RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Do you hear that baseline?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN")
JACK BRUCE: (Singing) Born under a bad sign.
MARTIN: That is the great Jack Bruce, the bass player for Cream. Bruce died yesterday from liver disease at the age of 71. Cream was a British trio including Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. And although they only played together for a couple of years, they made a lasting impression on the music world. Listen to Cream playing American blues standards like "Cross Road Blues" or "Born Under a Bad Sign," and you hear Jack Bruce's bass line grounding the song and pushing it forward at the same time. He co-wrote some of Cream's biggest hits including "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "I Feel Free." Roger Waters, the great bass player for Pink Floyd said this of Jack Bruce - he was probably the most musically gifted bass player who has ever been.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE")
BRUCE: (Singing) It's getting dawn. The lights close their tired eyes. I'll soon be with you, my love, to give you my dawn surprise. I'll be with you, darling, soon. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.