Ginger Baker

Known originally for his skin-pounding, highly influential playing in the '60s, Ginger Baker drove Cream's powerful sound and forced many a youngster to drop out of school to play drums. Baker has since slipped in and out of the music scene, shifting from heavy rock to jazz and world. While living in Africa he performed with Fela 'Ransome' Kuti before forming a string of different fusion ensembles. More recent work with artists such as Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell have helped Baker prove that he can aptly play in a jazz setting, while collaborations with Bill Laswell produced a cultural/musical mish-mash featuring top instrumentalists from around the globe.