The unconventional drummer
In our years active, Drummerszone had the opportunity to meet and watch Ginger Baker play twice. The first time was in 2008 when he received the Zildjian Drummers Achievement Award in London, presented to him by Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. The second time was during the Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert at the London Palladium.

Both these times, Ginger stayed and acted the unconventional person that he is known for. During a meeting with the worldwide gathered press prior to the Zildjian event, he played his personality-character very well in a very funny way. He enjoyed that day to the fullest where artists like Keith Carlock, Simon Phillips, Steve White, Gary Husband, Tony Allen and Abass Dodoo played to his honour.
At the time of publication, we are editing the video of this press moment to be released soon.

The second time meeting Ginger Baker happened in the video below, during the 2012 Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Concert rehearsals. At that moment he just wasn't agreeing with the Buddy Rich Big Band. According to Ginger, the band couldn't get the right intension to play Sunshine of Your Love, the 1967 Cream song that has over 143 million streams on Spotify.

Years later, the moment is fun to watch. During the actual 2012-rehearsal-moment, all people on stage were stunned, and Ginger refused to play anymore, and refused to perform that evening at showtime. Yours truly can't recall who made him change his mind, but you can watch Ginger playing Sunshine of Your Love fully in the second part of the video.

Mr. Baker was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Buddy Rich Memorial Foundation that same night.

Ginger Baker live at the Buddy Rich 25th Anniversary Memorial Concert
Including rehearsal footage and the full live performance.


For Ginger's extensive discography, more footage and photos, click to his Drummerszone Artist Page.
Streams & buying links to Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music are included to most of Ginger's releases.

Ginger Baker
Born in Lewisham, South London on 19 August 1939 as Peter Edward Baker, Ginger started playing at the age of 15. He took his first lessons with Phil Seamen. Ginger was a member of the Graham Bond Organisation during two periods in the 1960's. In this group he played with the legendary guitarist John McLaughlin and a then youngster on bass: Jack Bruce (✝2014).

After leaving GBO in 1966 he co-founded the world's first known supergroup Cream with Jack Bruce and another legend: guitarist Eric Clapton. Cream only lived for two years when they broke up in 1968. Still, the Rock trio managed to record four albums in such a short time span. Their third album 'Wheels of Fire' (1968) is the world's first platinum-selling double album. The quick and huge success of Cream led to all the common known reasons for supergroup-breakups.

After the Cream split-up, Ginger joined Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton to form another short-lived supergroup with bassist Ric Grech: Blind Faith.

Ginger Baker's Air Force is Ginger's longest living band, yet probably the most inactive project he has done. Formed after the dismemberment of Cream, this group released two albums ('Airforce', a live recording at The Royal Albert Hall, London, and 'Airforce 2'). Air Force played from 1969 to 1971 and Ginger revived the band in 2015.
After playing a shortened show due to an injury Ginger had, the entire tour was cancelled because of Ginger's heart problems.

There are two official live albums of Ginger Baker's Air Force: 'Live In Offenbach, Germany 1970' (The Stadthalle in Offenbach, Germany) and 'Do What You Like' (Live at the Lyceum, London - 1971).

The global drummer
Ginger spend many years away from his homeland. Whilst visiting drummer Guy Warren in Ghana, his interest in African music, triggered years before by Phil Seamen, made him decide to build a recording studio in Lagos, just near the airport. At these Batakota (ARC label) studios not only local musicians recorded, but also Paul McCartney and Wings recorded for 'Band On The Run' at this studio. However, after recording one track McCartney switched to the rival EMI studio, set up by the UK based label to get in on the act. Ginger was discredited on the LP notes for the track and he called McCartney an arsehole. Ginger's friend Fela Kuti got involved and stormed EMI's studio with a forty strong army to stop the recording session. It is probably around this time he became friends with the godfather of the Afrobeat, Tony Allen.

During construction of the Batakota studio, Baker and Kuti recorded 'Fela Ransome-Kuti' and 'Africa 70 with Ginger Baker: Live at Abbey Road and London'. Baker considered that album one of the high points of his career.

Then, Ginger Baker started an English rock outfit Baker Gurvitz Army together with brothers Paul and Adrian Gurvitz. Several albums were recorded and published during another 2-year lifespan of one his band endeavors.

The early 1980s were mostly about kicking his heroin addiction and he spend most of his time on an olive ranch in Italy. During the following years he had collaborations with groups like Hawkwind and Masters of Reality, and he played a lot of Polo in Colorado when living there in the 1990's.

With his The Ginger Baker Trio with bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Bill Frisell he released two albums in 1994 and 1996. With BBM, another short-lived trio with Jack Bruce and legendary Rock guitarist Gary Moore, he released 'Around the Next Dream' in 1994.

Cream reunion
His big return came in 2005 when Ginger Baker reunited with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce for a series of Cream concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden. The London concerts were recorded and released as 'Royal Albert Hall London May 2–3–5–6 2005'.

The years after the reunion had him touring with his Ginger Baker Jazz Confusion and in 2014, he released another official solo album 'Why?', his fourth and first solo album in 16 years.

Ginger Baker is named as the first Jazz-Rock Fusion drummer. His main influences were Phil Seamen, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones and Baby Dodds. As a pioneer in double bass drumming, his Jazz style of playing, later combined with the African influences made him truly one of a kind in the music industry. It is said he invented the rock drum solo.

Modern Drummer magazine has described him as "One of Classic Rock's first influential drumming superstars of the 1960s" and "One of Classic Rock's true drum gods".

Ginger's health had deteriorated in recent years. In 2013 he told Rolling Stone that he was suffering from osteoarthritis, and also had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung condition. In 2016 he underwent open heart surgery and suffered a bad fall.

At 9:41PM September 25, 2019 the Baker family tweeted "...that Ginger is critically ill in hospital." On 6 October the family tweeted the passing of one of the most influential drummers of the past 50 years in music.

Ginger Baker played

• Ludwig drums
  
• DW drums
  
• Remo drumheads
  
• Zildjian cymbals
  
• Zildjian drumsticks

Ginger Baker, the drummer that never settled for less than his ideas, his music and his life.