Jack Bruce

Artist ∙ Rock

Although some may be tempted to call multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer Jack Bruce a rock & roll musician, blues and jazz were what this innovative musician really loved. These two genres were at the base of most of his recorded output from a career that extended back to the beginning of London's blues scene in 1962, when he joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. Bruce's most famous songs are, in essence, blues tunes: "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strange Brew," "Politician," and "White Room." Bruce's best-known songs remain those he penned for Cream, the legendary blues-rock trio he formed with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton in 1966. ~ Richard Skelly

January 7, 2008 at PST
Seven Moons
Two veterans of the ‘60s British blues boom, Cream’s Jack Bruce and Procol Harum’s Robin Trower (who released two albums together back in the early 1980s) reunited in 2008. And like any two old friends they pick up where they left off, with strong, solid blues riffs, enviable guitar tones, and Bruce’s distinctive, authoritative vocals, which after a bout with cancer have returned in full force. Bruce has been rightfully hailed for his influence with Eric Clapton and Cream; however, Trower has remained a player’s player, roundly acknowledged by his peers for his Hendrix-inspired tone and emotively pure performances, while sadly neglected by the mainstream. Seven Moons is unlikely to make new converts (unless there’s another sudden blues boom!), though anyone listening to the brooding insistence of “Distant Places of the Heart,” the passionate grunt of “She’s Not the One” or the pleasing shuffle of “So Far To Yesterday” will hear the same epic greatness that made Trower albums such as Twice Removed from Yesterday and Bridge of Sighs the important releases they were for emerging heavy metal guitarists in the early 1970s.
11 Tracks
December 31, 1980 at PST
B.L.T.
10 Tracks
December 31, 1968 at GMT-8
Songs for a Tailor (Remastered)
After his stint with Cream, Jack Bruce was ready for a fuller expression of his talents as a bassist, singer, and composer. His 1969 solo debut, Songs for a Tailor, blended jazz, blues, and rock elements within accessible song structures in tandem with Pete Brown’s whimsical and slightly surreal lyrics. From the brooding complexity of “Theme for an Imaginary Western” to the brassy groove of “The Ministry of Bag” and the growling riffage of “The Clearout,” Bruce sounds inspired and unfettered here. Chris Spedding, Jon Hiseman, and George Harrison are among the British rock luminaries who help make Songs for a Tailor such an intriguing and often galvanizing set.
14 Tracks
May 16, 1994 at PDT
Around the Next Dream
10 Tracks
September 23, 2002 at PDT
Legends of Rock: Live at Castle Donington
14 Tracks
December 31, 1988 at PST
Willpower: A Twenty Year Retrospective
17 Tracks
December 31, 1981 at PST
Truce
9 Tracks
December 31, 1969 at PST
Things We Like (Remastered)
Things We Like returns Jack Bruce to his early love of jazz in collaboration with guitarist John McLaughlin, saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, and drummer Jon Hiseman. This all-instrumental set takes the ex-Cream bassist from the bop-inflected rigor of “Over the Cliff” through the angular tumult of “Sam Enchanted Dick Medley” into the dreamy elegance of “Ballad for Arthur” as it nods toward jazz fusion while maintaining its own distinct approach. Heckstall-Smith’s caressing-to-cacophonous sax lines on “Statues” and McLaughlin’s audacious fretwork on “HCKHH Blues” are among the album’s many highlights.
8 Tracks
December 31, 1973 at PST
Out of the Storm (Bonus Track Version)
Kicking off the set with the churning jazz-rocker “Pieces of Mind,” Jack Bruce emphasizes his knack for delicately wrought pop melodies and unexpected arrangement ideas in tunes like “Golden Days,” “Running Through Our Hands," and “Into the Storm.” The album abounds with molten, subtly syncopated grooves and bracing lead guitar work (the latter courtesy of Detroit axeman Steve Hunter). “One” is a particular standout thanks to Bruce’s soulful vocals and Hunter’s Spanish guitar embellishments. Pete Brown’s lyrics have a darkly intimate quality, adding to Out of the Storm's overall impact.
13 Tracks
December 31, 1970 at PST
Harmony Row (Remastered)
Jack Bruce’s third solo album is a relentlessly eclectic affair that veers from vigorous progressive rock workouts to brooding jazz balladry and odd acoustic folk pieces. The ex-Cream bassist binds 1971's Harmony Row together with bluesy vocals that can sound droll, yearning, or ominous (sometimes simultaneously). Introspective, piano-centered pieces like “Can You Follow?” and “Victoria Sage” offer contrast to rippling, multilayered electric numbers like “You Burned the Tables on Me” and “Smiles and Grins.” A track like “Post War” (featuring Chris Spedding’s incisive guitar work) shows Bruce’s willingness to both embrace and subvert conventional pop/rock songwriting.
16 Tracks
October 8, 2015 at PDT
Sunshine of Your Love: A Life In Music
35 Tracks
March 23, 2014 at PDT
Silver Rails
10 Tracks
October 2, 1989 at PDT
A Question of Time
12 Tracks
June 15, 2021 at PDT
White Room (Live in Japan) - Single
1 Trackfalse
December 31, 1976 at PST
How's Tricks (Remastered)
12 Tracks
May 29, 1988 at PDT
Many Have No Speech
27 Tracks
December 31, 2014 at PST
Eleanor Rigby (Final Session) - Single
1 Trackfalse
February 23, 2017 at PST
The Bottom Line Archive
12 Tracks
December 31, 1979 at PST
I've Always Wanted to Do This
10 Tracks
May 20, 2012 at PDT
Jack Bruce & His Big Blues Band: Live 2012
16 Tracks
November 26, 2015 at PST
More Jack Than Blues (Deluxe Version) [Live]
13 Tracks
May 4, 2003 at PDT
Live At Manchester Free Trade Hall '75
9 Tracks
December 31, 2002 at PST
Jet Set Jewel
10 Tracks
June 28, 2018 at PDT
5 Live
5 Tracks
January 11, 1993 at PST
Somethinels
9 Tracks

Jack Bruce

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