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Ginger Baker


IanHenry

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It is a measure of how tough he was that he survived for so long, given how bad his  health  was over the last decade.

R.I.P.   to a huge figure in contemporary music.  He had such an unique style.   And always spoke his mind, as on this 1994 track with Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell:

 

Edited by jdgm
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I was lucky enough to see him when Blindfaith did their only US tour,  he played with such energy.  Though he will be remembered as a rock and roll drummer,  he was an established jazz artist as well.

If you read Eric Clapton's autobiography,  "Eric"  you will see that besides being the energetic backbone to the first Rock Power Trio,   it was Ginger who Eric credits for intervening and saving him from heroin and alcohol fueled self destruction along with Jack Bruce, the two actually went to Clapton's Hurtwood estate, pounded on the door until Eric let them in,  they stayed there until he dried up.  So his contribution to music went far beyond that of a drummer. 

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Cream was a little before my time, but I was into them as a teen. I saw Ginger and Jack Bruce sometime around 1989 or 1990 at Hammerjacks in Baltimore. They had some young, hot-shot guitar player with them and his shredding style didn't go well with their stuff IMO. Oh well, at least I can say I say Ginger Baker play live.

RIP Mr. Baker

   

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On 10/6/2019 at 4:18 PM, jaxson50 said:

...it was Ginger who Eric credits for intervening and saving him from heroin and alcohol fueled self destruction along with Jack Bruce, the two actually went to Clapton's Hurtwood estate, pounded on the door until Eric let them in,  they stayed there until he dried up.  So his contribution to music went far beyond that of a drummer. 

 

Thanks so very much for reminding me (us?) of this episode, jaxson.

He was a fascinating, entertaining and wonderfully complex character and utterly peerless in his craft. Sad to hear of his demise.

RIP, Ginger, and thanks for everything.

Pip.

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Beware of Mr. Baker was great, agree. What a character. I figured he might outlive Keith Richards. Sad news. R.I.P.

When I log onto the forum I am now afraid to open any thread that is headed by someone's name. Rather be like an ostrich and delay it.

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15 hours ago, Tman said:

When I log onto the forum I am now afraid to open any thread that is headed by someone's name. Rather be like an ostrich and delay it.

 

Yeah. Sometimes seems like every other thread is either a Happy Birthday or RIP thread. 

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4 hours ago, mihcmac said:

Didn't Ginger introduce us to Double Bass?

 

Baker said he got the idea from seeing Duke Ellington's drummer with a  twin bass drum kit.   This may have been Sam Woodyard.  Louis Bellson also had 2 bass drums at one point.

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7 hours ago, jdgm said:

 

Baker said he got the idea from seeing Duke Ellington's drummer with a  twin bass drum kit.   This may have been Sam Woodyard.  Louis Bellson also had 2 bass drums at one point.

Very good information. We owe Ginger for injecting double bass jazz percussion into the first power trio...

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