More Jack Than God: A Tribute to Jack Bruce
For many people, Eric Clapton is the first member of Cream that comes to mind. But to me, Cream has always been Jack’s Band. I still remember the first time I listened to Disreali Gears, and though I would soon come to appreciate Clapton’s guitar solos and Ginger Baker’s drum stylings, I fell in love with Jack Bruce’s wonderfully dramatic voice from the very beginning. Now, it makes me deeply sad to say I will never get to hear that voice live, as the great Jack Bruce has passed on at the age of 71.
Although he’s best known for his part in Cream, Bruce did a great number of noteworthy projects outside of that explosive, yet short-lived group. Though he excelled at blues rock, he always thought of himself as a jazz musician, and his solo work reflects this, particularly his splendid 1969 album, Songs for a Tailor (containing “Theme For An Imaginary Western,” which was famously covered by Mountain at Woodstock), as well as the free jazz follow-up, Things We Like. His versatility, however, allowed him to dabble in a wide variety of groups throughout his extensive career. For a short time in the ’60s, he was a Bluesbreaker, but soon left to play bass on Manfred Mann’s hit single “Pretty Flamingo.” He even had a stint with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr band in the ’90s, where he toured alongside Peter Frampton. As you’ve probably noticed by now, Bruce could do it all — and did it all.
But joining Cream really allowed him to put his talents on full display. In fact, you could even argue that Bruce was the true backbone of Cream, driving each song with those heavy bass riffs that drilled the tunes into every listener’s memory. “Sunshine of Your Love” is the most famous example of this, but among my personal favorites are “Politician” and “Born Under a Bad Sign,” both of which Bruce carries with irresistibly groovy bass lines and haunting vocals. He also co-wrote some key songs for the band, including fan favorites “White Room” and “I Feel Free.” Of course, the bass on these tunes is killer. It’s not unfair to say that few bassists have influenced their instrument like Mr. Bruce did.
As much as I admire all the great work he did (believe me, I really could go on), his greatest achievement for me was opening my eyes to new styles of music. Looking back, there are so many groups that I was more prepared to explore after getting into Cream’s heavy blues rock jams, and that might not have happened without Jack and his uniquely beautiful voice.
Jack Bruce may never be as well-known as many classic rock greats, including his bandmate, the so-called “God” of the guitar. But even though Bruce was More Jack Than God, as his 2003 album declares, this spectacular artist left an indelible mark on both the music world and countless fans like me, earning him his place in rock ‘n’ roll heaven.
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Tom