Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BRUCE, Jack

(b 14 May 1943, Bishopriggs, Scotland; d 25 October 2014, Suffolk, England) Bassist best known for rock, but tending towards jazz fusion. He played in various bands in Glasgow, came down to London, played with Alexis Korner and Graham Bond (including two Bond albums The Sound of 65 and There's A Bond Between Us: he also sang and played harmonica), with John Mayall and Manfred Mann, then became famous as a third of Cream with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, co-writing (with Pete Brown) and singing many of the group's hit singles.

As the Jack Bruce Band he continued working with Brown on Songs For A Tailor '69, which charted well in both UK/USA, but Things We Like, Harmony Row, Out Of The Storm and How's Tricks '70-7 did less well. Also in '72-4 he recorded as West, Bruce and Laing (ex-Mountain): Why Don'Cha, Whatever Turns You On and Live 'N' Kicking descended the charts. All these were on various Polydor labels, some leased to Atco in USA; I've Always Wanted To Do This '80 on Epic as Jack Bruce and Friends included Clem Clempson, Billy Cobham and David Sancious. Power trio B.L.T. with Bill Lordan (ex-Sly) and Robin Trower (ex-Procol Harum) made an eponymous album on Chrysalis; Truce '82 included Trower. Bruce's later albums included A Question Of Time on Epic and Willpower on Polydor '89, Live At Bottom Line '92 on Traditional Line, Somethinels '93 and Cities Of The Heart '94 on CMP.

Other activities included work with Tony Williams's fusion group Lifetime, with Mose Allison at Montreux, appearances on Carla Bley's Escalator Over The Hill '72, Charlie Mariano's Helen Twelvetrees '76, John McLaughlin's Electric Guitarist '78, Kip Hanrahan's Desire Develops An Edge '85, The Golden Palominos' Visions Of Excess '86 and Michael Mantler's opera The School of Understanding on ECM '97. There were live albums in the 21st century and Bruce's last studio album, the first for many years, was due to be released after he succumbed to liver disease.