Bill Bruford
Having already spent almost twenty years on the cutting edge of modern rock percussion, Bill Bruford formed Earthworks in 1986, as a deliberate move towards the intelligence of jazz. Availing himself of the brightest young talent on the burgeoning U.K. jazz scene, namely keyboardist and tenor horn player Django Bates, and saxophonist Iain Ballamy, both best known as frontrunners with the anarchic Big Band Loose Tubes, Bruford encouraged the use of rock technology with jazz sensibility - the hall mark of Earthworks' stylist approach. They succeeded in keeping most of the best, and straining out some of the worst, of both rock and jazz. By letting in air and light and adding a little wit and wisdom, they produced a particularly British antidote to the increasingly grotesque jazz fusion scene. The first LP for Editions EG, Earthworks, was a testament to their achievement. It sounds simple, but the band only found its direction through serious live playing. No theoretical studio concoction here. Japan, Europe, and the UK were all visited before the release of the first album. Immediately heads turned.
Pictures
Discography
BILL BRUFORDDiscography
Setup
BILL BRUFORDDrum Setup
Artist Links
BILL BRUFORD