Ginger Baker: Cream's drummer, decoded
Ginger Baker drummed in Cream from 1966 through 1968 plus an extensive jazz / rock / world-music catalog. Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit and Zildjian cymbals during the Cream era, later a Drum Workshop kit, the jazz-into-rock fusion vocabulary that defined 60s power-trio drumming.
Cream · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Ginger Baker (born Peter Edward Baker, August 19, 1939, Lewisham, London; died October 6, 2019, age 80) drummed in Cream from 1966 through 1968 and across an extensive post-Cream jazz / rock / world-music catalog. A Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit and Zildjian cymbals defined the Cream era; he later switched to Drum Workshop. The jazz-into-rock fusion vocabulary, double bass before metal, African-rhythm integration before fusion was a category, his playing reshaped what 60s rock drumming could be. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Cream (1993). Rolling Stone ranked him #3 on the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2016).
Who Ginger Baker was
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker, born August 19, 1939, in Lewisham, London, drummed in Cream from the band's 1966 formation through their 1968 dissolution. Across the band's three studio records (Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire) plus Goodbye (1969), his drum vocabulary defined what 60s power-trio rock drumming could be.
Before Cream he played in jazz combos in London (most notably with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and the Graham Bond Organisation, where he met Cream bandmate Jack Bruce). After Cream he led Blind Faith (1969, with Eric Clapton + Steve Winwood), Ginger Baker's Air Force (1970-1971), Baker Gurvitz Army (1974-1976), and various jazz-fusion + world-music projects. He lived in Nigeria for several years in the early 1970s, playing and recording with Fela Kuti and building Batakota Studios.
The Beware of Mr. Baker documentary (2012, directed by Jay Bulger) is the canonical biographical record of his life. He died October 6, 2019, age 80.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Cream (1993). Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time (2016) ranked him #3.
Style signatures
Three things across the Cream catalog you can identify as Baker's:
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Double-bass technique applied to rock contexts. One of the first rock drummers to play double kicks in a touring setting; the Cream live recordings show double-bass used for melodic-rhythmic effects rather than speed displays.
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Jazz-influenced fills with extended single-stroke roll vocabulary. Baker's jazz training (Phil Seamen was his early mentor) shows up in his fill construction; the rolls are jazz-inflected even in rock contexts.
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African polyrhythms before fusion was a category. Songs like 'Pressed Rat and Warthog' (Wheels of Fire, 1968) show African rhythmic vocabulary integrated into rock contexts; his Nigeria years (1970s) deepened the integration.
Documented gear
- Zildjian A Zildjian Medium Ride, 22 inches. Baker bought his first Zildjians in 1963 and rode a 22-inch A-family ride, modified with rivets for a jazzy sizzle, through Cream's 1968 tours and for decades after. Full review at /gear/zildjian-a-zildjian-medium-ride-22.
- Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit. Cream-era (1966-1968): 20 and 22-inch double bass drums, 12 and 13-inch rack toms, 14 and 16-inch floor toms, and a 1940s 14-inch black-finish Leedy Broadway snare. Brand-level documented; no dedicated CYS gear page yet for this specific vintage kit.
- Zildjian signature stick. A Zildjian-branded Ginger Baker 7A stick is named on his own gear archive and, per a Bonhams auction listing, on a signed example tied to a Cream reunion show; no current retail model or ASIN could be confirmed, so CYS isn't citing a product for it.
- Later kit. Drum Workshop (DW), after Ludwig declined to supply a touring kit and DW did.
Related
The catalog. Cream from Fresh Cream (1966) through Goodbye (1969). Plus Blind Faith (1969), Ginger Baker's Air Force (1970-1971), and his post-Cream jazz / fusion / world-music catalog.
Documented gear. Zildjian A Zildjian Medium Ride 22".
Drummer hub. Drummers index.