This is a 3 CD box set containing 35 tracks of Bill Bruford’s original music made for his own Winterfold (for his more electric driven music) and Summerfold (for his more acoustic and more improvised ideas) labels. This set is an expanded version of a set originally released in 2006 and long out of print and has been totally redesigned and reimagined for today with new artwork and sleeve notes and offering a concise overview of Bill’s career since 1977.
Unlike his earlier set, ‘Making A Song & Dance’ of 2022, this set only focuses on his own material, so nothing from Yes, U.K. or King Crimson. I feel this actually helps you recognise just how excellent Bill’s work over the past 40 years has been. The fact that Bill “retired” from music in 2009 to focus on more academic pursuits makes this collection all the more relevant now, with a semi return to activities with the Pete Roth Trio with whom he is currently active.
This collection covers those 42 years from his Bruford days through his collaborations with Patrick Moraz and Michiel Borstlap and covers 18 albums from which this set has been entirely re-designed by Bruford’s long-standing associate designer- photographer Dave McKean and overseen personally by Bill himself. The range of styles encompassed is significant from the more fusion driven sound of Bruford the band, the improvisation of Moraz and Bruford and Borstlap and Bruford to the free form jazz expression of the various incarnations of Earthworks. The list of contributors is lengthy and varied but, above it all, is the precise timekeeping of Bill Bruford holding everything together in a well ordered fashion.
Beginning with Bruford, the band Bill started after leaving U.K. in 1977, we get 4 tracks from ‘Feels Good To Me’, two apiece from ‘One Of A Kind’ and ‘Gradually Going Tornado’ and just one from ‘The Bruford Tapes’. For me, this particular period of Bill’s musical journey is one I was aware of but had not actually heard for myself. Obviously a situation I now need to rectify ASAP, as are the albums made with Patrick Moraz, which also warrant further investigation.
So it is really the Earthworks era that this review will concentrate upon, an era that is all instrumental jazz, mainly propelled by Bill on acoustic rather than electric drums, although it did introduce the concept of chordal drums (A hybrid of half keyboard and half drums) which afforded Bill a new dimension in which to explore new rhythmic possibilities and sensibilities, which he does to stunning effect on both Pilgrim’s Way and Stromboli Kicks, which both feature this style of playing. Bill’s playing uses a random collage of micro percussion taken from 82 samples of little blocks, bells, finger samples and others all played live in the context of the track. This is certainly unusual and somehow sounds intriguing and very impressive. The sound is most definitely unusual but an effective marriage of both chordal and electronic drums.
We then have a couple of tracks from the David Torn produced ‘All Heaven Breaks Loose’, which features the processed sound of Iain Bellamy’s tenor horn. This was Earthworks really throwing away any rulebook and improvising freely and to fine effect. Again we hear Bill’s masterful stewardship and timekeeping even with free improvisation. Both Temple Of The Winds and Candles Still Flicker In Romania’s Dark benefit from this freedom. Nerve from ‘Stamping Ground’ follows and here we find Earthworks in full on improvisation mode again to fine effect. This is exciting and unrestrained stuff, albeit tempered with the tight controls of Bill’s timekeeping and vision. This is followed by the simply gorgeous acoustic beauty of two tracks from ‘If Summer Had It’s Ghosts’ in the form of the title track and Thistledown, both very gentle, quietly melodious and beautiful, another one to search out for myself I feel. The disc ends with 2 tracks from ‘Apart And Yet Again’ which saw the introduction of Earthworks mark II, which was more acoustically propelled with a new cast of musicians to push Bill’s envelope, as it were.
CD3 continues the Earthworks journey, apart from a few tracks from the collaboration with Dutch keyboardist Michiel Borstlap, in which the duo play completely spontaneously without any prearrangements. This makes for some very interesting music in which both musicians really listen to each other and respond accordingly. It is very exciting stuff as you hear their interactions play out, this would fool most people as there is no road map for where the music goes, it is all brilliantly intuitive. A sole track from ‘A Coat Of Many Colours’ sees Bill in connection with fellow drummer Chad Wackerman and Luis Conte on congas, focusing on the pitch of the various drums in a unique sounding track. The remaining tracks show Earthworks mostly in live performances from various different concerts
Above all this set accentuates the sheer brilliance and dedication to his craft that marks Bill Bruford to be a doctor of rhythm and rightfully so too as his work on these discs encompasses a huge array of both styles and settings. This is not always a straightforward listen as you need to get into the groove and begin to appreciate the subtleties on offer within these tracks but it is definitely worth it as there is very much to enjoy and appreciate herein.
Released 18th October, 2024.
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