Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford
William Scott "Bill" Brufordis an English retired drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968–1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring drummer for Genesis in 1976 and U.K. in 1978. Following his departure from Yes and at various times until 1997, Bruford was the drummer for progressive rock band King Crimson. Then, Bruford moved away from progressive...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionDrummer
Date of Birth17 May 1949
I saw it as a challenge to play with Pat and we put hours and hours into it, usually on the bus. The trick was to find something that we both wanted to play within our different styles which would add up to being greater than the sum of its parts.
I have been steadily exchanging a rock audience who were nervous about what they had just bought for a jazz audience who not only were happy with their purchase, but are increasingly coming again.
Plus I am being hounded by all the fabulous new drummers, Bill Stewart at the head of the pack.
My harmony is passable but is usually made more eloquent at the hands of Steve Hamilton.
Second edition of Earthworks I have the more traditional compositional approach, namely I write a piece from the piano.
If I was hearing something I couldn't do, I would figure out how to do it.
A rock band used to be four guys and a drummer. Now it's five guys sitting around reading manuals!
Entertainment is about telling everybody that everything is alright but music is on the side of the upsetters and that's where I'm at.
I didn't write any music at all, and then, I remember Jon Anderson being very insistent saying that there were two kinds of musicians: the ones who wrote music and the ones who didn't. And clearly the ones who wrote music were more superior human beings in his mind. So he kind of nudged me and sort of prodded me into it. I picked it up slowly. Then I learned more about chords and harmony and I just kept adding to that. One of the great things about having good players in your band is that you just ask them questions. You can pick up some good information that way.
Holding on to some of your uniqueness is the trick instead of surrendering it at the Academy of Contemporary We're Gonna Make You a Star.
People come with expectations and as a bandleader I constantly try to remind the audience to leave its expectations in the lobby.
I don't really remember a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, really.
At the end of the whole day of working with people you want some privacy.
Close to the Edge, Red, One of a kind, Discipline, Earthworks, The Sound of Surprise, all seem to me to be albums that captured the essence of the intention.