Jack Bruce is one of the two most important and distinctive voices in Mantler's universe. After their original meeting during the production of Carla Bley's Escalator Over The Hill, they have worked together since 1973 on a number of recordings as well as live performances. He has provided, almost without exception, the voice for Mantler's interpretations of Samuel Beckett's texts. He appears on No Answer, Live, Many Have No Speech (here also interpreting songs with Ernst Meister's texts in German!), Folly Seeing All This, and The School of Understanding.

A world-renowned composer, singer and bassist, Jack Bruce is probably best known as member of the phenomenal '60s band Cream, which sold 35 Million albums and was awarded the first ever platinum disc for Wheels of Fire. Previously he had worked in blues bands with Alexis Korner, Graham Bond, Manfred Mann and John Mayall. After the break-up of Cream he began a solo career, recording and touring with the likes of Larry Coryell, Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, Gary Moore, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and many others. In 1993 he was inducted into the "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" in Los Angeles, which included a reunion with his Cream partners Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker.

Equally at home in the fields of jazz and rock, his solo albums Songs for a Tailor and Harmony Row remain classics. His interest in World music led to the albums A Question of Time and Somethin Els, which was followed by an interlude of touring and recording a top-ten album with BBM, another power trio with Gary Moore and Ginger Baker. Today Jack Bruce is living quietly with his wife and children in the English country side, concentrating on more intimate music making such as is demonstrated by his most recent release Monkjack, an album of songs accompanied mostly by solo piano and organ duets. His latest public appearences have been with Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, as well as with his own band Jack Bruce and Friends.