The Ginger Baker Trio
9-29-95 Deutsche Jazz Festival, Frankfurt, Germany
abbreviated setlist version

The Band: Ginger Baker (traps), Bill Frisell (guitar) & Charlie Haden (bass)

Notes:
In honor of the "Cream" reunion, here's Ginger Baker's other all-star musical group. This band only played a few live shows. Beyond that, this seems to be the only one in circulation by what was perhaps my all-time favorite band. This is dark, intelligent, psychedelic jazz. The Ginger Baker Trio was one of the only groups that could rock, swing and trip. Why it never became an epic phenomenon is beyond me. This show features some of the songs off the "Going Back Home" disc that I recommend you all purchase if you don't already have it. At the time I put this together, the listener could purchase a dozen used copies through Amazon for under $10.00. On the album, Charlie really takes the back seat to Bill and Ginger. One of the qualities of this live recording is that Charlie really steps out on a few songs. "Ramblin'" is a great example of this. In any case, I predicted that this band would turn me onto Baker's post-Cream career. Instead, it turned me onto the man who became one of my all-time favorite musicians, Bill Frisell. Every jazz enthusiast (especially the guitar nerds) should have this in their collection.

Quality: Excellent. This sounds like an official release. Unlike the other fuller version that circulates, this has no pops or diginoise. This is as clean and dynamic as it gets. While the other version has more songs, it isn't complete since it lacks "In the Moment," which can be found in this abbreviated copy. The benefit with this version is the amazing sound quality but the drawback is a shorter setlist. Beyond the pros and cons, this version is speed corrected -see below for details. By the way, the other version is well worth having and a dime torrent is still open at: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=70217

Setlist:

1. Ginger Blues (7:26)
2. Ain Temouchant (5:24)
3. Ramblin' (12:24)
4. Spiritual (5:34)
5. In The Moment (13:31)

Entire disc length: 44:12

The original German radio announcers are on this version.

Uploaded by jedimastermojave.

Source: soundboard German FM > ? > trade obtained CD-R > speed corrected* > CD-R > EAC > FLAC Fontend level 7

*Anybody who has heard any incarnation of this show knows that the speed is always off. Thanks to Dave (Sidewinderblues@aol.com), who corrected this show's speed. As a result, the listener is unlikely to ever find a better version of this performance. This is the first time that this new and improved version has entered circulation. Here's what Dave wrote about the process: "Original off-pitch disc was recorded in dolby C onto Maxell XL-2 tape using a Sony TC-WE835S tape deck (this deck has a pitch control). I determined the correct pitch by listening to the original LP track and then by using an electric piano / keyboard as a note reference while adjusting the pitch control on the tape deck. It was then played at the corrected speed with (dolby C on) and recorded as a WAV file in 16 bit using a program called Magix music studio deluxe 2005, a creative soundblaster live card and pentium 4 processor. No equalizing was done to the file. The Wav file was then split into separate tracks using a program called CD Wav editor. The final disc mastering was done using record now software."


Let's clear something up:
In November, seasob seeded a seemingly similar Ginger Baker Trio show through dime. It was described as having been recorded on 9-24-95 from the Frankfurt Jazz Festival. Db.etree's setlist confirms the existence of this show with a setlist match. Ultimately, that recording is not from the said venue or date. It is another version of this 9-29-95 show from the Deutsche Jazz Festival, Frankfurt, Germany. I can confirm this because on this abbreviated version, stage banter matches that from the previously mislabeled fuller setlist version. I can verify the date and venue for this show because the radio announcer gives these details along with the personnel. While the Trio may have played a 9-24-95 show, the discs that have been labeled with that date have been mislabeled and therefore the show's existence is highly suspect. Hopefully this will clear up the confusion about what was once thought of as two shows but is really two versions of one.