...I dunno what the world would without you, Tatters.
I certainly know I 'd be lost.

Thanx!

P.S.: maybe a poor question - but: how did you track that down??
As said, I did a search for "Ginger Baker", and nothing likewise came up...
What did I do wrong, and/or did you do better?!

The search function will only search the last 30 days unless you change it. I always change it to "Search All Dates."

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tatters
The search function will only search the last 30 days unless you change it. I always change it to "Search All Dates."

...Exactly. I didn't notice that... That's where I went wrong!

Cheerz -

Getting ready to head on out to Ginger's sold out show in Detroit. I'll post a few random thoughts tomorrow, if anyone's interested.

As a big GB fan (warts and all), I for one am certainly interested, so please do. Have a great time!

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tatters
Getting ready to head on out to Ginger's sold out show in Detroit. I'll post a few random thoughts tomorrow, if anyone's interested.

i am interested

I promote the album of Ginger Baker for France. I was hoping he could play one gig in Paris but unfortunately he won't. Too bad. That may be cool to see him at Ronnie Scott's Club in July.

YM

Is Jazz Confusion anything like Spinal Tap's freeform jazz experiment?

It was an enjoyable, worthwhile show, though probably not something I would ever feel the need to experience again. He tires easily, and refers to every uptempo number as a "Ginger killer." He played four songs, said it was time for an intermission, and lurched off the stage after 40 minutes. He returned 10 minutes later, played for another 35 minutes (including the encore), and that was it. I think he did nine songs altogether.

I will say that the musicians he's playing with are absolutely world class. The real star of the show was the Ghanaian percussionist Abbas Dodoo, who not only provided a thunderous bottom throughout the show, creating the illusion that Ginger was making far more noise than he actually was, but also played so well in tandem with Baker that at times they drew actual gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Baker was cranky, funny, sad and pathetic. "Welcome to Detroit, Ginger!" yelled an enthusiastic female fan after the fist song was finished. "Please do shut up," he replied. "We're having a contest to see if anyone can guess at which show I'm going to die onstage," he said. "First prize is a week in Manchester. Second prize is two weeks in Manchester." "I'm not dead yet!" he triumphantly declared later in the show, then went on to say that he probably would be dead in the not-too-distant future. His COPD makes it painful to listen to him talk, and he did insist on talking before every number. At one point, he accidentally whacked himself in the mouth with the microphone, then he took his false teeth out and showed them to the cheering crowd.

Band introductions were made after the very first song. Pointedly, he called bassist Alec Dankworth "My favorite bass player." Then he said, "'Toad" is a drum solo I played in Cream, and we do drum solos here, but since no two drum solos are ever the same, please don't ask for "Toad.'" Nobody asked for "Toad." Nobody had to, because, in a way, it was all "Toad."



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-23 03:19 by tatters.

Many thanks for the review, tatters - sounds as if it was an entertaining night in more ways than one!

ginger is a funny dude lol

Tatters, great write up my friend! Your a brave man to brave the Ginger experience.

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whitem8
Tatters, great write up my friend! Your a brave man to brave the Ginger experience.

It was much better than I thought it would be. I expected it to be pretty weird, which it was, but I hadn't counted on it being so good musically. Also, I was careful not to sit too close, especially since I wrote something on facebook recently that caused Ginger himself to log on and tell me to "come and say that to my face."

I'm curious to know what it was that was posted that moved him to respond. He claims not to care what gets written about him in the press, so why should he care what a fan posts about him on Facebook? Ginger Baker, man of many contradictions.

Thanks a lot tatters And yes, I'm also curious as to what made Ginger respond like that

Yeah! Give it up tatters! What did you write on facebook. That is hilarious!

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stonehearted
I'm curious to know what it was that was posted that moved him to respond. He claims not to care what gets written about him in the press, so why should he care what a fan posts about him on Facebook? Ginger Baker, man of many contradictions.

There's this facebook page called The College Of Rock And Roll Knowledge that I've been posting on a lot lately, and a couple of months ago there was a post about how Cream should get back together for one last gig. I replied that physically, Ginger just wasn't up to it. I went on to explain about all of his health problems, basically just repeating what you yourself wrote here earlier in this thread. Well, apparently, The College tagged Ginger's personal facebook page in their post. Before I knew it, Ginger's daughter Nettie was posting on The College's page, wanting to know why I was saying all these terrible things about her father. Basically, it was You don't know us, and You shouldn't be talking about people you don't know, and You need to keep quiet, and Everything you're saying is, without exception, completely untrue. Ginger himself logged on to say that my posts were a load of "cheeky bollocks." He said I should come and see him play "Toad" and say these things to his face. I didn't respond directly to Ginger, but I did explain to Nettie that lots of people get talked about by people they don't know; that in fact, this is the very definition of what it means to be a celebrity; people you don't know are talking about you. I went on to say that I was looking forward to seeing Ginger on tour, that I wasn't expecting "Toad," or any other Cream material, but that a little Sonny Rollins would be nice. A couple of nights later, Ginger played his big show in London (the one that the version of "Sunshine Of Your Love" posted earlier in this thread comes from) and though he did play that one and "Can't Find My Way Home" he did not, and could not, play "Toad." "It's not on," he told the crowd. "I'm a @#$%& cripple."

The encore was "St. Thomas" by Sonny Rollins



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-24 01:02 by tatters.

Thanks, tatters. He's really funny. First he says he's a "@#$% cripple" and then he's talking like he wants to punch you in the face--which is exactly what would have happened if you'd taken him up on his offer--for merely listing the ailments and conditions that he himself has publicly disclosed. That's just bluster, all part of his tempestuous disposition. What else can be said, except that he remains... Ginger Baker.

EDIT: In thinking further of Baker's angry reactions to your posts, I wonder if the issue might be insurance. Presumably, touring musicians of this caliber have to enter into agreements with insurers for the venues they play, and perhaps Ginger didn't disclose his assorted health ailments to the insurers, because if he had he would have to pay more for insurance. And since he's only touring at this point because he sorely needs the money, he might not want to part with the extra money for the insurance that would be required. Just an afterthought.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-23 13:18 by stonehearted.

Yes, and also they're just trying to sell some tickets. People may not want to spend forty bucks to see someone they think is damaged goods. Then again, a lot of the people going to these shows may not care. There was a strong, "I just want to see him before it's too late" vibe going on at the show I saw. Understandable, because, like Buddy Rich, when he's gone, he's gone, and there won't be another one like him, ever.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-24 01:01 by tatters.

Great review, tatters. And thanks for sharing the story with Ginger, I found that very interesting.

I wanted to see Ginger in London in november 2012, but at the last minute we (me and 2 friends) decided not to go, and I can't remember exactly what happened (probably we thought it would be difficult to get the tickets or something like that).

Thanks a lot tatters for the review and Facebook anecdote. I would be very happy to be able to attend one of his two shows at Ronnie Scott in July. I do not think I should insist to come backstage and check hands saying "Hi, I'm your french PR !". If so, I will let him know his last album received a lot of great reviews from the french media.

YM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-07-06 15:50 by Yazid Manou.

I caught the Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion show at the Howard Theatre in DC last night. It was pretty much as Tatters described the one he saw (two sets, about 80 minutes total with an encore, over by about 9:35 pm).

Ginger's health is quite bad and, at nearly 75, he's not what he once was (then again, who is at that age?). But he's still a force behind the drum kit. His drum solos almost seem melodic. His band, featuring Pee Wee Ellis on sax, is excellent. Everyone gets a lot of solo space. I enjoyed the show very much.

Two years ago, I saw Jack Bruce at the Howard as a member of Spectrum Road. Last night, I saw Ginger Baker there. With Eric Clapton threatening to retire from touring, I suspect there won't be any events there that allow me to complete that particular trifecta!

Tatters and ab, thanks for the reviews!

I attended the sold out Ronnie Scott 1st show on July 4th. As written before, it was about 80 minutes in total (including the encore and the intermission). For once, I was not a standing guest but I was invited at a reserved guest table with the young wife of Ginger ! Thanks to her, I was able to go backstage and had few words with Mr. Baker and his band. I witnessed Ginger's reputation (!) but he was okay. He asked me to come back after the show but I decided not to bother him about business anymore (and a friend, the music producer Joe Boyd, had prepare a dinner and I wanted to see with him the last minutes of Brasil-Colombia anyway !!). I checked hands and insisted for having the band in Paris for a gig. The music was great by the way !

YM

Young wife? That was probably his daughter, Nettie. Glad you had a good time.

Here's a photo of Ginger's daughter.

[photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-07-06 16:28 by tatters.

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tatters
Young wife? That was probably his daughter, Nettie.

No tatters ! Here is Ginger and his young Zimbabwean wife Kudzai Machokoto I just met :



YM