Jack Bruce – Jet Set Jewel

John Symon Asher “Jack” Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician and composer, known primarily as a member of the British rock trio Cream.

Bruce maintained a solo career that spanned several decades and also played in several musical groups. Although particularly known for his work as a vocalist, bass guitarist and songwriter, he also played double bass, harmonica, piano and cello.

He was trained as a classical cellist and considered himself a jazz musician, although much of his catalogue of compositions and recordings tended toward blues and rock and roll. The Sunday Times said that “many consider him to be one of the greatest bass players of all time.”

Career

Early career

After leaving school he toured Italy, playing double bass with the Murray Campbell Big Band. In 1962 Bruce became a member of the London-based band Blues Incorporated, led by Alexis Korner, in which he played the upright bass.

The band also included organist Graham Bond, saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and drummer Ginger Baker. In 1963 the group broke up and Bruce went on to form the Graham Bond Quartet with Bond, Baker and guitarist John McLaughlin.

They played an eclectic range of music genres, including bebop, blues and rhythm and blues. As a result of session work at this time, Bruce switched from the upright bass to the electric bass guitar.

The move to electric bass happened as McLaughlin was dropped from the band; he was replaced by Heckstall-Smith on saxophone and the band pursued a more concise R&B sound and changed their name to the Graham Bond Organisation. They released two studio albums and several singles but were not commercially successful.

Pages: 1 2