Record Reviews

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

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