"Tubs": The Billy Bruford Thread

[joe]

Being a long time fan of both Yes and King Crimson and thier members off shot projects I thought I would do a thread on one of my fav drummers, Bill Bruford.

Tubs has done many different projects and has appeared on many other musicians albums as well.



William Scott "Bill" Bruford was born in 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, in the UK. He piked up his first brushes when he was 13 given to him by his sister as was influenced by US jazz drummers shown on the BBC on Saturday evenings in the '60's. He only took a few lessons and the rest he picked up on his own and developed his own style.

A member of Yes and then Robert Fripp recruited him for King Crimson. After the band split he formed his own band, Bruford and released four albums in the late '70's while joining UK for thier first album in 1978.

He hooked back up with Robert Fripp and King Crimson was reborn and this particular line up released three albums before disbanding.

Bruford then formed a new band titled Earthworks which is more of a traditional jazz formula. He has done numerous other projects as well and his own record label.

 

[joe]

Bruford Levin Upper Extrmities(BLUE), released 1998, Bill Bruford connected up with former bandmate from King Crimson, bassist Tony Levin, along with guitarist/loopster David Torn and trumpeter Chris Botti.

This album is experimental complex(avant-garde) jazz fusion and is a challenging listen. However fans of King Crimson will appreciate it. Botti's trumpet and Torn's guitar and loops are flashes of brilliance as the rhythm section of Bruford and Levin combine together for a fluid back drop to many different contrasts.

The track "Cracking The Midnight Glass" conjuers up similarities of that of Zeppelin's "Kashmir". "Cobalt Canyons" is from the bands live album Blue Nights released in 2000.

 

[LG]

Big fan of his over the years, I got to see him live once with UK back in the 70's. One of the best drummers of his generation bar none.

 

[joe]

I got to see him with Yes on the Union tour in 1991 in Vancouver. LG, how was the show? Allan Holdsworth, John Wetton and Eddie Jobson, man oh man.

 

[LG]

^^They opened for Jethro Tull Joe, so it was "EPIC!!", plus unlike many other bands Tull let UK use their sound system at 100% with all the lights. I didn't know anything about the band until that night, but now I have all three of their albums.

 

[joe]

No question, EPIC would be the word for that show LG. Was it in Edmonton?

 

[LG]

^^Yes it was in Edmonton Joe...Ian Anderson loves playing here, the support for Tull has been great from the 70's right up to his last concert here.

 

[Aktivator]

^^They opened for Jethro Tull Joe, so it was "EPIC!!", plus unlike many other bands Tull let UK use their sound system at 100% with all the lights. I didn't know anything about the band until that night, but now I have all three of their albums.

Yeah I saw thefirst tour of uk too, had no idea who they were. Was going to see al dimeola at central park. Got there early because it was general admin. While we were waiting we saw uk was the opening band and started making cracks about who would name a band uk. The guy in line behind us then told us who was in the band. We were stunned and yeah they blew away dimeola and his band.

Big fan of Bruford and all his projects he actually played with gong, genesis and national health too. I've seen Bruford numerous times with Yes, king crimson( four times), uk(2 times), Bruford band with holdsworth, earthworks and one other time.

 

[joe]

I think Tull might of played here once...I think. At the old barn on Blanshard...Memeorial Arena where the Victorai Cougars won the 1926 Stanley Cup.

 

[LG]

Nice list of concerts and bands AK...I just feel lucky to have seen him once myself.