Jack Bruce is a classically trained musician. As a teenager he composed for string quartets and improvised on piano. Then he heard Thelonious Monk and Charlie Mingus and left home to play jazz bass. He found the London blues scene and  joined John Mayall, Graham Bond and Manfred Mann. Then came Cream, the first Supergroup, selling 35 million albums in the two years in the late ’60’s.  Jack co-wrote the hits with Pete Brown. Jack went on to record solo albums again ahead of their time and often too musically difficult for commercial success.  www.jackbruce.com 

I don’t think I heard Cream until I came to London in 1967. But I do remember buying Cream’s Disraeli Gears  on vinyl of course  for the first and not last time in NYC in 1968 . It was discounted at the now defunct Alexander’s department store whose slogan was “You’ll find Alexander’s has what you’re looking for; how lucky can you get?!” We had flown over to NYC on a Ronnie Scott’s jazz charter flight with John McLaughlin and Dave Holland  on board who were apparently joining Miles Davis.  We were visiting NYC to see friends, the City, buy records  and listen to  jazz. 

Unbelievably, I heard the Bill Evans Trio at the Village Vanguard and talked to Bill. Also the Sun Ra Archestra in some inappropriate NY dive. My love of jazz worked with Cream, and especially with Jack Bruce. Some of the music was difficult like jazz, but that’s what I wanted.

I couldn’t get a ticket for their Farewell Concert in 1968 but drove by the Royal Albert Hall in the vain hope of  buying one. I watched the show on TV much later. I made up for it to when Cream re-formed in 2005. I got to know Jack Bruce over the years in jazz and rock settings with Chris Spedding, John Mclaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley and Tony Williams. I even thought  “Cream”  was back with a vengeance when I heard  Tony William’s Lifetime at the Croydon Fairfield Hall in late 1970 . Sadly they were ahead of their time and themselves. But jazz fusion had arrived alongside Miles Davis’  ” In a Silent Way “  and  ” Bitches Brew ” , and John McLaughlin’s  ” The Inner Mounting Flame ” .

I listened to Jack’s second solo album Harmony Row, a favourite, at his house before it was released. We sat on the floor  around  a record player and I swear Jack’s eyes were closed during both sides of the album. I tried to do the same but obviously failed. That taught me something about listening to music and I’m better at it now. And I’m not sleeping.

I haven’t read Harry Shapiro’s biography of Jack Bruce yet but I know that Jack’s powerful voice and the rhythm will be there. Harry Shapiro is an author, journalist and lecturer who has written widely on drugs, popular music and film. He wrote Waiting For The Man: The Story Of Drugs And Popular Music, Shooting Stars: Drugs, Hollywood And The Movies, Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy and biographies of Graham Bond and Alexis Korner. Harry is a leading commentator on drugs and has written in depth and with feeling about music. I’d rather listen than read about music, but Harry gets very close to the sounds on paper.

Jack and Cream have a special place in many people’s lives. I was at Sixth Avenue Skatepark in Nashville TN recently with my skateboarding musician son Andy when to my amazement a young skateboarder took off a pop CD and replaced it with Cream. I asked him why and he said his Dad had introduced him to Cream and had followed the band around the USA. Sunshine of Your Love mixed with the sound of trucks on decks in a skatepark never sounded better.
Jack  Bruce is a shy straight forward Scot with a cheeky sense of humour whose life hasn’t been without tradegy.  Drugs and a liver transplant to begin with. We always had plenty to talk about including fast cars. Yet curiously, he doesn’t seem to appreciate his eminent position in music and doubts whether anyone could learn anything from him. I expect Harry’s biography to reveal otherwise.

Jack Bruce  -  Composing Himself  -  The Authorised Biography by Harry Shapiro

Come to the Launch on Thursday 11th March 2010 at 7pm – Hornsey Library, Haringey Park, Crouch End, London N8 9NJ – Call 020 8489 1429 to book.

Published: February  2010
ISBN: 978-1-906002-26-8
Price: £14.95
320 Pages