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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = Ginger Baker|image = Ginger Baker 1980.jpg|caption = Baker on 21 March 1980, Zemun , Yugoslavia|Serbia |background = non_vocal_instrumentalist|landscape = yes|birth_name = Peter Edward Baker|alias =|birth_date = birth date and age|1939|8|19|df=y|birth_place =London, England|instrument = Drum kit|Drums , Percussion instrument|percussion |genre = Jazz , blues rock , psychedelic rock , hard rock , jazz fusion |occupation = Musician , songwriter|years_active = 1958& ndash;present|label = Polydor Records|Polydor , Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. , Island Records|Island , Universal Records|Universal , Atlantic Records|Atlantic |associated_acts = Blues Incorporated , Ginger Baker and Friends, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers , Cream (band)|Cream , Blind Faith , Baker Gurvitz Army , Ginger Baker's Air Force , Hawkwind , Public Image Ltd. , Atomic Rooster , Masters of Reality , Ginger Baker Trio, BBM , Fela Kuti |website = URL| http://www.gingerbaker.com/Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (born 19 August 1939, Lewisham , South London ) is an English drummer , best known for his work with Cream (band)|Cream and Blind Faith . He is also known for his numerous associations with World music , mainly the use of Music of Africa|African influences.cite book|title=Hellraiser The autobiography of the World's Most Famous Drummer|author=Baker, Ginger and Ginette|publisher=John Blake Publishing He has also had other collaborations such as with Gary Moore , Hawkwind and Public Image Ltd .
Baker's drumming attracted attention for its flamboyance, showmanship and his use of two bass drums instead of the conventional single Bass drum|bass kick drum (following a similar set-up used by Louie Bellson during his days with Duke Ellington ). Although a firmly established rock drummer and praised as "Rock's first superstar drummer",cite web| url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3618|pure_url=yes|title=Ginger Baker|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2010-10-15 he prefers being called a Jazz music|jazz drummer.cite video | people = Baker, Ginger | title = Cream: Classic Artists | medium = DVD | publisher = Image Entertainment, Inc. | location = | date = 2006 Baker's influence has extended to drummers of both genres, including Billy Cobham , Peter Criss , Bill Ward (musician)|Bill Ward , Ian Paice , Nick Mason ,cite web | title=The 30 Year Technicolor Dream| author=Phil Sutcliffe |work=Mojo Magazine | url= http://www.pinkfloydfan.net/t1484-gilmour-mason-wright-30-year.html#post23744 |date=July 1995 |accessdate=2011-07-23 and JohnBonham . AllMusic has described him as "the most influential percussionist of the 1960s" and stated that "virtually every drummer of every heavy metal band that has followed since that time has sought to emulate some aspect of Baker's playing."
While at times performing in a similar way to KeithMoon from The Who , Baker also employs a more restrained style influenced by the British jazz groups he heard during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In his early days as a drummer, he performed lengthy drum solos, the best known being the five minute drum solo " Toad (song)|Toad " from Cream (band)|Cream 's debut album Fresh Cream (1966). He is also noted for using a variety of other Percussion instrument|percussion instruments and for his application of African rhythms. He would often emphasize the flam , a rudiment|drum rudiment in which both sticks attack the drumhead at almost the same time, giving a heavy thunderous sound.
Biography
Baker gained fame as a member of the Graham Bond|Graham BondOrganisation and then as a member of the Rock music|rock band Cream (band)|Cream from 1966 until they disbanded in 1968. He later joined the group Blind Faith . In 1970 Baker formed, toured and recorded with jazz fusion|fusion rock group Ginger Baker's Air Force .
Baker formed and recorded with ''Ginger Baker's Energy and was involved in collaborations with Bill Laswell , jazz bassist Charlie Haden , jazz guitarist Bill Frisell , and pioneering afro beat musician Fela Kuti . He was also member of Hawkwind , Atomic Rooster and Public Image Ltd|Public Image Ltd. . In 1994 he formed The Ginger Baker Trio and joined the bassist known as Googe in Masters of Reality formed by Record producer|producer , singer and guitarist Chris Goss .
Baker sat in for Fela Ransome-Kuti ,cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p52057|pure_url=yes|author=Dougan, John|title=Fela Ransome-Kuti|publisher=allmusic.com| accessdate=2010-02-13 during recording sessions in 1971 and these were released by Regal Zonophone Records|Regal Zonophone as Live& #33; (Fela Kuti album) (1971)'cite web| url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r29760|pure_url=yes|title=Ginger Baker. Live with Fela Kuti|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2010-02-13 Fela also appeared with Ginger Baker on Stratavarious (1972) alongside Bobby Gass ,cite web|url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r1200|pure_url=yes|title=Stratavarious|publisher=allmusic.com| accessdate=2010-02-13 a pseudonym for Bobby Tench from The Jeff Beck Group . Stratavarious was later re-issued as part of the compilation Do What You Like .cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3618|pure_url=yes|title=Ginger Baker compilations|publisher=allmusic.com Baker formed Baker Gurvitz Army in 1974 and recorded three albums with them before the band broke up in 1976.
In 1992 Baker played with the hard-rock group Masters of Reality on the album Sunrise on the Sufferbus , yielding the top-ten hit "She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)".
In 1994 Baker joined Bruce-Baker-Moore|BBM , a short-lived power trio with the lineup of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Irish blues rock guitarist Gary Moore . On 3May 2005, Baker was reunited with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce , for a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden New York. The London concerts were recorded and released as Royal Albert Hall London May 2–3–5–6 2005 (2005),cite web| url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r794100|pure_url=yes|title=Cream, The Royal Albert Hall London May 2–3–5–6 2005 album|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2010-02-13-10 In a Rolling Stone article written in 2009, Bruce is quoted as saying: "It's a knife-edge thing between me and Ginger. Nowadays, we're happily co-existing in different continents Bruce lives in Britain, Baker in South Africa...although I was thinking of asking him to move. He's still a bit too close."cite web|url= http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/15784/93392|title=The Devil and Ginger Baker|publisher=www.rollingstone.com|accessdate=2009-290-08
In 2008 a bank clerk, Lindiwe Noko, was charged with defrauding him of almost half a million South African Rand|Rand ($60,000).cite news|title=Bank clerk defrauds drummer|url= http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2385534,00.html|publisher=news24.com| date=2008-08-31|accessdate=2008-08-31 The bank clerk claims that it was a gift after she and Baker became lovers. Not so, insisted Baker, who explained, "I've a scar that only a woman who had a thing with me would know. It's there and she doesn't know it's there."cite news|title =Cream drummer may flash ginger nuts in court|url= http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/06/ginger_nuts/|publisher= The Register |date=2008-06-11|accessdate=2008-06-11
Baker's biography Hellraiser was published in 2009.
Documentary
In 2012 the film documentary Beware Of Mr. Baker of Ginger Baker's life was presented at South By Southwest in Austin , Texas. The film directed by Jay Bulger won the top honor for a film documentary.
Discography
The Storyville Jazz Men and The Hugh Rainey Allstars
Storyville Re-Visited (1958) also featuring Bob Wallis and Ginger Baker
Coward of the County Ginger Baker and the Denver Jazz Quartet Atlantic (1999)
Instruments and sound
Baker's current kit is made by Drum Workshop . He used Ludwig-Musser|Ludwig drums until the late 1990s. All of his cymbals are made by Zildjian ; the 22" rivet ride cymbal and the 14" hi-hats he currently uses are the same ones he used during the last two Cream (band)|Cream tours in 1968.cite web|url= http://www.ginger-baker.com/|title=Ginger Baker's drum kit|publisher=ginger-baker.com|accessdate=2010-02-13
1940's 6.5" x 14" black finished Leedy Broadway wood Snare
Snare tuned high, toms and bass tuned low
In May 1968 Baker purchased a new Ludwig drum kit with 20"x14" & 22"x14" bass drums, a 14"x5" metal Super-Sensitive snare and the same-sized toms for Cream's farewell tour.
;Current drums
10"x 8",12" x 9",13" x 10",14" x 12", Tom drum|Toms on front rack stands
1963–present made by Zildjian Cite web|url= http://www.zildjian.com/en-US/artists/artist_results.ad2? letter=B& genreID=20|title=Ziljdian artist list|accessdate=2010-02-13Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot
;1960s
16" crash left upper
13" crash left lower
14" hi-hats left
20" ride right front lower
14" crash right front upper
22" rivet crash/ride right back upper
18" crash right back lower
8" which Ginger once called a "joke effect" splash right of middle
Baker, Ginger and Ginette. ''Hellraiser: The Autobiography of the World's most Famous Drummer . John Blake Publishing (2009). ISBN 978-1-84454-817-0
External links
commons category|Ginger Baker
http://www.gingerbaker.com Official Site and Online Store
http://www.ginger-baker.eu The Ginger Baker Site
http://www.bewareofmrbaker.com Beware Of Mr. Baker site
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608000595/Ginger-Baker.html Biography & Discography at Musicianguide.com
IMDb name|id=0048486|name=Ginger Baker
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/ginger-baker-the-devil-looks-after-his-own-1879629.html Ginger Baker Article by Jay Bulger
cream Persondata | NAME =Baker, Ginger | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1939-08-19 | PLACE OF BIRTH = London, England | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Ginger Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:English drummers Category:English jazz drummers Category:English rock drummers Category:English heavy metal drummers Category:English songwriters Category:English blues musicians Category:Ginger Baker's Air Force members Category:Blind Faith members Category:Hawkwind members Category:Cream (band) members Category:People from Lewisham Category:Musicians from London Category:Polydor Records artists Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians Category:Atco Records artists Category:RSO Records artists
