Bill Bruford - All

'Lighthouse' point the way.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:03:00 MST

Those interested in state of the art acoustic fusion - and Lighthouse may have to forgive me for using the ‘f’ word - need look no further than this highly-skilled UK jazz trio. Comprising two ex-Earthworkers, pianist Gwilym Simcock and bass clarinet /saxophonist Tim Garland, the group is completed with the exciting Israeli-born Asaf Sirkis on drums. Lighthouse is positioned where I would have liked to have positioned Earthworks were the old ship s... More

Bill on TV last night.

Bill Bruford — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:12:00 MST

Bill cropped up on BBC4 TV last night on 'How the Brits Rocked America: Go West', a well balanced documentary on how Led Zeppelin spearheaded the British stadium rock assault on the States in the 70s. Lots of Cream, Led Zep, Purple, Sabbath, Tull, McCartney; some Yes, Crimson, and Floyd. Bill chips in his commentary on getting to the US, Birmingham Town Hall, PA systems, larks' tongues, and sundry other aspects. If you missed it and are in the UK, you can More

Bill spills beans...

Bill Bruford — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:07:00 MST

Drums as sculpture: with A.B.W.H. in 1989.

A new-ish mag from Australia called Digital Drummer looks at this drumming thing from the electronic perspective. Since Bill (and Dave Simmons) did a fair bit of the heavy lifting in the early days of the development of the instrument, he's got a fair bit to say on the subject in this excellent article. Available online.

25 all-time great double-drumming tracks.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:08:00 MST

Adam Budofsky at Modern Drummer magazine dropped us a note to say - if you missed it the first time around - here's his excellent piece on the Top 25 Double Drumming tracks of all time.

This article originally ran in the February 2007 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. For access to all of the great editorial from MD’s first twenty-six years of publication, check out their Digital Archive.

Upcoming BBC TV series looks good.

Bill Bruford — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:50:00 MST

Bill starts the New Year with a bang, and three media appearances. He's currently featured in the current edition of the UK's Drummer Magazine alongside Josh Freese. You can also find him at Record Collector Magazine - the entire interview and some relatively unusual pics can be viewed online here. Finally, lookout for a promising new 3-part More

Winner gets the Bass Drum...

Bill Bruford — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:17:00 MST

'Winner gets the bass drum'. Photo taken at Explorer's Percussion, Kansas City, MO., this autumn. After Bill's presentation, an unseenly fight broke out over who gets the nifty little Tama bass drum. It could only be settled one way. Left corner is Wes Faulconer, owner of Explorer's; right corner is Bill. Referee is not Santa Claus, but is Tama rep Tim Morris, who produced the drum.

Thanks to all for staying in touch, and come back and visit us in 2012. Happy New Year! Bill and Admin

The guestbook is no more - R.I.P.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:34:00 MST

Comment and reaction seem to have migrated to the ever popular Facebook. The poor old guestbook has been subjected to massive spam recently, so it's time for it to be put quietly to bed. Answers to outstanding questions can be found opposite in VIEWS. Admin

Upcoming in 2012

Bill Bruford — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:58:00 MST

Rick Wakeman's kit - with the maestro hard at work - around the time of the Six Wives of Henry VIII album (see below).

You may have noticed the Guestbook has disappeared. It was drowning in spam, so we’ve had to close it down. Anyway, conversation on all things Bruford seems to have moved ‘offshore’ to my Facebook page, so please feel to contribute over there.

What’s coming up in the New Year? Well, French and Japanese E... More

Right now, Europe has it.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:08:00 MST

Having just been in the US and then Sweden, and addressing plenty of young musicians in both, thoughts cannot help but turn to the relative merits of life in each for the young musician, were I again to be one.

In the vast US, all remains commercial. The imperative to produce an immediate return on each dollar spent continues to be the main driver for club-owner or promoter, who, panicked and nervous, thus provide for the audience what the audience had yesterday. My old friends and co-worker... More

Music Industry Association awards and fund-raiser.

Bill Bruford — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:01:00 MST

There will be a Silent Auction of a range of signed music memorabilia tonight at the MIA Music Awards gala dinner, with the proceeds going to the charity Music for All. Foruli Publications in conjunction with Bill have donated a full Special Edition Autobiography as part of the fund-raising for this worthwhile cause, for which Bill is also an ambassador. Other juicy items? Lots of signed gear by Steve Vai, Foo Fighters, Chilli Peppers etc. More More

October's questions answered

Bill Bruford — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:01:00 MST

Photo shows the outer slip-box of the new Foruli Limited Edition autobiography with unique section of well-gigged Bruford Paiste cymbal embedded in the spine!

+++++++++++++++++++++++

I’m just back from the USA after a short but useful 10-day trip. I only do short these days. Flying doesn’t get any better. I continue to be astonished by the huge interest in all things drums and drumming, and grateful for the continuing interest in my modest contribution in that area. T... More

Complete Foruli package pictured.

Bill Bruford — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:24:00 MST

Shipping begins on or before November 21st for lucky customers who have already pre-ordered the mouth-wateringly beautiful Limited Edition Autobiography package (pictured above). Full details at Foruli, and just a reminder that it is available at a 10%% discount if ordered before November 21st 2011. Shipping is free.

Bill's new career...

Bill Bruford — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:04:00 MST

At Cascio Interstate Music, New Berlin WI. Bill's on the hard right, half way up...

If you want to know what Bill's up to in his new career, here's an interesting description.

Unavailable anywhere else!

Bill Bruford — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:15:00 MST

Why shop at the THE shop for the Bruford maniac?

The three best reasons:

1) Unavailable anywhere else: the Autographed Series of CDs, DVDs, and photos: (see above sample)

2) Unavailable anywhere else: T-shirts, merchandise,‘themed’ packets of three chosen by Bill, and special offers and discounts.

3) Unavailable anywhere else: the warm fuzzy feeling you get when, by supporting the shop, you support this site and the musician’s work in general.

New items are being added all the ... More

Bill in Sweden in November.

Bill Bruford — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:50:00 MST

Following his trip to the US, Bill will be visiting several academic insitutions in Sweden in November. His talks are based loosely around the notion of 'The Creative Musician in a Commercial World'. Several of these are private events, but here are the details of the three open to the public:

Monday, Nov. 7, 18.00

Liljeforssalen

Royal College of Music (Musikhögskolan), Malmö

Students & teachers at the College of Music: free

Members of Jazz i Malmö: free (membership cards can be... More

Time change on 'Wit and Wisdom' tour.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:11:00 MST

Please note that Bill's appearance on Saturday October 22nd at Cascio Interstate Music, New Berlin, WI has been brought forward to 11.00 am. Doors open at 10.00.

September's questions answered.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:07:00 MST

Max Roach and Art Blakey.

Hi Everyone – today it’s just answers to last month’s questions.

Fabian Broicher Date: 24.09.2011. I've read somewhere, Bill, I just can't remember where, that you once wrote "Moon" on one and "Go Home" on the other shoe. Probably in some Yes-related article. Is that a true story? Ever since I read that, I am doing it too, though I'm always getting weird questions regarding why I don't like the moon as such and/or the night.

Fabian. It’s true! We w... More

Calling all UK musicians!

Bill Bruford — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:02:00 MST

Photo: Deirdre O'Callaghan
The Musicians Union in conjunction with Classic Rock magazine is offering the classic rock 'Maestro Award'. Bill is one of five musicians honoured to be nominated for the award, the others being Don Airey (kbds), Mike Rutherford (gtr), Phil Manzanera(gtr), and Steve Winwood (kbds). He could use your vote! The winner will receive their award at London's Roundhouse on 9 November 2011. You need to be a UK Musicians Union member to participate, and members should log on... More

Foruli live event with Bill in London October 5th.

Bill Bruford — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:44:00 MST

There will be a launch party for the limited editions sets of Bill Bruford: The Autobiography, including the new album From Conception to Birth. The event will be at The Forge in London on 5th October 2011. You can register interest in free tickets and get more detail here.

Wit and wisdom on the road...

Bill Bruford — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:43:00 MST

Kazumi Watanabe Group poster: see Adam Garrie's question below.
Hi Everyone –
If you haven’t seen Gavin Harrison on a recent Letterman, check it out on youtube. His playing is sublime – and in a high pressure situation, too. It’s rare to have that much drum talent paraded in front of the mass US viewing public – well done Gavin, and D. Letterman.
Plenty going on this Fall. I’ll be in the US mid-west and Boston from October 16th to 26th talking at various retail stores suppo... More

Bill's October tour dates and details now complete.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:15:00 MST

With guitarist Allan Holdsworth c. 1991
Bill's occasional series of informal chats continues this October in the US, details below. Bring your most insoluble questions. There won't be any live playing, but wit and wisdom will abound, and books will be available for signing.
Mon. Oct. 17th---8:00PM Columbus Percussion, 5052 North High St, Columbus OH 43214. Call toll free in the US (800) 775-7372
Tue. Oct. 18th---7:00PM Sweetwater Music, 5501 U.S. Hwy 30 W, Fort Wayne IN 46... More

Free tickets for Foruli London event!

Bill Bruford — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:21:00 MST

Foruli, the publisher of the limited edition book and record sets ‘Bill Bruford: The Autobiography,’ will be holding an exclusive invitation-only launch event in London in October. There will be a competition for places on the guest list. Further details will be divulged in due course, but in the meantime you can sign up to the mailing list.

More Fall dates...

Bill Bruford — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:12:00 MST

Additional dates have been added to Bill's Fall US itinerary. He will be talking loosely about his career and bands, attitudes to music, and the perils of playing percussion in public. There will no hands-on drumming. Plenty of questions are welcomed, and books will be on hand for signing:
Monday October 17 Columbus Percussion, Columbus OH 8.00 pm
Tuesday October 18 Sweetwater Music, Ft Wayne IN 7.00 pm
Wednesday October 19 Drum Shop, Lexington KY 7.30 pm
Thursday October 20 Explore... More

Next up in the 40th Anniversary series...

Bill Bruford — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:05:00 MST

The next two releases in the King Crimson 40th Anniversary Series are now available as pre-orders. Both Starless & Bible Black and Discipline have been mixed for 5.1 Surround Sound from the original studio masters by Steven Wilson and are fully approved by Robert Fripp. Discipline's title track is in an unusually exotic time-signature, and gave rise to Bruford's much-quoted description of King Crimson as being a band in which he could "play in 17/16 and still stay in decent hotels".
Please cl... More

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:14:00 MST

No, it's not me when I was younger. It's an unidentified dance-band drummer at Mark Foy's Empress Ballroom, Sydney, Australia. Date unknown.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Build roads, attract more cars. Empty cupboard space. Can’t stand it, let’s find some things to put in there. There’s space for just a few more things on that empty shelf. Let’s fill it up! Nature abhors a vacuum, as do we consumers. If not the whole function of the artist, it may be his pleasure to reassert some control... More

Bill on British rock drumming

Bill Bruford — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:21:00 MST

Next time you want to make a point in 48 seconds, why not enlist the aid of the BBC's excellent graphics department? Bill did just that in this brief
BBC TV clip which succinctly covers his thoughts on being hit about the head with a phone directory.

Limited Edition 2-disc vinyl album 'From Conception to Birth'.

Bill Bruford — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 01:24:00 MST

Pictured: the limited edition artwork.
As you may have gathered, Foruli Limited Editions Books are publishing a special edition of my autobiography this Fall. Among several other interesting features of this, there is a two-disc vinyl album called ‘From Conception to Birth’. This comprises eight songs that I wrote, each accompanied by its demo. [A seventeenth unreleased track - ‘Banyan’ - is also included]. As t... More

Earthworker nominated for Mercury Music Prize!

Bill Bruford — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:40:00 MST

Gwilym Simcock with Earthworks 2005: L-R Tim Garland, Laurie Cottle, Gwilym, Bill.
Ex-Earthworker Gwilym Simcock has been nominated for a prestigious Barclaycard Mercury Prize for his highly-regarded current album 'Good Days at Schloss Elmau'. Forging a career as both leader and soloist on the European concert hall circuit while playing with the creme-de-la-creme back home in the UK, Gwil goes from strength to strength. For those interested in early footage, his work with Earthworks on the tr... More

US fall dates.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:50:00 MST

Bill will be continuing his series of occasional talks in the USA in October. Confirmed are:
Monday October 17th: Columbus,OH
Tuesday October 18th: Ft. Wayne,IN
Saturday October 22nd: Milwaukee WI
Other dates will be posted here as soon as they are confirmed.

Unidentified Yes, an antique SDX ...

Bill Bruford — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 03:42:00 MST

One of my two elderly Simmons SDXs goes off to a new home. See question below.
Fourth of July holiday weekend, so everyone in the US will be snoozing - or, over here, catching up on Wimbledon.
By the way, for our Italian friends and Bruford watchers, Luigi Viva has sent this review of the Italian edition of my book, for w... More

Garland on Bruford

Bill Bruford — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:07:00 MST

With Tim Garland. Pic: David Sokol
If you'd like to know a bit more about ex-Earthworks saxophonist/multi instrumentalist Tim Garland, you could do no better than catch the recent UK national BBC Radio 3 profile on him, available to listen again here for another few days. Tim's take on our time together in Earthworks - and Earthworks Underground Orchestra - is heard at about 30'15".

Yes in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Bill Bruford — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:49:00 MST

1971 UK concert poster.
Thanks to Phill Marder for sending in his Goldmine article on Yes' continuing absence from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His finding - that of approximately 260 inductees currently listed in the Rock Hall, only three are remotely connected to Progressive rock - is something of an eye-opener. Those three are Pink Floyd, Genesis and Traffic. That’s about one percent. Why no Yes? Ki... More

Foruli announce Limited Edition autobiography for the autumn.

Bill Bruford — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:26:00 MST

Further information on the eagerly awaited Special Edition of Bill's Autobiography is now available over at Foruli.

The right of reply.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 06:23:00 MST

With great drummer Adam Nussbaum last night at ‘the Pizza’…
Conventional wisdom has it that, like the Queen of England, working performers have no right of reply. Anyone posing as a ‘critic’ may villify you in print or online to their heart’s content; any reply from the artist merely validates said ‘critic’, who dines out on the reflected glory, (to mix a couple of metaphors). There is the memorable case of a particularly thin-skinned star I once worked with who took a disli... More

Bill in upcoming VH1 documentary.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:53:00 MST

Hard at work spilling the beans.
Bill was today interviewed for a 11-part TV series called Metal Evolution, to premiere on VH1 Classics in America this November. The shows explore all the roots of heavy music, from Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry to Wagner and Paganini right up to the hip-hop that influenced nu-metal. The episode that includes Bill will trace the roots of progressive rock and metal. As one of the architects of this genre, whose work is referenced by many of the other musicians i... More

Bass players, odd-time signatures, and remote hi-hats…

Bill Bruford — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 03:12:00 MST

This picture at Duke University, Raleigh, N.C. in late 1971 shows Bill sound-checking his complete two-floor tom Hayman kit. Note the Hayman snare has been demoted to spare in favour of his ‘Roundabout’ Ludwig snare. Pic courtesy of Michael DeAngury.
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Questions from Mike Yocum, Robert Howie and others, answered below, make me think it might be a good idea to point you to the More

Back in the USSA...

Bill Bruford — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:56:00 MST

Bill's talks last time went very well, and he is currently in early negotiation with Tama Drums to arrange more speaking dates in the U.S. mid-west this autumn. Confirmed details will be posted here as soon as they are available.

A little slice of history.

Bill Bruford — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:04:00 MST

L-R: Hagger, Banks, Anderson, Squire.
Here's a slice of history. Mabel Greer's Toyshop was the short-lived late 1960's British band best known for having three future Yes members (Jon Anderson, Peter Banks, and Chris Squire) in its ranks.
Squire, then a member of The Syn, created Mabel Greer's Toyshop in late 1967, along with singer/guitarist Clive Bailey and drummer Bob Hagger. Chr... More

Hayman drums and April's responses.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:13:00 MST

Earthworks, Saarbrucken, Germany, 2004. L-R Gwilym Simcock, Tim Garland, Mark Hodgson, Bill
Prompted by the front cover photo of the book, which shows a scarily youthful Bruford in action, plenty of people have asked 'when did I play Camco drums?'. The distinctive round lug boxes have caused some confusion between that company and the British outfit Hayman Drums, whose instruments I did play in the early 70s. Hayman is less well known than Camco in the USA, and I came across More

A couple of reminders.

Bill Bruford — Mon, 02 May 2011 01:37:00 MST

Just a reminder to let you know Bill will be discussing and taking questions on his Autobiography in London at Westminster Reference Library, 35 St. Martin's Street, London WC2H 7HP on Friday June 17th from 6.30-8.00 pm. Autographed copies of the book will be available. If you want to know what these good-humoured sessions are like, have a look at www.facebook.com/billbruford where several clips have been posted from a recent appearance at Borders.
Interest in the book continues unabated. The... More

Tips on composing drum parts for songs: Part 2

Bill Bruford — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 03:11:00 MST

Music for the 1997 Summerfold album 'If Summer Had Its Ghosts'.
The following fairly complicated question came in, and I thought it might be good to try to air an answer in public. It’s a bit long, so I split the answer in two parts. This is the second - the first was posted here in VIEWS on 19.03.2011.
Would you mind addressing how you compose a drum part for a song and let us know if you plan everything including fills, breaks and specific patterns that repeat consistently... More

A few Signed Autobiogs available!

Bill Bruford — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:23:00 MST

There have been several requests for more signed copies of the autobiography to be made available. Once again the ever-helpful Tama Drums has stepped into the breach - Bill has signed and dated a small consignment which has shipped from the UK and is now available direct from the US Tama Store. Hurry on over while stocks last.
If you ever wanted to know anything about Paiste cymbals, let Ed Clift be your guide. ... More

March questions answered by Bill...

Bill Bruford — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 06:26:00 MST

With Adrian Belew, King Crimson guitarist and singer, c1984
Fernando Hurtado Date: 28.02.2011: What do you think the drummer of the future will be? There are great drummers that are doing some great stuff like Gavin Harrison, but I want to know your opinion about the future of the drummer as an artist, composer and instrumentalist.
Great question, Fernando. If I knew the answer, I’d be a rich man indeed! We’d have to start by defining ‘drummer’. I suspect you mean the drumset... More

Bill at Westminster Library, London, June 17th

Bill Bruford — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:31:00 MST

This is an early advisory to let you know Bill will be discussing and taking questions on his Autobiography at Westminster Reference Library, 35 St. Martin's Street, London WC2H 7HP on Friday June 17th from 6.30-8.00 pm. Autographed copies of the book will be available. If you want to know what these good-humoured sessions are like, have a look at www.facebook.com/billbruford where several clips have been posted from a recent appearance at Borders.

Podcast for Joe

Bill Bruford — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:27:00 MST

In 2009, Dave Brubeck’s musical masterpiece Time Out turned 50. Bill was asked to contribute his thoughts on the record - and specifically Joe's work on it - for a podcast on behalf of Legacy Recordings, along with additional musicians saxophonist David Sanborn and bassist Mike Richmond. Bill's comments may be of interest in the heightened awareness of Joe's contribution to drumming following his... More

Tips on composing drum parts for songs: Part 1

Bill Bruford — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 07:41:00 MST

The following fairly complicated question came in, and I thought it might be good to try to air an answer in public. It’s a bit long, so I’ll split the answer in two, with Part 2 to come next time:
Would you mind addressing how you compose a drum part for a song and let us know if you plan everything including fills, breaks and specific patterns that repeat consistently on purpose and become the final part? What is your method and is it the same way you approach composing a song... More

Life goes on after Joe...

Bill Bruford — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:16:00 MST

Joe Morello 1928-2011
We were saddened to hear of the recent death of the drum great Joe Morello. Bill often cites Joe as one of the three titans of drumming that got him interested in the first place - the other two being Max Roach and Art Blakey. If Morello's name is new to you, go and have a listen on Youtube. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of this great player.
On a happier note, the series of Q & As with Bill continues over on the official More

What's it like working with Jon Anderson and Steve Howe?

Bill Bruford — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:21:00 MST

Every Tuesday the wonderful Tama Drums is posting portions of a Q&A session with Bill over on their Facebook page, filmed on his recent book tour in the US. Things got underway on Tuesday February 22nd with a question about Bill’s creative process, and on March 1st he’s caught talking about what it was like working with Jon Anderson and Steve Howe of Yes. Today March 9th it’s about me... More

Bill inks deal with Foruli Publications.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:26:00 MST

Following the success of the paperback version, Bill has today signed a deal with Foruli Publications for a special Limited Edition of his book Bill Bruford: The Autobiography. Foruli Limited Editions are designed as works of art for the connoisseur and collector. They are typically packaged along with any number of exciting and unusual artefacts and memorabilia from the artist's working life, and Bill's will be accompanied by a Limited Edition vinyl album, among other items. Publication is sche... More

February's questions answered.

Bill Bruford — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 07:30:00 MST

With Genesis c.1976: L-R front: Rutherford, Collins, Hackett. L-R rear: Banks, Bruford.
Continuing thanks to all for kind comments about my literary efforts. The book continues to sell steadily on a growing word of mouth to which you all - I’m happy to say- contribute!
George H. Myers: Date 08.02.2011 is ‘looking for a "new or used in "Great Condition" TAMA STARCLASSIC MAPLE... MADE IN JAPAN. I am not sure if I can find a new Tama kit made in Japan? Please let me know A.S.A.P’
... More

Congratulations to eagle-eyed reader.

Bill Bruford — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:10:00 MST

Congratulations to Russell Whitworth, who discovered the (accidental) deliberate error in the recent list of '10 Albums that Changed My Life'. In number 7 - Miles' Bitches Brew - the Ornette Coleman album is in fact called 'The Shape of Jazz to Come', not 'The Shape of Things to Come'. Bit like calling something '20th Century Schizoid Man'. Doesn't really work! If there had been a competition, your new CD would be on its way, Russell. But there wasn't so it isn't. Many thanks for alerting us.

Job done

Bill Bruford — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:21:00 MST

It's been a pleasure, and was a lot of fun for Bill.

The next generation...

Bill Bruford — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:18:00 MST

Book signing at Borders.

A happy customer at Borders Books, King of Prussia, P.A.

Bill Bruford — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:12:00 MST

More pics to follow.

10 albums that changed my life

Bill Bruford — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:15:00 MST

10 Albums that changed my life.
Goldmine Magazine has had a few people offering ‘10 Albums that Changed My Life’ recently. Sounds a bit portentous, but it’s true - some of them really did change lives - but it’s a slightly slippery idea. The music I heard as a teenager literally changed my life because it caused me to become a musician, so any list tends to be weighted in the early years. After that my life changed very little; I was fully engaged in being a musician. But there we... More

Missing persons identified!

Bill Bruford — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:16:00 MST

Aymeric Leroy from France has written in to help with the unidentified people in the Gong picture below. He says:
"the first person on the left seems to be Francis Linon (aka Venux de Luxe), Gong's live sound engineer at the time - and these days (for over 30 years now), with Magma. The other guy would seem to be Tim Blake (keyboards), but his face is partially hidden". Many thanks, Aymeric!

Questions answered

Bill Bruford — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:38:00 MST

Gong taking a rest-stop, Norway December 1974: L-R unidentified, unidentified, Carolyn Bruford, Mike Howlett (bass), Didier Malherbe (saxophone).
Thanks for the questions and comments to the guest book – keep them coming!
Michael DeAngury from Charlotte, North Carolina 17.01.2011 has a great set of photos from a Yes gig in Durham, North Carolina at Duke University's Indoor Stadium on November 20th 1971. If you’d like to see pictures of the young Yes on tour around then go to his fac... More

Belew, Levin, Mastelotto Band Camp announced.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:44:00 MST

Anyone interested in getting into the meat and potatoes of how King Crimson's more recent music was constructed need only turn up at the Belew, Levin, and Mastelotto Band Camp in the beautiful Catskill Mountains in upstate New York this summer. Essential summer vacationing for the discerning Proglodyte. Full details of the course are at the website here.
If you're new round here and trying to find out who Bill is and what he's been doi... More

Read all about it!

Bill Bruford — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 07:04:00 MST

As if there wasn’t enough going on in the US on Bill’s recent trip, he took time out to film a promo video for the book. Sales continue to go from strength to strength, fuelled by strongly favourable word of mouth (see guestbook). The vid is now up at YouTube, and viewable on the homepage of this site.
Bill is much commented on in March’s Modern Drummer magazine, under the banner ‘9 Reasons to Love…’ Don’t ask why March’s issue is available late January – it just is. Writer ... More

Letter from America

Bill Bruford — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:31:00 MST

Roy Harper's 'Trigger', 1975.
It was weird being on tour in the US recently, this time without a drum kit. In my playing days, we used to fly vast quantities of drums and specialist percussion around to what promoters were pleased to call primary, secondary, and tertiary markets. In Louisiana for example, the primary was New Orleans, the secondary Baton Rouge, and the tertiary some god-forsaken cattle shed outside Pineville. Then, as the market contracted, it was just primary and secondary m... More

Pianocircus in action.

Bill Bruford — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:00:00 MST

With Pianocircus. 'Skin and Wire' composer Riley on left.
Good news for UK fans of the Riley / Bruford /Pianocircus project 'Skin and Wire', released on Summerfold Records in 2009. Pianocircus will play several tracks from the CD - including 'Squiggle Zipper',and 'Ebb Cast' - and the world premiere of 'Double Trio' at London's Kings Place, 7.30pm on Monday 7th February. Each piece will be accompanied by a specially created visual component, the final piece using 6 live camera mixes ... More

The passing of Mick Karn

Bill Bruford — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:09:00 MST

With many others I’m saddened to hear of the recent death of Mick Karn, who recently at age 52 lost his struggle with cancer. Master of the fretless snakebass, I played with him and guitarist David Torn on a few tours in the mid-80s when we were out promoting David’s ‘Cloud About Mercury’ album. We then did some tracks on Torn’s follow-up album ‘Door X’, one of which was a decent take on the Hendrix classic ‘Voodoo Chile’. He had just the right indeterminate thing for David’s... More

While we're talking about books...

Bill Bruford — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:40:00 MST

Just a thought, but while we're talking about books (see reference below to the astonishingly lavish 'Sticks 'n' Skins' coffee-table-photo-monster), you might like to check out a book that's causing something of a buzz in musicians' circles. 'Innerviews: Music Without Borders' from Anil Prasad (Abstract Logix Books) features 'extraordinary conversations with extraordinary musicians', it says here. The author presents some two dozen interviews with great and interesting players, including Bill, a... More

Happy New Year!

Bill Bruford — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:48:00 MST

Best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous 2011 to all our visitors here at billbruford.com! Your support and interest through 2010 has been much appreciated.

Drummers that write and writers that drum.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:10:00 MST

L-R: Mark Guiliana, Billy Ward, Michael Parillo (Associate Editor, Modern Drummer magazine), Bruford, Adam Budofsky (Editorial Director, Modern Drummer).

Bill in 2011

Bill Bruford — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:22:00 MST

Further to the success of his recent Autobiography, Bill will continue to teach and lecture on some of the issues raised in it - and the musical life in general - through 2011. He will be much in evidence at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey, UK in two guises next year 2011. He will be mentoring on the school's brand new M.A.Course, and also leading a shor... More

Dining with the great and the good...

Bill Bruford — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:05:00 MST

More food. On tour you've got to keep body and soul together, after all. In Memphis TN, these guys are the guys you want to thank for all their help with equipment over the years.
R-L: Ed O'Donnell (Tama Sales Manager), Bill Reim (President, Tama USA), Terry Bissette (Tama Artist Relations), Ed Clift (Paiste cymbals); obscured - Patrick Mulcahy (bass) and Jonathan Schang (drums) of the sensational new progressive group District 97 out of Chicago, IL. Bruford holds their CD. Pic by Jim Pettit... More

On stage at Memphis Drum Shop, Memphis, TN.

Bill Bruford — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:00:00 MST

Memphis Drum Shop, December 7, 2010. Back in the spotlight again...

BB On NPR

Bill Bruford — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:31:00 MST

Recorded during his recent speaking tour of the USA, you can listen to Bill being interviewed on NPR here.

Sound & Vision

Bill Bruford — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 02:54:00 MST

Bill has been meeting folks and talking about his career at a number of events over in the USA this last week. Those unable to get to any of Bill’s talks will be pleased to know he’s talking to Liane Hansen about his autobiography on National Public Radio in the USA, provisionally scheduled for their Weekend Edition which runs between 8.00 and 11.00 Sunday morning December 12th.
Interestingly, Bill made a virtual appea... More

Update from Bill

Bill Bruford — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:14:00 MST

I’m gearing up for the United States and practicing the one joke I’ve got for any citizens of that fair country who might be willing to attend one of my six talks on the ‘Perils and Pitfalls of Playing Percussion in Public'. (FYI the dates and details are in the News section of this site). It’ll be weird turning up without a drumkit, but I’m very much looking forward to the trip. The book is continuing to sell like hotcakes and now Foruli Books have turned up and they want to do a lim... More

USA tour details

Bill Bruford — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:25:00 MST

Wednesday December 1st: 7.00 pm Guitar Center Manhattan, 25 W. 14th Street, Manhattan, NY 10011. Call 212-463-7500. First come first served.
http://gc.guitarcenter.com/locations/store.cfm?store=810
Thursday December 2nd : 7.00 pm. Drummers Collective, 541 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011. Call (212) 741-0091 X100 to reserve a ticket or show up on the day. info@thecollective.edu
Friday December 3rd: 3.00 pm. Miller Recital Hall,Manhattan School of Music, 601 West 122nd St... More

Change of venue, M.S.M. Friday December 3rd

Bill Bruford — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:30:00 MST

Please note Bill's lecture at 3.00pm on December 3rd at the Manhattan School of Music has moved to a bigger room, the Miller Recital Hall, same address. 601 West 122nd Street, NYC, (at Broadway and 122nd Street - main entrance on 122nd Street). Call 917-493 4428.

The Beat Goes On...

Bill Bruford — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:34:00 MST

Our thanks go to Claude Lamamy from France who sent in a link to this rendition of that well-known King Crimson tune, Waiting Man. Performed by the French ensemble Orkestra Percussion, it’s a great take on this iconic tune from Crimson’s Beat album.
More

Thanks to all those participating

Bill Bruford — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 03:43:00 MST

The personalized CD and DVD offer is now closed. Your requests are winging their way across the pond to Bill in the UK, and we'll turn this around for you just as fast as possible. Admin

Last chance saloon!

Bill Bruford — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:14:00 MST

Today - November 8th - is the last day of the personalized CD and DVD offer. Bill is personalising any Summerfold and Winterfold CD or DVD, as well as his autobiography, over at the shop, last chance today. Simply click on the item(s) of choice, choose the personalised option and write a maximum ten word message in the notes field of the order. Bill will address the CD or DVD to the person you name, as well as include your unique message.
See further info in the VIEWS posting of 19.10 2010 b... More

Bruford and BLUE

Bill Bruford — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:51:00 MST

The newly reissued albums by BLUE - that’s Bruford Levin Upper Extremities - BLUE and it’s folllow-up, BLUE Nights, have picked up a rather nice review from The Bolton Times.
“This is the band formed in 1998 by drummer Bill Bruford (Yes, Genesis) and bassist Tony Levin.They had met up whilst in King Crimson and found they had a shared interest in jazz and when their schedules allowed, they came together and recruited guitarist David Torn and trumpeter Chris Botti. The eponymously-named... More

Personalised CDs / DVDs

Bill Bruford — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:03:00 MST

Following the success of the fun and popular personalised book offer last year, and for a limited time only, Bill is personalising any Summerfold and Winterfold CD or DVD, as well as his autobiography. Simply click on the item(s) of choice, choose the personalised option and write a maximum ten word message in the notes field of the order. Bill will address the CD or DVD to the person you name, as well as include your unique message.
But he can’t do this forever, so get your skates on. Off... More

Strings Attached

Bill Bruford — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:17:00 MST

Bill has been talking about some of his earliest recordings. Commenting on the second album by Yes, Time And A Word, he says: “I remember discussions about strings being a 'must' because other bands - maybe Deep Purple or perhaps the Nice - had worked with Orchestras. In keeping with the general arms race feeling between the major British groups, we couldn't be seen to be falling behind. I believe the strings were tracked later, but the performances came as something of a disappointment to us... More

New venue added.

Bill Bruford — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:01:00 MST

An evening appearance at the Guitar Center, Manhattan, NY has been added to the public dates on Bill's US trip in December.
December 1st: Guitar Centre, Manhattan, NY
December 2nd: Drummers Collective, NYC, NY
December 3rd: Manhattan School of Music: NYC, NY
December 7th: Drumshop, Memphis, TN
December 8th: Borders, King of Prussia, PA.
Bill will also be at UArts in Philadelphia on December 6th, but that is a private event for students only. Full details here on all of the above as so... More

BLUE reissued

Bill Bruford — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 03:20:00 MST

Although it was only existence for a very short while, most listeners would agree that BLUE were something special. Bruford Levin Upper Extremities and its live album follow-up, BLUE Nights were first issued in 1998 and 2000 respectively but have been unavailable for some time. Although these reissues don’t contain any new or bonus material from the group it’s good to have music from this fine quartet out there again.
On their initial release, both albums were generally well received for ... More

Bill back in the USA in December.

Bill Bruford — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:17:00 MST

Summerfold Records, in conjunction with Tama Drums and Jawbone Press, is pleased to announce that Bill will be making four public appearances in the US soon:
December 2: Drummers Collective, NYC
December 3: Manhattan School of Music, NYC
December 7: Drumshop, Memphis, TN.
December 8: Borders Bookstore, King of Prussia, PA
These dates are as yet unconfirmed and may be subject to change. All detail and confirmations will be posted here as soon as we have them, so please stay tuned.
Bil... More

Bill get's his prog on!

Bill Bruford — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:12:00 MST

Bill has penned the introduction to a new book which takes a look at the progressive music scene: Mountains Come Out Of The Sky by Will Romano. Sporting a cover picture of Bill’s old bandmate, Rick Wakeman, the weighty tome is described as an illustrated guide to prog rock.

You can get an idea of just how illustrated it is by downloading a sample chapter about Genesis which includes some... More

Semi-pro Bill

Bill Bruford — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 01:16:00 MST

The Breed c.1967 - L-R Stu Murray (gtr), Bill (drms and vibes), Mike Freeman (sax), Ray Bennett (bs), Doug Kennard (gtr,vcls).
See guestbook posting from Admin on 21.09.2010 for explanation.

Howdy, Partner!

Bill Bruford — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:54:00 MST

All About Jazz informs us that trumpeter Alex Sipiagin has a new solo album out Alex, if you didn’t know, was part of the incendiary brass section that produced so many thrills and spills during the Earthworks Underground Orchestra dates at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club back in December 2004. Here’s what John Kelman had to say about the album: “Bruford continues to reinforce a clear line from art rocker to authentic jazze... More

September 20th 1974 King Crimson 'ceased to exist'...

Bill Bruford — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:31:00 MST

Another happy day on the road. L-R Wetton, Cross, Bruford, and Fripp wait for transport in the lobby of a hotel somewhere in Europe, 1974.
Frequent enforced hiatuses became part of the working practice of King Crimson. Here's a little of what Bill had to say about his early working relationship with guitarist Robert Fripp in an excerpt from 'Bill Bruford-The Autobiography':
'Almost immediately, Robert Fripp and I took up positions that we seemed to defend for most of our working relation... More

It’s not what you’ve got, but how you use it

Bill Bruford — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:13:00 MST

Back in 1993 Bill gave a talk to the Percussive Arts Society where he talked about his career and offered a few tips on his approach to the good folks gathered in Columbus, Ohio. “In drumming we don’t really have a rhythm until you have an accent. Really, it’s the way you break up time that becomes the melody and the rhythm of the thing. So unaccented drumming is just a series of notes going past in a kind of meaningless and purposeless space.”
You can read the whole thing More

Bruford rummages in Yes archive...

Bill Bruford — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:42:00 MST

Rummaging through his early Yes posters for an upcoming book project, Bill came across this fine example of the sort of intricate poster art that was much used on the European scene in the 60s and 70s. Before local rock radio and TV carried paid announcements for upcoming gigs, most of the local concert promotion was by heavy use of posters, which could be quite elaborate.
Interesting to note the highest ticket price for this 1971 gig of 75p was about $1.15, and the lowest - 40p - about 62 ce... More

Earthworks Competition Winner Announced

Bill Bruford — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:52:00 MST

Congratulations go to David Patterson of Stamford, Connecticut. He was able to tell us that the momentous conflict which coincided with the start and finish of the recording of Earthworks’ third album, All Heaven Broke Loose, was the first Gulf War. Being a lucky winner David gets to pick a BB album of his choice and he shows he’s a man a some taste plumping as he does for the excellent Earthworks Underground Orchestra. This cracking toe-tapper on Summerfold was originally released in 2006 a... More

Sheet music for Bill's songs

Bill Bruford — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:28:00 MST

The music for the CD If Summer Had Its Ghosts.
Several people have written recently asking about Bill's material in sheet music form. Just a reminder that 44 instrumental parts to some 15 Bruford compositions are available for download from Sheet Music Direct.com. Costs incurred in transcription and preparing the material for upload are high, so we don't anticipate any further uploads for a while... More

Earthworks Competition

Bill Bruford — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:41:00 MST

If you'd like to win an Earthworks album of your choice then all you need to do is to answer this question:
Which momentous conflict coincided with the start and finish of the recording of Earthworks’ third album, All Heaven Broke Loose?
If you’re not sure what that might be, then simply take a look at Bill’s timeline or the audio samples on the website for a clue (well, the answer actually).
Once you’ve done that simply pop the answer and the Earthworks album you’d like to... More

Bruford offers some thoughts on the first Yes album -1969.

Bill Bruford — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:02:00 MST

On stage May 1969: L-R Banks, Bruford, Anderson, Squire
Sal suggests that very little has been said about Yes’ first album, so I thought I’d try to be helpful.
Of course we Yesmen were new to each other, and from wildly different musical, social, and geographical backgrounds. In a country where regional accents can vary within 60 miles, and somebody who lives 250 miles north of London (Jon Anderson, Accrington) can be virtually unintelligible to a southerner, it may come as a surprise... More

Music While You Read

Bill Bruford — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:47:00 MST

When reading through Bill Bruford’s autobiography it’s entirely natural to reach across to your album collection and slip on the platter under discussion in any given chapter.
One blogger who was prompted to do this was Sal Nunziato . Although he was prompted to listen to lots of Bill-related albums, his blog entry focussed on the very first Yes album where Bill is credited with drums and vibes.
Here’s w... More

eBook Bill

Bill Bruford — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:32:00 MST

Bill’s autobiography is available now as an eBook. You can download the book onto your kindle or other eBook reader of your choice, or indeed your PC by visiting his eBook page at Waterstones.
Meanwhile you old fuddy-duddys who like the feel of a book between your fingertips can grab an old-school copy via the link on the site index pa... More

Jigging about in cyber-space.

Bill Bruford — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:59:00 MST

After at least a decade of frantic music-business-related computerising, it may be helpful to try to stand back and attempt to assess the net effect of the arrival of the machine into our musicianly lives. I’m 61. That’s important because it places one immediately into a context – I was about 50 when the computer came crashing into my analogue world. I and people my age had to learn from the ground up, probably starting with learning how to type. The digital native / digital immigrant dist... More

Bruford Competition

Bill Bruford — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:35:00 MST

There’s an opportunity to win yourself a copy of any one of the three studio Bruford albums. All you have to do is answer a simple question, wait for a few days, and before you can say Robert is your father’s brother the album of your choice could be yours!
How many public performances did Bill play between December 1976 and April 1978? Now if that number isn’t ingrained in your jazz-rock filled head then by way of a teeny clue, you could dig around Bill’s brand new website for the a... More

Chris Dagley dies in motorcycle accident.

Bill Bruford — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:46:00 MST

Chris was a great player that I saw regularly at Ronnie's in London. Constantly working because he provided just what the doctor ordered for the many people he played with at the club, he was a serious talent. I'm so shocked to hear this sad news, and my condolences to his wife and family will join those of many others to whom he gave great pleasure in his short life. With great sadness. Bill Bruford

Bruford and the Beat DVD

Bill Bruford — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:35:00 MST

This is just to let you know that the re-issue of the Bruford and the Beat DVD is now available at our online store.
The material was filmed in New York City and New Haven, Connecticut, USA in February and March 1982. As with so many things to do with Bruford, he was amongst the first to offer material to the then fledgling genre of drum instructional videos. 'Bruford and the Beat' features... More

Earls Court Lit. Fest. success at the 606 Jazz Club, Chelsea

Bill Bruford — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:48:00 MST

Thanks to all and sundry, especially the Festival Organisers, club owner Steve Rubie, and saxophonista and interviewer Tim Garland, for a great evening last night. An on-stage discussion of issues raised in Bill's recent book was followed by a boiling set from Tim's Lighthouse group, featuring Asaf Sirkis (drums), Pat Bettison (bass) and the hottest guitarist in town, Mike Outram. Catch any of these people, in any combination, anywhere.

It doesn’t matter where you take it from…it’s where you take it to that counts.

Bill Bruford — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:17:00 MST

With Nick Meier, guitarist, modelling the Sum/Win T-shirt at my place.
It seems to me that after an exit from the upper reaches of almost any profession, the retiree has only a short window of currency, (if that’s possible). By that I mean any doctor, lawyer, musician or anthropologist has the essential knowledge in his head, at his fingertips, and on immediate call, for perhaps just a couple of years after he leaves his particular discipline. Such is the speed of development in any area of... More

Welcome to the new site! by Admin

Bill Bruford — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 MST

Many thanks to the folks at Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, one of London's leading Advertising Agencies, for their time and generosity in helping us in the refurbishment of this site. Bill was invited to the Agency to speak to staffers and interested by-standers on musicians' survival techniques, and how to duck, weave, and bluff your way through a lengthy career, and the 'quid pro quo' was this, the coolest of cool new sites. We couldn't be more grateful. Thanks, Lazar!

‘Obviously much more than just a drummer…’ by Bill

Bill Bruford — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 MST

With a lean and hungry Yes, 1969: L-R Anderson, Bruford, Banks, Squire, Kaye.
I was again reminded of the generally low esteem in which the drummer is held by that description of a drumming colleague, so described because he also writes and arranges music and leads bands. You’re unlikely to hear ‘much more than a guitar player’ or ‘much more than a pianist’. Much more than a saxophonist? Isn’t one instrument sufficient? Percussion and its practitioners are still low down the fo... More