Kofi, no Cream

Paul Saitowitz

In a central Orange County industrial space sandwiched between

machine shops and, well, other machine shops is an unlikely place to

find the progeny of one of the world’s most famous drummers.

Not just well-known, but the purveyor of the torrential downpour

of classic-rock-defining tom-tom fills that flood the background of

the legendary rock anthem “Sunshine of Your Love,” the blasting

backbeat of “White Room” and thumping rhythm of “Crossroads.”

Kofi Baker, mid-30s, son of Cream -- a power trio rounded out by

Jack Bruce on bass and Eric Clapton on guitar -- drummer Ginger Baker

spends most of his time in that space, which includes a cat, cat

post, couch, old car and drum studio, where he gives drum lessons to

Orange County youths hung up on the kick-snare-kick-snare beat of

punk rock.

Baker, replete with sweat shorts, sleeveless T-shirt and haphazard

piecemeal truck -- he built it himself -- doesn’t scream rock star

son, but then again, what should the son of a rocker look like?

“I remember one time picking up my dad at his house in the truck

and him saying, ‘You couldn’t pay me to ride in that thing,’ I told

him, ‘Sorry, my parents don’t buy me cars,’” he said.

One glimpse of him behind the kit, however, and it’s easy to see

that Baker -- who was born after Cream broke up and only met Clapton

a handful of times -- at least inherited one thing from the old man.

With all four limbs moving independently, double-bass drums

pounding away and hands barely visible as they go from one tom to the

next (with snare and cowbell hits in between), he obviously has the

chops.

“My dad started teaching me drums as soon as I was able to hold

the sticks,” Baker said. “My first gig was on a TV show with him when

I was 6.”

Growing up in England, he spent hours a day practicing with his

famous father until the age of 9, when the elder Baker began leaving

for long stretches of time to tour the world.

After that, he continued to take drum lessons with various players

in the London area.

“I studied and played with guys from all over ... some Egyptian

guys, it really helped me learn a bunch of different styles,” he

said.

Kofi Baker came to the United States in 1992 after being lured by

the now-defunct Scotty Bros. Records, which signed his band Lost City

-- a mullet-headed ‘80s rock outfit. The group featured another Cream

bloodline, the son of Bruce.

After some touring, that band eventually broke up, but Baker

remained in the States and got work touring with various bands and

recording as a studio session drummer.

“I don’t play sessions that much anymore because I can’t really

get into it if I’m not feeling the music ... and a lot of times the

music is not really my style,” he said.

He claims his heavy touring days are behind him as well, but he

still plays locally two or three nights a week with several projects,

including his Ginger Baker Jr. Trio.

“It’s basically just me and a rotating group of different

musicians,” he said. “We’re always expected to play a couple of Cream

songs, and then we play some more modern stuff and pretty much jam on

whatever we feel like.”

He also plays with Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland in a fusion

band called Ohm. The band recently played at Eric Clapton’s

Crossroads Guitar Festival at the Cotton Bowl in Texas.

“I hadn’t seen Clapton since I was 18 ... so I thought it would be

rude if I didn’t go by and say hi, but his security wouldn’t let me

through,” Baker said.

The Ginger Baker Jr. Trio will play La Cave in Costa Mesa tonight.