Out of stock
Following his tenure with a number of jazz bands in the late
fifties and early sixties his career really began when he
joined the Graham Bond Organisation. From here he formed
Cream along with fellow Bond Organisation bassist Jack
Bruce and Eric Clapton guitarist with John Mayall's
Bluesbreakers. Cream were an instant hit particularly in
America were they sealed their reputation with extensive
touring and the release of the albums Fresh Cream,
Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire. Following the split with
Cream Ginger formed Blind Faith along with Eric Clapton
Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. Once again the band enjoyed
massive success in America and played one massively
attended open air gig in London's Hyde Park in June 1969.
Following this gig the band released their only studio album
the self titled Blind Faith.
Ginger's next musical stop was his own band Ginger Baker's
Airforce who released two albums of part studio part live
recordings. This short-lived band broke up in late 1970 and
Ginger then went to briefly live in Africa where in Nigeria he
established his own recording studios in Lagos whilst also
forming the band Salt a band which managed to fuse jazz
with African rhythms. A return to the UK in the mid seventies
saw Ginger join forces with the Gurvitz brothers late of
Three Man Army and Gun in the Baker Gurvitz Army.
Releasing a number of albums with this band Ginger
re established his rock career.
Further collaborations with Hawkwind, The Masters of Reality
and a reunion with former Cream band mate Jack Bruce in
Baker Bruce and Moore were to keep Ginger's name in the
forefront of rock before Cream reunited in May 2005 for a
successful string of dates in London at the Royal Albert Hall
and New York at Madison Square Garden. Ginger has also
recorded a number of well received jazz albums with his own
jazz trio.
This recording dates from a concert performance in Munich
in 1972 and was the first musical outing in Europe for Ginger
alongside Salt since Ginger Baker's Airforce some two years
previously. The show was billed as Ginger Baker and Salt
"Africa Now" Invites Drum Battle. The show was filmed for
German television and broadcast shortly after and repeated
a year later in 1973. The line up for this performance was
Ginger Baker : drums, Steve Gregory: tenor sax, flute,
Bud Beadle: saxes, Tunde Koboje: bass, Berkley Jones:
guitar, Laolu Akins: african drums, Kehinde Lijadu: vocals,
Taiwo Lijadu: vocals, and special guest: Art Blakey: drums.
The recordings featured in the Official Ginger Baker Bootleg Series are sure to become collector's items and are all sanctioned by Ginger Baker.