stranger than known: Tribute to Jack Bruce - Radio Kras "In Campo Aperto" (podcast)

Sunday 2 November 2014

Tribute to Jack Bruce - Radio Kras "In Campo Aperto" (podcast)

Jack Bruce

Last Friday night I had the pleasure of appearing on Gimi's "In Campo Aperto" program on Radio Kras in order to pay tribute to one of the best British bass players of the last 50 years - Jack Bruce.

Here is the podcast of the program we put together (in Spanish)

It features a few tracks form a fantastic concert Jack did with the BBC Big Band in November 2008 along with unreleased performances by Cream at the Ricky Tick Club in April 1967, the Spalding Festival in May 67 and Detroit in November 1967.

The tracks from the Ricky Tick (Sunshine of Your Love, Hey Lawdy Mama, Sweet Wine and Rolling and Tumblin) are particularly blistering and feature a band still in good humour and before the excesses and arguments of the last year of their history set in.

The Detroit performance in November 1967 at the Grande Ballroom (featured here are Steppin' Out, Train Time and I'm So Glad) is an example of three outstanding musicians at their improvisational best and pushing rock music to its outer limits. This is not necessarily "easy listening" music. At the time (and perhaps even now) it must have seemed almost avant garde and occasionally formless. Free rock even. It's challenging stuff and I would say that the Detroit performance is arguably superior to the later official 1968 live releases.

We also play tracks from West Bruce and Laing's 1974 Live album and Jack's brilliant debut solo album "Songs For A Tailor."

Jack Bruce was an outstanding and innovative musician who helped to revolutionize late 1960s rock by incorporating jazz and improvisation. This perhaps led to excess in less imaginative hands but also it made it more intelligent and complex - and interesting. Here we celebrate his life and contribution.

The program itself was somewhat improvised and we played what we had to hand on the night. Jazz radio.

Hope you enjoy it.

The discussions are in Spanish. The music is universal....

Radio Kras "In Campo Aperto / Intergalactic Sofa" - Tribute to Jack Bruce
Click to play in a new window or right click and save link
https://ia902205.us.archive.org/23/items/Aperto311014/Aperto31-10-14.mp3

If the above link doesn't work go here and download http://radiokras.net/index.php?id=2335

Rope Ladder To The Moon documentary
Here is Tony Palmer's excellent 1969 documentary which we mention in the podcast. A young Jack Bruce shows us around the Scotland of his youth, plays tracks from Songs For A Tailor and talks about Cream, music and the future.