The 1960s band Cream, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, straddled the high wire of balancing blues, jazz and rock, creating a legion of fans of the latter. Their small catalogue is still in demand, with each album a classic in its own right.
Well, Jack Bruce’s guitar playing son Malcom got the idea of bringing back Ginger Baker and a slew of guests like Bernie Marsden/g, Pete Brown/voc (all in possibly their last recording session) as well as Neil Murray/b, John Donaldson/p, Clem Clempson/g, Joe Bonamassa/g, Maggie Bell/voc, Bobby Rush/voc-harp and Frank Tontoh/dr and others for acoustic renditions of the crop of the Cream.
The acoustic idea works well, since many of Cream’s best tunes were not plugged in, with even some strings thrown in here and there. Still, Rush snarls on “Sitting On Top Of The World” and “Spoonful” like he’s got dirt under his nails,. Bonamassa picks and grins with Marsden on “Crossroads” and belts out “Deserted Cities Of The Heart”, while he’s probably in heaven with Baker on “Sunshine of Your Love”. The strings work gloriously on “White Room” and a dreamy “We’re Going Wrong” with Bruce at the mic, and the horns add a smoky feel to “Tales Of Brave Ulysses”. The album has Jack Bruce’s son shine of his love.