Record Reviews

GINGER BAKER / AIR FORCE ~ AIR FORCE LEMON 022 (Barcode: 5013929762220) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1970 Released: 2004 1st album by the legendary ensemble Air ForceFind albums by this artist, formed by drummer Ginger BakerFind albums by this artist following the collapse of the two Rock super-groups he was a member of: CreamFind albums by this artist and Blind FaithFind albums by this artist. Baker formed the ensemble to pursue the music he was truly interested in, which included Jazz and African Music. He managed to persuade a large number of British luminaries to join forces in this ambitious project, creating a first of its kind Jazz-Rock-World Fusion ensemble. The list of the participants reads like a who´s who of the British music scene at the time and includes: Steve WinwoodFind albums by this artist (organ and vocals) and Rick GrechFind albums by this artist (bass) – both ex-Blind Faith, Graham BondFind albums by this artist, Denny LaineFind albums by this artist, Chris WoodFind albums by this artist, the great Harold McNairFind albums by this artist and Baker´s revered teacher and legendary British Jazz drummer Phil SeamenFind albums by this artist. The first album was recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall and was originally released as a double LP. The music is a wonderful mixture of Jazz, Rock and World Music, performed with passion and virtuosity. The lengthy tracks allow for extended instrumental improvisations and the two drummers have ample opportunity to engage in mighty duels. In retrospect the album is visionary and educational, allowing a glimpse at a time when musical dreams were realized. This pioneering effort is a wonderful legacy for generations to come and includes many unforgettable moments. Unavailable for decades, this CD reissue is a wonderful opportunity to get familiar with a piece of musical legacy, which remains untouched by time. Absolutely not to be missed!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GINGER BAKER / AIR FORCE ~ LIVE IN THE STADTHALLE OFFENBACH GERMANY 1970 VOICEPRINT / TMQ 055 (Barcode: 604388738120) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1970 Released: 2010 This live recording is one of several releases based on the private archives of legendary drummer Ginger BakerFind albums by this artist, which finally see the light of day. Although not intended for a formal release and suffering from "bootleg" sound quality problems, the musical importance of this material is so significant, that it overshadows any technicalities and is essentially a Godsend. This album brings a live recording of Baker´s revolutionary Jazz-World Fusion ensemble Air ForceFind albums by this artist, which he founded following the demise of CreamFind albums by this artist. Air Force recorded only two albums during its short life-span, and any additional material by the band is invaluable. Baker assembled a formidable group of top British Jazz players of the period, augmented by African vocalists and drummers. The fact that this album features the talents of the legendary saxophonist / organist Graham BondFind albums by this artist is alone worth the price, but other great players are also present: organist / guitarist Ken CraddockFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Steve GregoryFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bud BeadleFind albums by this artist, bassist Colin GibsonFind albums by this artist and others. The material is similar to the material present on the two Air Force albums, but several surprises are heard here for the first time, like the group´s version of Cream´s "Sunshine Of Your Love". Most of the pieces include extended improvised parts, with the saxophonist taking solos in tandem. Definitely worth investigating, provided you´re not squeamish about sound quality.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GINGER BAKER / AIR FORCE ~ WHAT A DAY – LIVE AT BEAT-CLUB 1970 MIG 03112 (Barcode: 885513031129) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 Released: 2024 This is an archive live album by British drummer / composer / bandleader Ginger BakerFind albums by this artist and his Air ForceFind albums by this artist ensemble, captured by the German Radio Bremen during their performance on October 20, 1970 on the Beat-Club show. This is the last lineup of the Air Force, before it disbanded, and includes saxophonist / organist Graham BondFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Steve GregoryFind albums by this artist, baritone saxophonist Bud BeadleFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Ken CraddockFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Colin GibsonFind albums by this artist, percussionist Neemoi AcquayeFind albums by this artist and female vocalists Aliki AshmanFind albums by this artist and Dianne StewartFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, which are basically two runs through the material, i.e. the same four tracks, and one filler track between them. The sound quality is not perfect, but definitely good enough to enjoy the music. Luckily the whole thing was also caught on video, which is added as a bonus DVD to this album. The music is a great mixture of Rock, Jazz and African influences, brilliantly performed by these musicians, in an informal atmosphere, which allows everybody to show their chops. Baker, who was always heavily influenced both by Jazz and African World Music, created here an ideal amalgam of all his various musical interests. The presence of Graham Bond is also strongly felt in this music of course. The sheer power and energy of Baker id omnipresent, and not surprisingly he plays a hair-raising drum solo here and there. Overall, this is a brilliant document of the revolutionary time period of British Music, which included the peak in Jazz-Rock and Jazz-World music in parallel to the rapid development of the British Jazz scene. The border between the genres were often quite fuzzy, as this album perfectly demonstrates.

Updated: 03/01/2026Posted: 03/01/2026

CD+DVD 2 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

GINGER BAKER / SALT ~ LIVE IN MUNICH GERMANY 1972 VOICEPRINT / TMQ 056 (Barcode: 604388738229) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2010 This live recording is one of several releases based on the private archives of legendary drummer Ginger BakerFind albums by this artist, which finally see the light of day. Although not intended for a formal release and suffering from "bootleg" sound quality problems, the musical importance of this material is so significant, that it overshadows any technicalities and is essentially a Godsend. This album brings a live recording of Baker´s ensemble SaltFind albums by this artist, which he founded following the demise of Air ForceFind albums by this artist. Salt never recorded any albums during its short life-span, and therefore this material by the band is invaluable. In Salt Baker assembled a group of British Jazz players, which played in the last Air Force lineup, augmented by African vocalists and drummers, taking an even more radical step towards World-Jazz Fusion. Some great players are present: saxophonist / flautist Steve GregoryFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bud BeadleFind albums by this artist and others. But the great surprise of this recording is the participation of the legendary Jazz drummer Art BlakeyFind albums by this artist, who "battles" with Baker in a series of drum exchanges. Definitely worth investigating, especially in view of the fact that the sound quality on this album is quite excellent, as it originates from a TV recording made of the concert.

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend