still in reasonably good voice but more importantly still passionate
Maybe that’s the point, maybe that’s what keeps me coming back – whether it was fusion, or British late bebop, or rock, or wildly extended blues, or semi classical solo piano – Jack was always passionate about what he was doing…
I don’t really like Cream, apart from Sunshine of Your Love, (mostly) written by and sung of course by Jack Bruce.
I think it’s EC that puts me off Cream, I struggle to see the appeal. If he’d had only played on the Beano album and packed it in, I’d be perfectly happy.
Pffffffft
Derek and D’s ?
461
EC was here.
Yeah, I know – my loss. Blame over-exposure.
I spent too much of my formative years working at hi-fi shows, having to listen to Layla, Wonderful Tonight, etc, over and over and over again. I twitch whenever I hear Paul Simon’s Gracelend or U2’s Joshua Tree for much the same reason.
Prefer D and D live to original. Loathe the acoustic version and you will note I didn’t referenceWonderful Tonight. I think he has under- delivered over the Journey however leaving out Cream is a pretty big omission. Best thing he did in later period was setting up the Crossroads guitar fests.
I’m a Clapton fan but “Wonderful Tonight” has me reaching for the forward button every time. I only did a few but hi fi shows also ruined SRV’s “Riviera Paradise” for me.
I’m sure I’ve told the story before of how it was my job to swap over the CDs of Graceland and Brothers in Arms (and sometimes The Road to Hell).
I went AWOL one lunchtime and hid in the Linn room where they played Hipsway, A Walk Across The Rooftops, Raintown, Hounds of Love and – get this – what their customers asked to hear.
In the Quad room, they were playing Giuseppe Sinopoli’s recording of Macbeth by Verdi…
(I’ll get me coat…)
I vaguely remember that my “go to” LPs for demos in the 1980s were Weather Report’s Night Passage; and Station to Station – especially Golden (Y)ears.
@Junior-Wells
I thought Pffffffft was by Beethoven
EC was here rather lacklustre, his 1st solo album way better
– LOVE “Songs for a Tailor”
– LOATHE “Wonderful Tonight”
Jack Bruce played on Carla Bley’s “difficult” triple album out-there jazz extravaganza “Escalator over the Hill”, didn’t he?
Does any jazzer Afterworder have this album? Do you like it? Its reputation is rather … erm … daunting.
Don’t have EOTH, but did see Bley play in JB’s band with Mick Taylor and Simon Philips at the Birmingham Odeon in – IIRC – the summer of 75.
On a side note, one of the first gigs I ever went to was Graham Bond’s Magick at the Walsgrave pub in Coventry in a gig I later learned had been promoted by SAW’s Pete Waterman. Sadly, Jack Bruce was not in attendance
Bought EOTH due to a rave review somewhere. Confirmed I don’t like “difficult” jazz. Mind you, kept the album prominently displayed at the front of my collection to show visitors just how cool I was.
Tried it again recently, after many years, and still didn’t like it.
I can confirm that EOTH is difficult. However, as someone who “enjoys” Albert Ayler, it should be a breeze for you, duco.
The most daunting thing about it is the sheer amount of music. A long live gig can be very enjoyable but I can’t think of any triple album that can hold my attention for the entire thing. Not that many doubles either, now I think about it.
Me! 6 sides of vinyl so rather a lot but enjoyable and hardly difficult. Confusing I’d say especially as it gets chopped up to make it fit on those 6 sides. All India Radio and Rawalpindi my reason for joining in the fun in the first place, still unique. Gets an outing every few years, not bad for checking your tolerance for long pieces. Did Paul Haines ever do anything else?
The other great album that Bruce graced with his bass (well all bar two tracks) was of course, Lou Reed’s splendid Berlin.
Yes – good call @Jaygee. Stellar cast and JB well at home.
All the tracks JB played on on Berlin were with Aynsley Dunbar.
Pretty fucking awesome rhythm section. Anyone know if they did anything else together?
AD is one of those guys who’s name crops up all over great albums from that
era (Nils Lofgren’s eponymous debut being just one example) but whose name you sadly don’t seem to see that much these days.
More on AD here – seems to have dropped off the map these last few years
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aynsley_Dunbar
With Zappa for a bit too. Obviously no slouch.
He was with Frank almost all the way through from Chunga’s Revenge in ’70 to The Grand Wazoo in ’72. Replaced live by Jim Gordon in’72.
Incidentally, Jack Bruce plays bass on the title track of Zappa’s Apostrophe(‘) album.
Aynsley- one of the great rock drummers.
His playing (and frank’s) on Transylvania Boogie a particular joy
Harmony Row is an all-time favourite. Great songs and Chris Spedding at his awesome best.
I think an indication of the breadth of Jack Bruce’s work (and contributions to other’s work) is that nearly every commentator above is able to name something that they DON’T like…while simultaneously having something that they can enthuse about…
Good call Fitter – most of the people that I really rate have areas of their music I really don’t like (quite often the majority of their catalogue!)
Had a listen to a few JB tracks this afternoon , just flitting around and whilst his voice was effective in Cream, overall, it’s just bloody annoying. A sort of jazz styling but too much power for that.