Additional information
Personnel: Jack Bruce (vocals, piano, fretless bass); Gary Moore (vocals, electric guitar); Maggie Reilly (vocals); Pete Brown, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper (vocals, percussion); Malcolm Bruce (acoustic guitar, keyboards); Clem Clempson (acoustic & electric guitar); Dick Heckstall-Smith (soprano & tenor saxophones; Art Themen (tenor saxophone); Henry Lowther (trumpet); John Mumford (trombone); Bernie Worrell (piano, Hammond organ); Jonas Bruce (piano, keyboards); Gary Husband (keyboards, drums); Francois Garny (electric bass); Simon Phillips, Ginger Baker (drums). Producers: Kurt Renker, Walter Quintus, Jack Bruce. Recorded live at E-Werk, Cologne, Germany, November 2-3, 1993. Includes liner notes by Kip Hanrahan. CITIES OF THE HEART is a limited edition release (10,000 copies), with a 32-page booklet featuring a pictorial essay of the event, a birthday celebration/retrospective of Jack Bruce's music, from his earliest days on the British jazz scene, through Cream and Bruce's solo albums. Recorded live in Cologne, Germany. With his rich tenor and keening falsetto, vocalist Jack Bruce set the standard for generations of heavy rock frontmen, from Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant to Rush's Geddy Lee. As an electric bass guitarist, Bruce helped liberate the instrument from its strict timekeeping function, and made it a melodic force on par with lead guitar, paving the way for innovators like Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Rob Wasserman and Les Claypool. And as a composer and arranger--with Cream and on several excellent solo albums--he expanded the parameters of the pop song form by incorporating elements of jazz, blues, folk music and European art songs. All in all, Jack Bruce's contributions to contemporary music are so extensive that this live 2-CD retrospective only seems to scratch the surface. Recorded live over two nights in Cologne, Germany in the fall of 1993, CITIES OF THE HEART presents a balanced portrait of Jack Bruce from his earliest days on the British jazz scene, through his triumphs with Cream, to prime cuts from his extensive output as a solo artist. Bruce fronts a variety of ensembles on CITIES OF THE HEART. Songs such as "Running Thro' Our Hands," "Can You Follow?" and "Ships In The Night" illustrate the romantic side of his songcraft on piano. His trio work with drummer Ginger Baker (and either reedman Dick Heckstall-Smith or guitarist Gary Moore) runs the gamut of free form improvisation, from modern jazz to fervent electric blues. In his other groupings, collaborators including the likes of drummer Simon Phillips, organist Bernie Worrell, guitarist Clem Clempson and his sons Jonas and Malcolm, help him flesh out the modern R&B stylings of songs like "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune" and "Theme For An Imaginary Western." With such a broad range of music at his command, it seems likely that a distinct stylist the likes of Jack Bruce will explode back on the American pop scene before anyone notices how long he's been missing.
Reviews
Rolling Stone (5/19/94, p.103) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...first-rate musicianship properly showcases Bruce's songwriting range, and his high, hoarse vocals and eloquent bass sound freshly terrific...." Down Beat (11/94, p.54) - 2.5 Stars - Fair - "...A familiar cast reprises Cream material, Pete Brown collaborations, classic covers, and more. Bruce's music can be morose, simplistic, harmonically awkward to the ear, and his jazz chops won't make anyone forget Patitucci..."
