Composer, singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Bruce has toured, performed, recorded and appeared on records with some of the biggest names in music including Little Richard, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Dr John, Steve Cropper, Joe Satriani, Joe Bonamassa, Bill Ward & Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath), Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who, Jeff Beck), Leslie West & Corky Laing (Mountain), Tony Butler & Mark Brzezicki (Big Country) and his father, the late Jack Bruce of Cream. Malcolm curated a tribute to his father in October 2016 alongside Pete Brown (Cream lyricist) at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and performed with legends such as Lulu, Eddi Reader, Maggie Reilly, Paul Young, Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), Dennis Chambers (Santana, Parliament / Funkadelic), Gary Husband (Level 42, John McLaughlin), David Sancious (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Stanley Clarke) & Ginger Baker (Cream). He released his album ‘Salvation’ in 2017, a collection of 10 songs recorded at Kevin McKendree’s (Delbert McClinton, Brian Setzer) The Rock House Studio in Franklin TN and mixed by Steve Orchard (Paul McCartney, Chris Cornell) and toured the UK and USA in support. Between 2017 and 2019 Malcolm played around 100 shows in the UK, US, Australia & New Zealand with ‘The Music of Cream’, a tribute to his father’s band, featuring special guests Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) & Robben Ford (Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell). Malcolm was also the bass player for the late Pete Brown’s final record ‘THE SHADOW CLUB’ featuring Richard Bailey (Bob Marley, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood, Incognito) on drums, Clem Clempson & Eric Clapton on guitars, slated for release in 2024. He’s currently working on a new album, ‘FAKE HUMANS AND REAL DOLLS’, to be released in 2024. In 2018/2019 Malcolm was co-executive producer, arranger & performer for ‘HEAVENLY CREAM’, a project headed by Cream lyricist Pete Brown and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, which featured performances by Ginger Baker, Joe Bonamassa, Bobby Rush, Paul Rodgers, Deborah Bonham, Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Pee-Wee Ellis (James Brown), Abass Dodoo and many more. Produced by Rob Cass. The album along with a documentary, ‘THE CREAM ACOUSTIC SESSIONS’ will be released by Quarto Valley Records in November 2023.
I had the chance to catch up with Malcolm recently to get the low down on the project ‘Heavenly Cream: An Acoustic Tribute to Cream‘. We discuss how the project took shape, including the roster of incredible participants (including some of the final recordings of a few leGends). It was not difficult to get people to want to be a part of this record, not a big surprise but when you consider the raw, almost naked at times versions (compared to what our ears are accustomed to), it does make me feel like I/we are able to be there as these songs get (re)discovered. Malcolm clearly has the chops as his own performer, which I would recommend getting out and seeing as much as he is a part of as well, but as many of you, the music of Cream will always summons special times as a person, both as a musical explorer but also as a human doing. The music comes with feelings. So, we do discuss some of that from Malcom’s feelings point of view. I apologies for the poppin’ P’s etc. Must have been the long-distance connection.
